New-York tribune., 1909-04-14
ROCHESTER, LOSSS5OO, 1000
FIFTY HOUSES BURNED, 100
FAMILIES HOMELESS.
1fi1itin Called Ont By Mayor Edger-
ton to Guard Burned District
No IiTes Lost.
No Lires Lost.
kIAMIL PACHA.
Who was the first constitutional Premier

Rochester, AprlI l3-EStlmateS or ttOcneSIeT
fire loss Of to-day. made early this evening.
place the amount about SJOO,UOO. Temple
Berth Kodesh is total loss. 1t was one OF
the handsomest churches in Rochester, valued
at SqNONO The Palmer Building. where the
confagration started this morning. is smoul-
dering ruin and the loss TO owners and tenants
is about 100000. The First Reformed Church.
g small structure. lies in ruins. The loss there
was not more than $1,000.
Fifty houses are in ruins and as many more
are more or less damaged. More than one hun
dred families are homeless. most of them being
Polish Hebrews. who have not recovered from
their fear OF earlier in the day that the second
coming Of the Messiah was at hand. fear
brought on by the pail Of smoke and rapidly
falling firebrands in their section Of the city
Mayor Edgerton this evening issued a call
for relief funds for these families Some 81
them are quartered in precinct houses. and
large number of them are spending the night
at Public School
Militia with loaded rifles are pst-olliuS the
1re area tonight and Will remain on duty un
I'll order is restored.
4 heavy rain set IN at o'clock tonight. and
while II helped in extinguishing the shoulder
ing ruins II was hardship on the homeless.
especially those whose household effects are in
the open Loorns. which started earlier in the
dav. has been stopped by the presence Of the
militia
Hundreds of Rochester people are homeless
tonight and are camping out near the scenes OF
the fires with what valuables they we're able
to save from their homes over them the local
companies OF militia stand guard.
THE START OF THE FIRE.
The 6re broke out at II 2 m. in the Palmer
Building four story brick structure devoted
n manufacturing interests. at Main and Gibbs
street IT spread over wide area, jumped
nearly a mile and started 2 second series
of fire of such proportions that the local
Fire Department seemed unable 70 cope with
the situation. Aid was summoned from Buffalo
and Syracuse both of which rushed companies
70 Rochester BY the time Of their arrival.
however the local fremen were masters within
both fire areas. The outside companies we're
held on reserve duty in the centre of the city.
every Rochester company having been called
out by the long series of alarms
II was reported during the progress Of the fire
that one girl employed in the Palmer Building.
was missing. and that one fireman had been
killed Later reports contradicted both rumors.
There was no loss Of life. Several 1remen were
injured by falling walls or overcome by smoke.
but none was seriously hurt.
ORIGIN OF FIRE UNKNOWN
The origin OF the fire has not been determined.
II was seen first from outside the Palmer
RuiIding sweeping across the third story half
Of which was vacant. There was delay in
sounding the alarm and when It came the fire
men we're busy at a small blaze in State street
Ten minutes said to have elapsed before the
erenen arrived. and in that time the flames
had spread from cellar to garret of the Palmer
Building gale. said by the weather bureau
TO have been twenty-five miles hour. but
seemingly of much greater velocity. sending
the SHARKS in a uorthwesterly direction over the
citv and the entire section OF the city. which
is for the most part residential. was in terror.
on the second floor of the Palmer Building
was the EIectro-Surgica Instrument Company.
Randall. Green & Baker. cravat manufacturers,
had one-haIf of the third floor and the other
half was vacant. ON the top floor THEM &
Ercbmann die manufacturers. had rooms. The
cravat company and the instrument company
employed large number of girls. Their escape
was shut off on the stairways. and the elevator
shaft was a raging furnace. The girls came
down the fire escapes in safety
Nv the time fire hose had been laid, the
flames had Jumped across the street and to the
roof of ST Peters Presbyterian Chrch. At the
same time fire appeared in the belfry of Berth
Kodesh Temple, occupying the opposite corner
The blaze at St. Peters was quenched. and at
no time the fire allowed 10 gam 'headWay
there although the sparks fell in showers for
two hours.
The water tower and most of the hose were
kent pIaying on the Palmer Building. and the
fire ate down through Berth Kodesh Temple
,,ninterrupted for some time. When the fCemen
turned their attention there the flames were
bevond control The building was sacrificed To
the fire 1t was one of the handsomest church
in Rochester.
II was a question of minutes only before the
walls of the Palmer Building began 70 fall
Continued on second ra--