New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-01
Firemen Fight Desperately
to Check Flames in the
Electrical Exchange
Elevator Men Heroes
Two Stick to Lifts Until
Every Person in Build
ing Escapes

Thousands Of men and women stood
in Greenwich and Washington streets
Yesterday afternoon for two hours
while the two top floors of the seven
story Electrical Exchange Building, 1870
Liberty Street, vollied blast after blast
OF smoke and fame from every window,
and Fire Chief Kenlon. with the men
and apparatus summoned by three
alarms. fought desperately 70 food out
the blaze.
TIE fire resisted all the attacks
directed against it from long range by
water towers and the "deck howitzers"
o. the high-pressure hose carts. Ken
lon was obliged 70 send his men with
hose lines up hot fire escapes and al
most into the heart Of the blaze before
il gave way and finally died out in great
volumes Of smoke and steam.
New Workers in the crowd forgot that
they had homes, and Jersey commuters
watched, utterly oblivious Of time
tables. while the fremen. led by Bat
talon Chief McKen1a. inched their way
psrilously Gp the iron ladders, and thea
stood, half obscured by smoke and fire,
driving the 3iz-inch stream into the
centre Of the flames from their own
level.
Cause Not Determined
The cause Of the blaze has not been
determined, but 10 is said that 10 caused
100000 damage III the two hours il
ragged
There were other heroes besides the
smoke eaters" who carried the war
TO the FIRE and fought IL TO a standstill.
There are thirty or more Offices in the
building. and several hundred persons
were az work in these when the blaze
was discovered. They have TO thank
William T. Watts and Frank Stanley,
elevator operators Of the building, that
they escaped in safety.
IL is believed that the flames started
in the Office OF Reehan Brothers, novel
~ makers. Shortly before 3 o'clock an
alarm was given. and there was a mad
stampede for the elevators. Watts and
Stanley stuck to their jobs, working
their cars up and down the smoke-tilled
shafts. They brought down their last
load Just as the first engine arrived
and reported 10 the fremen that the
building was empty.
Three Alarms Turned In
For some reason the fire did not
spread on the third floor. II rushed
up the shafts, skipping the fourth and
ffth stories and mushroOming out on
the sixth and seventh. When Bat
talon Chief McKenna arrived he sent
in a second alarm, which brought Ken
lor sailing down from headquarters.
The Fire Chief sent in the third call
az once. bringing. besides land ap-
psratus. five FIRE boats.
There was no use attacking the
building from within. The men OF the
first hook and ladder company 20 enter
came out choking and gasping Even
the lower hall was filed with smoke
and fumes.
Kenlon started his fight from the
Liberty Street side Of the building. In
a few minutes deck streams from four
hose carts were leaping up 70 the
flaming windows. Later. similar
streams were directed upon the struct-
ure from the Liberty, Cedar and Wash
ington Street sides.
As soon as Water Tower No 1 came
rolling in the Fire Chief ordered it
hooked I'D 20 two lines Of hose. pump
ing from the FIRE boat New Yorker
The tower went into action on Cedar
Street. Us powerful stream spout!ng
into the heart OF 'he fire.
Roof Falls In
Fortv-Ave minutes after the first
alarm had been sent in the fire had
completely enveloped the sixth and
seventh floors and was eating its way
through the roof. A little later this
Eel in with Z n ghty up-spouting O.
sparks and flaming embers. A rumor
spread among the watchers that there
we're dangerous chemicals stored IN the
Building. and the police reserves had
less trouble for time in holding them
back.
Kenlon then realized that he must
end his men ia 20 fight the FIRE at
close quarters. TIE long distance
wsser bombardment was having little
effect. lie ordered the hose lines taken
up the fire escapes. Battalion Cnief
NeKsrrs, Lieutenant Samuel Rocks
berry and three fremen were the first
% 20 INTO action.
The crowd watched them scramble
NJ the Ere escape, close and closer 70
the cloud % FIRE and smoke, until u
slnosr snvelopsd them. second water
tower had now arrived. and as the men
VITA he hose line approached the sixth
soor tsts was ordered 20 send IN
stream iust above their heads. There
was niscslcuiation, and the Httle
Yroup. eiinging 20 the frsil iron work,
disappeared FOR a moment in spray and
stream. They clung on, and the stream
shifted, while the crowd below cheered.
Firemep Overcome
Men were now svarming up the other
IRE escapes bearing hose lines. for
lrrr o Cd
ing. dsrk shadows in a cloud OF pure
Ere. Then the hand-to-hand fighting
began 20 tell. The FIRE gave way 20
great pugs Of black smoke and IN
few minutes all was over, except Tor
h. ~wet,.ng down"
Two fremen were laid out by tne
troke for few minutes, but were able
. return % their Jobs. Two others
jossph Springer and John p. Darn, were