New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-21
Oil Smeared Clothes Catch Fire
as He Scrambles Up on the
Scaffolding at Aqueduct
Workings in st.
Nicholas Avenue.
TUNNEL LIKE FURNACE
Flames Whirled to Surrounding Build
ings as Women and Children in
Panic Block Exits in Rush to
Escape-Sanatorium a Roar
ing Mass as Patients
Are Rescued.

<alt nCoCucu.
Four men were injured, one perhsp.
fatally, and sixty others imprisoned az
the bottom of the aqueduct shaft, No.
Q, a st. Nicholas avenue and li9:h
street. late yesterday afternoon, when
fire wiped out the superstructure and
swept both sides Of the avenue for
almost a block. One hundred families
were made homeless.
The injured are.
sHANTUCK. Peter. No 2se7 Eighth avenue:
burned on head and body probably will die
THURSTON. Clayton No ZOE West 1924 street.
broken wrist and
POOLE. Dexter. No. SIS West 45th street:
broken wrist. leg and arm.
WINN, Harry. No. Il West l32d street. broken
left forearm and wrist
For thrills and spectacular effect, no
blaze in years in this city approached
that which ragged for two hours above
the mouth OF the aqueduct shaft. The
crowds which packed every vantage
point about the triangular park knew
that forty men were below the surface,
perhaps already reached by the flames.
and that half ton of dynamite was
stored near them
While police. firemen and volunteers
however, fought for two hours above
ground rescuing occupants from burn
ing buildings and struggling with tho
flames, the imprisoned laborers re-
maned safely in the shaft. and a few
hours later were brought to the surface
unhurt.
Began with Flash Of Flame.
The fire began at 80 O'Clock in the
blacksmith's shop, which occupied part
of the ground floor OF the superstruct-
ure s. r. Mitchell. tunnel foreman.
had just entered the lift with a crew
of fourteen men and started downward
when fash of fame blew out Of the
shop door, directly under the car.
Mitchell shouted orders for the power
to be reversed and the car started up
ward again.
Veteran firemen said they had never
known a blaze TO spread with such
rspiditv. At the cry Of Fire" from the
panic stricken lift load of laborers. one
of the employees dashed out Of the Of
fee and raced across the street 10 sn
alarm box. When he returned a few
seconds later. practically the whole
superstructure was abaze.
As the flames shot upward about the
loaded car the laborers began jumping.
Thurston. Poole and Winn fell head
long a dozen feet, where they lay help
less with broken limbs as their COM
panions scrambled over them TO safety.
Shantuck. trampled back by the crowd.
tried frantically to escape the flames,
but was caught
The blaze settled upon his trousers
and shirt. smeared with oil. and in
flash the man was afire from head TO
foot. He scrambled out on to a staging
a dozen feet above the ground and
tried to Jump, but his clothing caught.
holding him suspended and ablaze be-
fore the eyes OF the crowd.
A policeman scrambled to where he
hung and wrapped a piece OF canvas
about him. smothering the flames. lie
was then lowered. unconscious, to The
ground.
Wnn was working on an elevated
runway at the top OF the structure
along which loaded dummies are run
10 be emptied. Before he could scram-
bic down TO safety the flames had cut
him off in every direction, and lie
leaned Mitchelrs automobile had been
standing in front of the structure, It's
engine running and ready TO be driven
away.
Flames Faster Than Automobile.
Before the foreman could get TO II
the flames had seized the automobile
and were fast reducing it TO wreck.
Engine No. 80 was the frst TO arrive.
and when the men got on the scene
the flames. mushroomed by the draft
from the tunnel. had famed out. set
ting fire to the buildings on both sides
of the avenue. The awnings along the
entire front OF the Audubon Court
apartments. at Nos. and -.
Nicholas Place. were blazing, and the
fremen under Captain Regan directed
their attention TO this building frst.
When the firemen and police got TO
the building a full sized panic was In
progress. Robert Lowering. the e!e-
vator boy, was speeding his car up and
down, but the blocking Of the entrance
way terrified the occupants, and the
lower floors were fast filling with
screaming women and children De-
tectives Trayer and McGrath, OF tbs
West 152d street station. followed the
hremen and began hustling the fugi-