The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-03-08
CHLORINE PUTS
OUT 4S FlREMEN
Blaze in Mystery Labora-
tory Gives Hint Of
Gas Warfare.
OWNER REFUSES TO TALK
Great Crowd Watches Blaze
and Rescue Work Near
Columbus Circle.

Thoughts OF gas bomb warfare in the
trenches came TO mind last night when
chlorine fumes at a fire In Fifty-ninth
street Just few doors west OF Column
bus Circle and next door to crowded
moving picture theatre laid out more
than one battalion fire chief, two nre
CAPTAINS and forty Ave hremen.
The chlorine gas promptly rendered
unconscious the entire roster OF the hrst
eompany to arrive, the officers and men
OF Engine Company 23 They had
Aashed up the stairs OF the Rieser Build
ing. at al West Fifty-ninth street, ana
into the chemical laboratory OF Alex V.
Norgenstern, where the hre started un'
aware OF their danger. When Few
minutes later Engine Company 40 ar.
rived It found No. 23's men In state OF
collapse on the burning floor
battalion Chief owen Mckiernan, who
vas in charge Of the flremen until Chief
Kenlon arrived, was overcome soon after
the fire was discovered. which was about
7:3O o'clock. He was revived by DR..
Archer OF the department. went back 10
the building and collapsed second time.
Then Chief Kenlon took Chief Mckier-
ran in hand and prevented him from
taking further risk only by ordering the
ters Deputy Chief Burns taking COM
mand.
crowd estimated at 10000 persons
packed Columbus Circle. while the doz-
cns OF tiremen were being carried across
the street 10 u small lunchroom tenn
porarily turned into a field hospital and
movie patrons In the Fifty-ninth street
Theatre were being conducted In orderly
ranks into the street by the police. So
powerful were the fumes that even Drs.
Archer. RaInsdell and White and ambu-
lance surgeons from Bellevue and Flower
hospitals. who were assisting him. had to
seek relief by spraying their own threats
occasionally while working over freinen
Who constantly were coughing.
1 Place of Mystery.
ibid you manufacture gas bombs IN
your laboratory Morgenstern. VINO
moved his mysterious laboratory--mys-
ter,ous in that even the other occupants
Of the building were never permitted to
70 into t-into the building last Novem-
ber. was asked by officials and reporters
when he came down from his apart
'ments at 46S Central Park West while
the building was blazing.
THAT a joke. 1t makes me laugh.
cried Morgcnstern but when II came 10
trying to learn from him what was
manufactured by him and his half dozen
assistants in tho laboratory he was
wholly non-communicative beyond say
Ing he made Synthetic drugs
Fire Marshal Brophy and Deputy Po-
Nce Commissioner Durham, who arrived
after q third alarm had been turned In.
Questioned Morgenstern for fully an
hour and half In store across the
street. After the quizzing Brophy would
only say that 30 far as his investiga-
ton had gone there was nothing suspi-
cious about the fire. Morgenstern adj
mitted to the reporters that stored in
his laboratory were two drums OF
chlorine"
workmen employed by the g. whyie
Merritt Company. manufacturers Of
piston rings. on the second and third
hoors Of the building--the basement and
street floor were vacant-had reason for
more than two months to know that
some sort OF distressfuI chemical was
being handled In the Morgenstern floors
above them. Paul Thanh, president of
the Merritt Arm, said last night that
about two months ago his wOrkmen sent
their foreman up to Morgenstern to
complain about the nuisance. Tho Mo-
Scnstern employees, said Thanu. barred
the way and he got little or no satis-
faction.
Workers Rush to street.
John Soukup and half dozen other
employees of the Merritt company were
working overtime on the second and
third floors of the building last night
when they noticed the incauiesceiit iignts
begin TO flicker. About the. same time
cries from the street apprised them
tNut the floors n hnyn W Tre
and they hurried down stairs.
The men of Engine 20 arrived and up
the stairs went the firemen with their
nose, but they had scarcely smashed In
tne doors OF the laboratory when the
chlorine keeled them over. II the fire.
men OF Engine 40 had not responded SO
quickly 10 the alarm Engine 23 doubtless
would have been wiped out.
The rescuers. seeing the men of En-.
hne 23 lying unconscious, realized what
me first tiremen had no suspicion Of
mat particularly powerful gases had to
Do guarded against. But despite their
caution, or az much Cor little) caution
as brave tiremen show when yanking q
eomrade away from death, many Of the
men or Engine 40 also keeied over, the
rescuers in turn being rescued.
Battalion Chief McKiernan turned IN
second alarm quickly and followed
with third. In the m ,ntime Police
sergt, Curran OF the West Sivty-e.ehtr
street station had entered the movie
heatre next door and had told the man.
agement to get the people ont. The pic
ture was stopped and In Its stead the
crowd saw flashed upon the screen ths
notice The audience will please rise
and remain standing"
Then sergt, curran. in quiet tones
told the movie fans there was fire ir
ne vicinity. but II every one would wall
out two by two. In orderly fashion there
would be no danger. Two or three po
heemeN helped curran to see that hi,
orders were carried out.
IL was left to the rescue squad 10 pu
out the fire, the regular fremen beinl
unable to approach near enough t
WORK effectively. Using their smok'
Hel'nrts AS gas masks" however. the mel
o' the rescue squad were able to tackl,
me 'Ia'nes and douse them out
The tire destroyed the fourth and fiftl
hoorb ana burned through the roof, caus
ing "A loss OF about $4,000. The Merritt
company had machinery which alone wal
valued 0t s49,o00 on the second an,
'hlrd iI"ors, and this was badly dana ged
Most OF tae iiremen were able to no
tuFn to their quarters after being trea tee
oy Dr. Archer and his assistants Fire
man samuel Walter. however. had L
be sent to Bellevue and Fireman Patrici
Reardon to Flower Hospital, Both will
recover. although there IL always dan
GER DIR. Archer said. OF chlorine poison
ing bringing on severe bronchitis q
pneumonia.