The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-27
GLASLYN BUILDING
| F|RECONFINED TO
ELEVATOR SHAFT
Several Thousand Dollars
Damage to KimbaIl Piano
Co.. and Burk & Co. Stocks.
Firemen Injured.

FTepFoof construction. and flreproof
elevator doors which held the flames In
an elevator SHAFT, prevented many
thousands of dollars damage to tenants
In the Glaslyn building, 160-62 Madison
avenue when fire Of unknown origin
broke out In the basement at O'Clock
Friday morning. and burned for an hour
and 2 half before fifemen extln0ulshed
the blaze.
The fire did several thousand dollars
damage, mainly 90 the kimbail Plano
company and Rurk q Co.. who
occupied the ground floor. and had
goods stored IN the basement, which
was haR filled with water poured In to
Cropping through the dense smoke on
the fifth floor, Eddie Neff, ladderman
on hook and ladder company No. !,
backed into the freight elevator shaft,
up which flames had been shooting a
short time before. Neff fell two stories,
on top of the elevator cage, which,
luckily for him, happened to be at the
third floor.
Neff was severely cut and bruised by
the fan, but after treatment at St JOS
eEh's hospital, he was able TO be re-
moved to his home, 260 Market avenue.
The flames shot up the elevator shaft
OF the building, through to the sixth
floor. Luckily doors leading onto each
floor were closed, and stayed closed
the offices of the Intertype corporation.
and the Hood Printing company, occu-
pants of the third and fourth floors.
and to the two top floors, which are
tenanted by music studios.
The blaze was discovered by Patrol
men Workman and Weaver, who saw
the smoke pouring from the building
from their post at Court avenue and
Main street, three blocks away. Flames,
shooting from the end of the building
sent the policemen scurIying to a fire
alarm box at o'clock.
Valuable Property Safe.
When firemen arrived, the flames
were burning fiercely in the elevator
shaft. Their first vision of theS fire
was the smoke rolling from outside
windows on the third and fourth floors.
1t looked as though the fire was on these
floors. but brief investigation showed
the base of the fire, and water was
turned In great streams into the base
ment. -s- .4 .... ~. sss,. 4.
Firemen, fought the flames for 30
minutes. before water triumphed.
AS the fire fighters worked the
3 salvage CORPS was busy. The elevator
4 hall ana SHAFT are on the east 81 llge pi
4 the building, the side occupied by the
Kirnhan Plane company phe salvage
men. with taFpatiliilss' e .esgyyersp q
pianos in the showroom, and this ac-
ton ID responsible for the prevention u
A new shipment Of goods for the store
Of Burk e. CO.. reposed in packing cases
in the basement. What was not burned
was thoroughly water soaked, Pianos,
graphophone and other musical instru-
Inents stored in the basement probably
are ruined beyond repair.
Water, Smoke Damage.
1t was the second time Burk g. Co.
has burned out in the, past SO days
Main street, suffered a $175,000 fire loss
on Dec. 16, 1919. Since then they have
occupied quarters on the west side
ground floor of the Glaslyn building
where the salvaged stock is being dis
posed of.
The various floors of the building,
which is constructed of reinforced con-
crete, suffered Somewhat from the
CRIME of smoke, and in some instances
water from the fire hose found It's way
inside, but on the-whole the loss sur
fered by upstairs tenants was slight
owing to the fireproof construction.
The BurlS &c Co. showroom, on the
ground floor, also suffered but slightly
4 long rack of suits along the west side
of the storeroom was not damaged al
all. either by flames or water slighl
smoky smell and splashes of water or
the wood flooring above the concrete
were the only signs Of fire that hac
been.
Siphon pumps were at work early Fri
dav morning emptying the basement o.
water. Here and there blackenec
packing case. floated, humping into 6
piano or praphophone.
The Glaslyn building is owned by the
Lee family.