The sun., 1918-02-02
FIRE DESTROYS
SCHOOL PLANS
Two Upper Floors of Board Of
Education Building
Flame Swept.
NEARBY TENANTS ROUTED
Hotel and Apartment House
Vacated When Great Sky
light COllapses.

The seventh and eighth noors OF the
Board Of Education Building at Fifty
ninth street and Park avenue were
plans OF the school buildings in Man
haitian. both those In existence and those
in contemplation. were destroyed. The
loss was estimated at 100000. After q
stubborn fisht that lasted two hours
the hremen held the b!ase on the two
fioors .f
The Are interrupted a meeting Of the
teachers conciliation board committee OH
the ground hoor. In the mssting we're {:
Edward Mandei, principal Of Public
school lss, NaahattaA Who y STAIR.
Llnville Of the Jamaica High School.
ErneN l.. Crandall of the Washington
Irving High School. Miss Isabelle A. En-
nis Of Public School %, Hooklyn Miss
Anna Russell of Public School ~. Man
haitian; Miss Jessie Bolburn. principal
Of Public School 81, Manhattan; Miss
Olive NJ. ions, principal OF the Proba-
tionarv School. Mrs. Josephine Fairicant
Of Public School 15s. Manhattan; Mrs.
II. S. Rses Of Public School IA. Brook
lyn. and ]. Edward Mayman Of Public
School 81. Manhattan.
The teachers ran to the fourth foor,
intendent Gustave Straubenmuiler and
took from it all the papers and other
valuables they could hnd Then they
returned to the street to watch the hre-
men fight the hre.
One Fireman lnjured.
As a matter OF precaution the re-
serves from two police stations and
| three ambulances were called. One Are.
| man. George Wilson OF Engine Company
. Is. was slightly injured when piece OF
! cornice fell en- his hand.
While the fremen were hglting Tx
, fire from their high perches another
I blaze was discovered In the anteroon
the ne cond floor. Fifty-ninth street side
The hremen speedily put out this SECOND
outburst The origin of the second noo
! nre was quite as mysterious as that o
! the top floor
In the hallway OF the building wa
! an elevator man who declined to tax,
the firemen to the upper floors. tn,
watchman had not beeh located at 1
late hour.
cid Down Hose to safety.
| Next 10 the building on the Park ave
nue. side IL the eight story New Englan,
apartment building. and on the. Fifty
ninth street side the next neighbor Il
the Nassau Hotel, which had 40 occu
pants. The hotels patrons came hur
riedly to the street when the glass roo
OF the burning building fell in.
When the skyliGhts fell In. Captain
Bunk Of Engine Company 40 and HI!
men we're dangerously near II. The!
scurried from the roof and slid down
hose line to the roof OF the Nassa,
Hotel.
Long after the hremen had the blaz
under control many tenants In an apart
ment house at 55 East Fifty.eightl
street. although In no possible danger
left their homes and came TO the streets
seeking taxicabs to convey them TO no
tells. Many OF them paid premiums 4
get away.
The two upper floors were occupied b.
the Draftsmen's Department and tn
Building Bureau, and all, the schoo
building plans for the borough wer
kept on the two floors. Superintendent
Snyder OF the Building Department o
the Board of Education noaHed the Mt
craftsmen in his department. callin
their homes last night, to appear thi
morning at his Brooklyn once. l3l Liv
ingston street. and begin immediatel
making new plans. The plans for tn
schools in the other boroughs are kep
In the borough ofhces and consequent
are unharmed.