New-York tribune., 1909-01-08
raREE FIRES AT ONCE
IN[OWER MANHATTAN
rnFIVE 4LARMS SOUND
IN An HOUR.
u;gb Pressure Equal to Task, but
syo5 900 Damage Is Done
Manor Sees System York.

,.,b street last night For the first
s'''' -. the installation OF the high pressure
-, dc efficiency was fully tested. and but
erceIlerce Of its work the damage might
- -sa,bed several millions more
,.,.a fires were r five-alarm Whlch com
III, zar,olished the building extending from
eoo and COZ Broadway 10 Nos. ~ and l"4
-, street: a four-alarm at No NO to le'
-, street and three alarm at Nos IL" ana
20 Rovery. It was night OF fires Twelve
-. being turned in in q little more than an
- The alarms as they were registered were
v-ons alarm Hudson and Franklin streets.
SSn~,-s s-s-rg Hudson and Franklin stTeets
Ssiy5 siarn Hudson and T'rsnkltn streets
@ di,41 e5sI1R B.reTg isT9S and Hester
si7-Auionatic alarm Sos GO rif ilf Ss So
S ss one alarm. Mercer AMI Houston streets
ssI,5s alarm Mercer and Houston streets
~ 76iT5 alarm. Mercer and Houston streets ,,,
- s.t,1T3'f s55 Broadway, for she Broadway fire
high north wind which swept over the city
- sharks and three-inch cinders as far
18th as Fulton street, and the employees OF
.n75inps in the danger zone took al posslple
r,acaptjons TO keep the conhagraton from
.,-aa5ing. In spite of the fact that the nretneh
5oupl,t the flames q; close range and thefe We're
.,r narrow escapes. only two men were re-
,,r,ad as injured. These were hurt at the Hud-
San street hlaze. They were taken TO the Hud-
son Street Hospital
A falling wall at the Hudson street H'e mar
-o,rl1- missed crushing a detachment OF eight
me, who were on g high pressure hose line on
the Leonard street side. but all escaped
y mas 2 had night for the firemen. The in
tense cold coated their clothing with layer
% ice and ;cicies formed on their helmets ana
hair A number Of fire fighters were overcome
bv the combination OF cold and heat and were
attended By ambulance and department doc
tors Three frenen were injured and one po-
ucenan was hurt
one Of the greatest dangers experienced by the
srsreu was the wrenching loose OF the high
p-sssure hose Twice it broke away AT the
Hudson street blaze and wriggled about in
ali directions bowling men over Many mar
rozrly escaped serious injury. Service on all the
surface and elevated lines on the East Side was
seriously hanpered by the fires, and made the
1ot NJ the passengers on the unheated cars an
uncomfortable one.
Shortly after o'clock fire was discovered in
ths huIldiug et Hudson, Franklin and Leonard
streets There were several explosions. and the
nsghborhood vas aroused. The blaze was first
seen on the first hocr Of the building but before
fhe e-ensn arrived the entire structure seemed
20 be In flames
Tie building was occupied by the New York
agency Of Sir Thomas Lipton's tea company, the
Jrandan-Godley company and the z. c. Hazard
company All three firms are importers OF
staple foods
The fire was discovered by Sergeant George
Stevenson. OF the Leonard street station. which
is Immediately in the rear Of the burned build
Ing Re at once turned in alarm Thirty
ire minutes after the first alarm was sounded
the six story wall OF the building on the Leonard
street side fell with a crash that could be heard
for many blocks. and eight men from Engine
company narrowly escaped with their lives.
BARRELS OF LIQUOR EXPLODE.
Ihe explosions. which aroused much concern
sEong The members Of the police and fire de
pefuaents. were caused by large quantities OF
AanoE in barrels. Deputy Chief Guerin who
'o'k command when Fire Chief Croker departed
V superntend the other two fires, said that he
ssunated the loss on the building and contents
at s5O0Oe0
Not one engine was used in fighting the fire.
sno the high pressure system again proved its
'I0ency- The buildings 10 the south Of the
turning structure were showered with sparks
a burning fragments. but precautions We're
NAsh by watchmen and others 10 prevent
ir+her conhagration.
mere were eighteen engine companies pres
n reserve. under command Of Chief Croker.
I.A news Of the two other fires in the dis
' sas made known. The Fire Department
eAclais say it was one of the Iiveliest fires IN
ns history Of the city
commissioner Bugher. OF the Police Depart
snt was al the fire shortly after it started
he directed the removal Of the forty-seven
Uses o. the Traffic Squad from the stables
'he Leonard street station
e strenuous efforts of the flremen probably
- 'Ae buildings Of the Borden Condensed
Nompany and the James p. Smith Com
Vi me north and south sides OF the fire.
sro- ne work Of the Salvage Corps how
DO1h suffered from water and smoke.
uoief Herman Metz, whose private office
sn'rt block from the burned building in
street. Vas al work when the fire be
ne commended the work Of the firemen
s'u 'heir lines on the fire in spite of show
masonry and blazing woodwork. and pre-
-. uhe blaze from spreading. He was en-
'7S'ie over the success of the high pressure
f system rot one of the engine companies
''eS7ht having been called into action
TENEMENTS CLEARED.
smallest Of TIE three fires in the number
ais started shortly after 5 O'Clock in the
,,, oig buildings extending from Nos. Il3 and
Do~ery. and before it was over had done
s.-- 'Aase estimated at more than $4,000 There
a. several narrow escapes at the fire. and
''es would have been lost but Cor the
0I Two detectives attached to the Allen
a.. 'ranch Of the detective bureau. Because
O'her fires. the force Of apparatus at the
e....- '' as large as usual. and Deputy Chief
Nh' on his arrival. turned in two more
sliAs in rapid succession
. a. -ie was discovered by PatroIman Kirk.
hv = Nuinerry street station who was walk
y s On the opposite side of the Bowerv.
eu IN an alarm and ran to the building
< II there WAS snv one within I.l,e ear.o.