The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-12-22
S35l',9O0 FIRES
KILL one, HURT ONE
Wild Panic Follows Big New
York Blaze.
WATCHMAN BURNED TO DEATH
Building Destroyed But Recently Re-
buiIt-Insurance Expert Declares
New York Is in Danger of
Great Disaster.

New York, Dec. 21.-Two fires in
the upper part of New York City re-
suited in the death of one man, a
Waterman, the serious injury of a
fireman and property damage estimat-
ed at $350,000 The first fire was in
a six-story brick factory building at
494-498 East 134th street, the Bronx.
The building, occupied by Xenas &
Co., brass manufacturers, had just
been rebuilt after a fire which eight
months ago swept through athe int.
rior, leaving little but the heavy walls.
The fire was literally q repetition
of the structures previous experience,
and when the flames were put under
control after three hours hard work
by the battalion of firemen the naked
walls stood bare again just as they
had stood one morning eight months
ago. .r-.
Waterman Burned; Fireman Hurt.
The Waterman of the building,
whose name could not be ascertained
by the police, persisted in the flames.
One fireman, William Kerrest of en-
CINE company No. IA, was badly in
jured.. He fell 40 feet from the roof
of the burning building to the roof of
an adjoining tenement. His left arm
was broken and he was taken to Lin
coin hospital suffering from concus-
sion of the brain.
Fire Causes a Panic.
The factory was located in the heart
of a populous tenement district and
the discovery of the blaze was fol-
lowed by scenes of panic In the sur
rounding buildings.
Three alarms were necessary before
the firemen prevented the flames
from spreading. The burned building
is a complete wreck, the loss being
set at 100000
Gasoline. Stored Near BY.
The second fire, one of New York's
rare -four alarm" fires, was in Ave
story factory building at West 125th
street and Morningside avenue, The
chief danger in the blaze was that 1t
might communicate to an adjacent
dyeing and cleaning establishment,
where several hundred gallons of
gasoline were stored. The burned
building was swept from basement to
roof, despite the efforts of the fireman
and apparatus called out by four
alarms The flames left little but the
walls and a few brick partitions
standing. The loss is estimated at
$25O0O0.
New York in Great Fire Peril.
That New York City is in danger OF
fire disaster greater than that which
destroyed San Francisco following the
earthquake is the assertion of NJ 8
Tannebaum, one of the insurance ex
perts called upon for testimony before
the state legislative committee, which
is investigating fire-insurance rates
and conditions here.
ANY day a terrific explosion, as
sudden and unexpected as the disas
ter in the New York Central's ter
minal yards, might break two or three
of our principal water mains. II this
should happen and then two fires
should break out at the same time
where would New. York be?
New York's water pressure is also
too low. 1t would be absolutely insult
ficient to control fire with good
Roadway in certain districts of the
city. If two or three fires should
break out on the night of big vino
like, for instance, the blizzard of 1888
nothing could save the city"
Mr. Tannenbaum brought up these
points in connection with an argu
ment in favor of the passing of Law
to restrict the amount Of insurance
which any one fire insurance company
should write in a single district
Sand Might Have Saved Lives.
Investigation of the explosion in the
New York Central power house, which
resulted in ten deaths, injury to NOR,
than 100 persons and money loss es
timated at upward of 100000, wal
continued by city and county authori
ties. 1t may be found that handful
Of sand or the different placing of ,
timber pile would have saved the cit,
from the shock and tremendous dam
age of the explosion.