The evening world., 1922-07-27
WORKERS ESCAPE
FIRE At MADISON
SQUARE OVER ROOF
Three Floors in Loft Building
Burn as Big Crowds
Watch.
HOTEL GUESTS ROUTED
Sparks From Electric Heater
Ignite Celluloid, Starting
Blaze in Workroom.
HOTEL GUESTS ROUTED

A fire which. although 1t burned
through two floors and part of a
third. was put out by firemep within
twenty minutes after they got into
action, occurred this afternoon in the
twelve-story loft and factory building
at No. IL West 25th Street.
HtMreds Of men and women are
employed in the building, but as the
fire started at 12.45 o'clock most of
them were out at luncheon The
elevator at the front Of the structure
carried down many Of those who had
remained ut work, but about $50 OF
them ran up to the roof and made
their way across the Townsend
Building, at the Brohdway corner,
and thus got TO the street. A few
went down the reHr fire escape.
While there was good deal Of ex-
citement in the building when the fire
started. there was no great panic and,
so far as is known, everyone got 70
safety.
In the Hotel Arlington, across the
street, the clouds of smoke which
swept in through the windows and
the changing of fire apparatus bells.
led many Of the tenants to believe
their own place was afire. They
grabbed up whatever valuables they
possessed and made for the street.
BY this time a second alarm had
been rung because three floors Of the
loft building were ablaze. The streams
of water played upon the front caused
much of the overheated cornices and
other architectural decorations Of the
structure to crack and split off. This
made a rain of material in the street
and owing to the danger it presented
the police refused to let any one pass.
The patrons of the Arlington were
kept huddled in the doorway Of their
hotel, and well away from under the
glass awning over the entrance.
SO great was the crowd that the
police reserves had to be called, and
at the beginning had trouble in han
ding the mass Of people. The neigh
borhood was filled with loungers and
stnollers, Madison Squares benches
being filed, and all these people had a
chance to see with what skill and
promptness the firemen got on the
job, concluded II. and then went their
way.
The fire started on the seventh floor
in the factory Of A. Relnheimer & Co.,
makers of celluloid buttons and
buckles. Most or Mr.. Reinheimer' &
100 employees were out for luncheon
and he was lighting an electric
heater near a container filled with cell
luoid. AS he turned the switch
sparks fell into the container and In
an instant the entire place seerled
ablaze. He was not hurt and, with
his employees, got to the elevator and
down to the street.
Stored about the loft were stocks of
celluold buttons and buckles and these
soon caught fire. Within a few min
utes after the outbreak, the flames
had spread to the floor below, occu-
pied by Hahn e. Benjamin, dress
manufacturers, and to the eighth hoor,
where Robert Davis, an embroidery
dealer, and Harris & Victor. furriers,
have their plants.
When the firemen arrived they be-
gan fighting the fire from every direc-
tion. Streams were turned on from
tho sdei windows of the Marshal
Field Building at the Broadway cor
ncr Of Goth Street and from the St
James Building at the 26th Street cor.
ner.
Trinity Chapel and School are next
to the burned building and frcmer
attempted to get a hose TO the root
Of It TO fight the blaze from thai
angle. But the roof was too peaked
to permit foothold.
Numerous stores and restaurants ir
the neighborhood were filled witt
smoke, but employees closed window:
and quIeted their patrons. The dam.
age done by the fire was estimated al
between $4,000 and $4,000.