New-York tribune., 1910-06-06
.F|REMEN DROP IN
FIERY BACK DRAFT
One Dies and Many Taken to
Hospitals from Early Morn
ing Fire.
EXPLOSIVES IN BUILDING
Flames Spread to Adjoining
Structure in Washington
Street-Daring Work
of Rescue.


story brick building. completely enVel-
oped the building and burned it to the
ground One fireman is dead another
will proba bly, die and more than score
were overcome by the heat and smoke.
More than dozen fremen who had
climbed to the top floor were caught by
back draft and severely injured. They
were rescued from their perilous position
by Chief Croker, who sent a dozen men
TO their assistance. Many of the men
were severely burned and cut by flying
glass and timbers.
The fire was first discovered by Pa
trolman McAuliffe. of the Church
street station. who was walking past
the building when he saw flames issu-
ing from a window.
When the firemen arrived, under Bat
talon Chief O'Keefe. upon McAuliffe's
alarm they swarmed UP the ladders to
the roof. Just as they had broken in
a window on the top floor they were
met by sheet of flame and fierce
back draft which almost blew some of
them from the window sils. About a
dozen of the men managed to get in
the building at this point, but they were
! all rendered unconscious by the chok-
ing smoke.
Chief Croker. who had arrived on the
second alarm from his headquarters, in
/ Great Jones street, quickly saw that the
men were in danger OF being suffocated
or burned alive, and issued call for
volunteers to go 70 the assistance Of the
! injured men.
! Nearly hundred men lined up before
the chief, and out of this number he Sc
lected a dozen. These firemen scaled
the ladders to the top floor and fought
their wav into the furnace that blazed
/ before them.
It was desperate fight that they
made before they succeeded in getting
| To where their comrades lay senseless
on the floor.
| One by one the men we're dragged to
| the window and sent down the ladders
/ to the street. where they were attended
by half dozen ambulance surgeons
| from the Hudson Street Hospital.
t O'Keefe was among those who were
! caught In the back draft, and although
he was unconscious for five minutes
from the effects of the smoke and flame
he insisted upon returning to the at
tack on the flames as soon as he was
able to get on his feet again.
More Engines Called.
The flames by this time had gained
such headway that two more alarms
were turned in, bringing more than a
dozen extra engines TO the scene. SO
fierce was the heat from the blazing pile
of burning material that thee firemen
found it difficult to stand the intense
heat. Buildings across the street from
the burning structure were so badly
bIistered that Chief Croker found it
necessary to play constant streams of
water on their walls for fear they would
catch fire.
| While attempting TO break open the
windows. so as to play streams OF water
from a dozen hose lines on the flames
at the fourth floor. Lieutenant Tighe, OF
Engine Company 30, with four men was
overcome by the dense clouds of smoke
| They were all stretched unconscious on
the fourth floor of the building, and
|
flame were il not for the bravery OF
the men of Engine Company No b, who
risked their lives repeatedly in dragging
| them to the scaling ladders. T1ghe was
seriously injured, but went back 10 his
post The other men who were over
come By the flames at the time T1ghe
was making his effort TO fight back
the bursts of fire were all taken TO st.
Gergory's Hospital, In Gold street.
Saving Adjoining Buildings.
AS the flames. continued to gain head
wav. Chief Croker saw that the building
was doomed and turned the efforts OF
his frefghters toward saving other
property in the vicinity
The building in Washington street
runs back for $50 feet to West street
where there is the three story building
Of the Union Distillery Company, at No
II West street
This building stored with many thou
| sand cases of liquors. was in imminent
danger from the flames that were nov
leaning across the street, and the fire.
men worked in desperation in their ef-
forts to prevent the fire from reach
ing it.
Fireman Taken Out Dead.
When the fire in the building owned by
John Hobbie & Son had been so con-
trolled that it was possible for the mer
| +o gain an entrance to the fourth flool
they found Fireman Gotter. of Engine
Company s. who had been caught in tht
hack draft with Chief O'Keefe and
| others.
C;otter was lying on the floor, fac'
downward, and when the men lifted hin
thew found that he was dead.
/ AS the fire grew in volume, firemen be-
gan TO drop back. beaten and made weak
hv their hopeless fight with the raging