New-York tribune., 1920-02-12
Hazard Greater NowThan
Ever in History, Says
Chief Kenlon; Many
Streets Are Impassable
Stalled Vehicles
Clog Highways
Department Is 1mpeded
, i'm Hard Battles With
: Downtown Outbreaks

NE" YORK to-day is facing the great
est fire hazard it has ever confronted
in the history of the present Fire De-
partmcnt, Chief Kcnlon said last night.
The snow-chokcd streets in the lower
part OF the city especially are almost
lmpassable, the head of the city's fire
lighters pointed out. The danger from
fire is made moro intense, he said, by
the fact that the majority of the
thoroughfares in lower Manhattan at
any hour of the day or night are
blocked by long lines of vehicles stuck
in the snow.
Fire engines, the chief said, cannot
get through. Thus far, through good
luck, they have not had serious prob
lem with which TO deal. No one can
tell, he insisted, when serious blaze
may spring up and find the department
unable to force way for it's apparatus
through the blocked streets.
Two Fires Last Night
In support Of Chief Kenlon's theory
stand two fires that occurred in the
lower part of the city last night. One
of these, at 321 Broadway, required
three alarms. Several engines were un-
able to reach the district in which the
burning building is situated because Of
the condition of the streets.
Many others were obliged to con-
meet up with hydrants far from the
blaze and run hose lines three, four
and five blocks to the structure
Shortly after this fire was under con-
troll, another was discovered in the
nine story building at 145 Spring
Street. Four engines, two ladder trucks
and a rescue squad wagon started in in
response to the alarm. One. engine
reached the fire. All the rest of the
apparatus was stalled in streets deep
In snow and blocked by trucks and
other vehicles.
1T was after this second fire had
demonstrated the helplessness of the
department faced by present traffic
conditions that Chief Kenlon made
his appeal.
"rhe menace from fire." he said, "was
never so great as it is at the present
time. The fires tonight show that
conclusively. The attention of business
men is called to the fact that traffic
must be greatly reduced to avoid dam
age TO property and loss of lives.
Streets Impassable
"The streets are impossible and it is
impossible for fire apparatus to get
through in response to fire alarms. The
I'd Battalion, which covers the terri
tory from Fourteenth Street to Canal
Street and from Broadway to the Bow
great that it was impossible for trucks
and engines to get through"
After desperate struggle through
the congested streets, Engine No. l3
managed to reach the fire on the sixth
floor of the loft building at 145 Spring
Street, last night 1t was the only
piece of apparatus that did.
Engine Company 80 got as far as
West Broadway and Spring Street, a
block from the fire, and ran hose line
from there. Hook and Ladder Com
panv 20 found its way blocked at
Prince and Mercer streets. Snow piled
high in the cutters made it impossible
to turn round. The men carried 80
foot ladder, axes and other implements
on foot from there to the blaze.
Truck No. and Engine No. 20 were
stalled at Spring Street and Broadway.
So was the Rescue Squad. Men of
these companies went the rest of the
way to the fire on foot. Engine No. 55
was stopped in terrific jam at Broad
way and Grand Street.
The blaze was overcome after it had
burned out the loft of the Colonial
Waist Company. Damage is estimated
at $4,000.
OcCOnQ fire In w eek
The three-alarm fire at 321 Broadway
was the second that has occurred in
the structure in the last week. Dam
age to the amount of $4,000 was
caused. Here again the snow-flled
thoroughfares cut down the effective
ness of the department at least two
thirds.
During the blaze S. E. Adair, chief
engineer of the International Radio
Telegraph Company, of 1926 Broadway,
while looking out Of the window of his
office, saw seven men rifing the loft
of Alperin. Strauss & Co., on the fourth
and fifth floors of 1926 Broadway, the
building adjoining the one afire.
He notified Patrolman Tom Lilen-
thai and Corporal Harry J. Yore, of
the Police Reserves, both attached to
the Beach Street station. They entered
the building and encountered the seven
coming downstairs. Two OF the men
leaped into the elevator, ran it down
to the ground floor and escaped.
When taken to the Beach Street
station, two of the prisoners were held,
charged with petty larceny. They are
George Gregg, seventeen, of 267 Hud-
son Street, and William White, twenty
one, Of 251 Hudson Street The others
were charged with disorderly conduct.
They are John Rauchut, twenty-six, of
ll76 East Thirty-sixth Street, BrooN
lyn; Frank Escadero, seventeen, of 40
Beach Street, and William Lee, seven
tt en-, of 249 Hudson Street.
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