The New York herald., 1921-11-30
BROADWAY BLAZE
BLOCKS ALL TRAFFIC
Ten Firemen Overcome in Gel
lar of Building Near Fifty
fifth Street.
10000 PRESS FIRE LINES
Police Reserves Called to Con.
troll Excited Throngs From
Theatres.
10000 PRESS FIRE LINES

Fire among 5000 automobile tires
stored in the basement of the four
story brick building at 1921 and 1923
Broadway, near Fifty-f1fth street, tied
UP traffic in Broadway for more than
two hours early last evening, caused
ten flremen to be overcome by smoke,
one so seriously that he had to be
taken to a hospital, and attracted
such large crowd from the theatri-
cal district that reserves from the
West Forty-seventh and West Sixty
eighth street police stations were
called to keep the people behind the
fire lines.
Because Of the smoke that rolled up
and into the street from the burning
rubber, Capt. Thomas Donohue of the
West Forty-seventh street station, es-
tablished fire lines at Fifty-third and
F'ifty-seventh streets. The smoke was
SO heavy and SO thick that it seeped
into the West Side subway through
the gratings and spread all over the
district between Times Square and
Columbus Circle and invaded the Cum
berland and woodward hotels.
just Prior to Rush Hour.
The fire was discovered only a few
minutes before o'clock. just about
the time the motion picture theatres
were turning out their afternoon crowds,
ovS<l - A.l - x&
least 10000 persons surged against the
fire lines at FIfty-third and Fifty
seventh streets. The traffic congestion
extended below Thirty-fourth street, un-
til the police switched street cars and
wagons to crosstown streets and through
Eighth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. 1t
was z 80 o'clock before Broadway sur
face car was able 20 get through.
The automobile tires were owned by
the Jandorf Automobile Company. which
occupies the larger part of the building
at No. 1921. The remainder of the
structure is occupied by the Arm Of La
and appraisers, which had its stores
stocked with goods owned by Mrs. Marie
Dillon and Nine. Helena Swift
The fire was discovered by a salesman
for the Jandorf company. who opened
the cellar door and was driven back by
q cloud Of smoke. He turned In an
alarm and Engine Company 26, under
command of Lieut.. William Head. was
the first apparatus to respond. Six men
of the company went down into the
cellar by the only entrance, through the
store ON the ground floor. and were
overcome almost Immediately. Firemen
from Engine companies 80 and 40
brought them to the street. and all but
=
were revived and went back to work at
once. Lieut.. Head went to his home
and Lyman was sent to the Flower Hos
pital.
Ten riremen Overcome.
Battalion Chief Ross sent In a second
alarm as soon as he reached the fire.
Engine Company 40 followed the men
Of No. 26 down the cellar steps, and
ten minutes later Fireman Davis car
rlcd out Firemen John Hurley and
James McShcrry. They were taken to
the sidewalk, where they were revived
by DR.. Harry Archer. the department
surgeon. and surgeons from Flower
Hospital. They were able to go back
to work Aften ten f1remen had been
overcome Deputy Chief Martin ordered
all the firemen from the cellar and set
them TO Work ulBsius noieS III eie
cement floor OF the store.
Lines of hose were dropped into these
holes. which offered an escape to the
smoke, so that eventually the fremen
were able to get into the cellar, where
they soon had the fire under control.
AZ the walls and floor of the cellar were
of concrete the flames were easily con-
fined. The smoke, which caused most
OF the excitement, escaped for the most
part through an airshaft at the rear OF
the building.
The Fire Department estimated the
damage at $4,000. but has obtained NO
information regarding the number OF
tires that we're burned.