South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-19
New York's Toughest Fire
Unchecked After IL Hours
100000 Gallons of Water
Fail to Stop Blaze-Two
Firemen Killed.

NEW YORK, July ls.-CBy A. P)
A stubborn, puzzling warehouse fire
in the Greenwich Village section OF
the city broke out about O'Clock
this morning, burned through the
day and was still blazing tonight aft
er nearly 10000 gallons of water
had been played on the flames by 40
hose lines
The toughest fire I've ever en-
countered," was the way Acting Fire
Chief Martin put II 10 Mayor Hy-
Ian, when hc returned 10 direct his
men after having been blown out
OF a doorway by one or a series of
explosions which rocked the lower
west SIDE. With ths flames checked.
but not conquered. investigation
showed that two dremen had been
killed. three more we're missing
about 10 had been taken 10 the hos
pitfalls seriously injured and more
than 175 had received first-aid treat
ment at three emergency stations
opened by the Red Cross In ad-
dition. about 500 families were driv-
en- from their homes in the Bohem-
ian quarter and were barred by the
police from returning lest the ware
house walls collapse.
Smoke Clouds Emerge
The outstanding feature Of the fire
was the mysterious. pungent black
smoke tina orteldl = {" ClET9AOIN
smoke that rolled out OF the building
soon after the first Of the blasts.
J. csme in reverend 1g clouds set
Ting down about the base Of the
storehouse and binding the fire
fighters so that they could not see
the flames hey were co~lba:.ns
Though G midsummer sun blazed
down until late in the afternoon.
when a thunder squat broke. the
firemen found il black as midnight
and rugged great searchIghts in
their efforts TO pierce the EMBEDDING
darkness.
Baffled as to the cause of the fire,
experts i'm the employ Of the city
sought all day to solve the mystery.
Fire Commissioner brennan, who de-
clared that no permit has been is
sued to store explosives or chemicals
in the warehouse. worked feverishly
to ascertain what indeed was housed
within the four blazing walls Al
though the property damage could
not be accurately estimated without
a check OF the contents. said 20 in
clude news print. rubber rice and
Epson salts. IL was evident that 1t
would run into hundreds of thous-
ands
Suggests Inccndiarism.
One story which particularly at
tracted the attention OF investiga-
tors was told members OF the Police
bomb squad by DR.. Anthony Paone,
a dentist. who lives just opposite
the warehouse Paone. who turned
in the first alarm. asserted that just
before the first explosion he had
seen three men with Dushcart stop
IN front Of the building. carry in
several boxes and then emerge. lie
advanced the theory that incendi-
aries had started the blaze.
Another puzzling story was told
the police by Mrs. Joseph Ash and
four OF her neighbors. who live in an
apartment house on the same block
as the warehouse These FIVE home
out the night they heard mysteri-
Gus. muffied explosions. Late Tues
day afternoon Commissioner Dren-
nan declared there was something
TO be called 10, the attention OF the
district attorney and announced
that his department. would confer
with the prosecutor.
Many Nearly SuffOcated.
The names OF firemen and police
men appeared most frequently on
the list OF injured About a score
were struck by building material
blasted from the warehouse by the
explosion or by falling bricks or
timbers. but most OF those treated
at the emergency stations had been
overcome by the thick smoke. Many
returned 20 their duties after having
been nearly suffocated. only 10 re-
port later for further treatment.
The whole quarter was thrown
into a panic with the first blast.
which broke windows IN s.. Vim
cents hospital at Seventh av. and
18th 81. After the first terror OF the
explosions had subsidized the vii
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