New-York tribune., 1911-12-23
TWO BIG FIRES
Do MUCH DAMAGE
Series of BIazes in Manhattan
and Brooklyn Keep Fire Fight
ers Busy from Early Morn
ing Until Midnight.
TWO DEAD; LOSS, S500,o0o
Warehouse on North River Front
Burns for Three Hours in Al
ternoon Before Streams
Can Be Thrown Into
Building.

Can Be Thrown Into
Building.
From early yesterday morning to late
last night the Fire Department was kept
on the Jump. Despite the great number
Of fires only tao people lost their lives
The aggregate loss to property was
| heavy.
More than S5oo,ooo damage was done
by fire last night in the building at
Berry and North 10th streets, GreenpoInt'
occupied by a paper box manufacturing
concern. Four alarms were turned in,
ana nearly all the apparatus in Brooklyn,
besides twelve engines from Manhattan,
/ fouqht the blaze before it was got
under control.
After Mrs. Mary Lawrence, reeiuse,
had been nysteriousy burned to death
in her room, the police found VIII
showirq she controlled an estate valued
at $4,000.
August Grote was burned to death IN
warehouse at Thirteenth avenue and 18th
street. where flames ragged for three
hours before firemen could get water
into the building.
Fire which started on the ground iioor
of the four story brick factory building
in Berry street. between North 10Th and
North 11th streets, in the Greenpolnt
section of Brooklyn, last night did more
than 100000 damage and completely
DESTROYED two buildings. The hre
necessitated the sending in OF four
alarms and special" which brought
three fireboats from Manhattan. as wei
as four hook and ladder companies ana
twelve engines. No one was injured
seriously at the fire, although the re-
serves from the Bedford avenue ana
Greenpoint police stations had to drive
the occupants of a row Of tenement
houses nearby from their homes.
The burned buildings were occupied by
the f. r. & f. J. Vernon Company
manufacturers Of blank books and paper
boxes. The main building occupies the
entire block between North 10th and
North 18th streets, and Is the largest
building in that section.
Shortly after midnight this morning
the wall on the north 10th street side Oh
the Electro Manufacturing Companys
building fell to the ground with a tre-
mendous crash. In coming down II
Handed within few feet OF dozen hre-
mon who were playing hose into
window on the third floor CHIEF Ken
Ion. who had come TO the assistance OK
his men. heard the warning crack OF the
brick structure and yelled a warning.
Three of them-Firemen sneider OF
Engine Company l16; Hallenbeck' OF
Engine Company Ill, and Mcclure OF
Hook and Ladder Company 60-were
caught by flying bricks and badly cut
and bruised. After they had been
treated by ambulance surgeons from the
Eastorn District and Williamsburg hos
pitals the men went back 70 work.
Chief Kenlon and Deputy Chiefs LAZY
and Maher so distributed their forces
that they fought the flames from four
sides When the row Of tenement houses
in the rear of the burning buildings ana
the large plant of the Hecla iron WORKS
was threatened by the flames CHIEF Ken
lon marshalled the greater part OF ms
force on this point. and after STUBBORN
battle quenched the fire.
7. is not known what caused the fire.
The persons living I'm the row oI tehe-
ment houses opposite the factory hrSt
ea,y columns Of smoke pouring from the
windows on the third floor. They yeHed
Fire" and Patrolnan Johnson. OF the
Bedford avenue station ran 20 the cor
ner and sent in an alarm.
When the fist engine companies ar
rivod II was seen that there was danger
that the flames would be swept by the
wind to adjoining buildings, and sec
ord alarm was quickly sent in. Deputy
Chief NIaher came on the second and
u,iclllv sent in a third and a fourth
alarm When it was seen that the fire
was gaining hcadway against even this
force OF apparatus, the special alarm
! for Manhattap's assistance was turned IN.
yven after the arrival Of tho iirehoats'
which turned powerful streams ON the
/ blazing buildings, the flames obstuateY
fought their way TO the eight story eX-
tansiou of the Vernon Company's plant.
and for a time threatened 10 destroy
this. It was only by the hardest work
that the nremen succeeded in stopping
the progress of the flames in this d!-
rection.
While the men were working on this
side of the building the fire ate IT'S way
to a building on the opposite side. oc-
cupied by the Electro Manufacturing
Company a three story structure In
/ few minutes this building was complete
ly destroyed.
The fire was "a spectacular one. and
the streets We're lined with thousands
of people. Who greatly inpcdcd the work
of the nrcmen until pushed back by the
reserves
laIkDEI EIInilCE eide