New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-03
WTAGRAPH FILMS SET
MORTON BUILDING AF|RE
Rapid Spread of Flames Makes
Hard Rescue Tasks for Chief
Cookers Men.
CUT OFF ON UPPER FLOORS
Blaze in Ann Street Conquered IN
Hour After Doing $4,000
Damage-Many Fire
men Hurt.
CUT OFF ON UPPER FLOOR

Hemmed in by the little narrow can
yons of Nassau and Ann streets. an
army of fremen fought desperately and
conquered late yesterday afternoon
blaze which picked off all the WOODWORK
in the Morton Building, No. 116 Nassau
street. Twelve stories mark the height
of this V-shaped structure, which towers
above the little old fashioned buildings
between its LIS at the corner of Nassau
and Ann.
If most of the tenants had not been
away enjoying a summer half holiday
many would have had trouble in escap-
ing. AS It was there were several sensa-
tional rescues. but the only injuries re-
cordede were those received by frernen
from falling glass.
The fire started in the Offices of the
American vitagraph Company on the
second floor of the Ann street eleva-
ton Charles A Burton, chief operator
of the company, swung about in his desk
chair about SIS o'clock to look into the
room where the concern kept 1000 reels
OF films Just as he did so one of the
hundred inflamnnable reels in the lot
blazed up He sprang for it and rushed
with it to the window. throwing 1t out
into Ann street Then. with his front
hair. eyebrows and mustache singed to
the skin. he turned back to look at the
other films They were a mass of flames
where moment before not spark had
appeared
Saved by Elevator Boy.
He and Morris Bremmer, who was in
charge Of the reels. set up the cry OF
fire Patrolman Edward Smith, Of the
Oak street station, heard them in Ann
street and turned in an alarm Martin
Kramer. superintendent of the building.
and Bruce Ross, the only elevator boy
left, also heard them Ross ran his ele-
vator up to the top floor, yelling the
alarm as he passed each story. He
brought eighteen persons down
Kramer ran up two flights Of stairs
and was stopped there by the smoke and
flames. He turned back and dashed out
into the street, but, finding that the
alarm had been turned in, he made for
the engines in the basement. For some
unknown reason he shut off the power
and the elevator could not rise again.
When Battalion Chief Hayes reached
the scene he turned in a second alarm.
which brought Chief Croker, and the
chief Immediately turned in a third. In
a fash. il seemed, the two little streets
were choked with fire apparatus and
gaming multitudes. The latter gave way
almost Immediately. though, to the Wig
orous persuasion of the police reserves
from the Oak, Eldridge and John street
stations And then out of all this ap-
parentIy hopeless confusion the we'll
trained fire fighters began their methodi-
cal battle.
But first they had to find and rescue
those who had been cut off on the upper
floors. On the top floor. in the offices OF
the Federal Investigation Bureau. con-
Quoted by Attorney General Wicker
sham. five young lawyers were still at
work. They had not understood the ele-
yator boys cry, thinking it some
voman's shrek in the street But when
they poked their heads out Of the win
dows they could see crawling swiftly up
the airshaft toward them little tongues
If flames, which cracked on the window
easements One of them ran to the tele-
phone and got Fire Headquarters. but
already William T. Beck. of Hook and
Ladder ]; Joseph Wood. of the same
truck company. and JACK Daily. driver of
Engine Company Z. were on their way
I'D the stairs to them
Crawl Through Dense Smoke.
When they got to the twelfth floor
tbase Aremen had to crawl on their
hands and knees the smoke was so
dense. They had hard time persuadfng
Charles scully, Charles Siegel. Joseph
Tucker. Joseph Baker and Edward J.
Brennan. the five prisoners. to come out
of their offices and take to the stairs
Rut f1renen can be very persuasive at
times. and the five were guided in safety
TO the open air
Mrs Mary Carter, of No. Morton
stress. and Mrs Mary Guysted. of No
81 Allen street. were scrubbing the tenth
floor when the smoke became nauseating.
They ran downstairs TO the fourth floor,
Continued on second Daee-