New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-01-01
100000 Fire
Ruins Church,
And Routs 200
Flames Sweeping Edificc in
West 37th ST. lI',danger
Apartments, From Which
Residents Forced to Flee
Heat 'nperiIs I'ircmcn
Blaze Completes Dcsiruc-
ton Within Two Hours;
Adjoining Houses Saved

One Of the departing years most
spectacular fires destroyed within less
than two hours yesterday the Protest.
ant Episcopal Church OF Zion and st.
Timothy, at 33d West Fifty seventh
Street, and the chapel at the rear OF
the cdifcc. In addition the blaze badly
damaged the parish house and other
buildings connected with the church
facing on West Fifty Street, and
caused some damage to the Clintonia
Hotel Apartments, adjoining the church
to the west.
BY coincidence the church occupied
by the St Timothy congregation was
destroyed by fire on New Years Eve
thirty two years ago, a year before the
congregation was consolidated with
that of Iion church.
Damage May Reach 100000
1t was estimated that the total dam
age caused will run to wen over 5000,
600, and possibly as nigh as 100000
Records Of the Diocesan House show
that the church and chapel were valued
at S15O.00O and the other buildings at
$4,000 partially covered by insurance
Of S18O,500. The church and chapel are
a total loss, with only one complete
wall, the front wall, left standing. In
addition, new memorial windows valued
at $4,000, a costly gold and silver ser
vice, a valuable library and collection
Of records, new and costly reredos
and all the other contents were de-
stroyed
so far as could be learned the blaze
originated either from faulty heating
apparatus in the basement or from
crossed electrical wires. 1t was first
discovered by two workmen who were
making some repairs in the organ lott.
They noticed smoke and flames pour
ing into the loft from a nuc leading
to the basement. and Immediately noti-
fed the Rev Frederick Burgess jr., the
rector, who was in the parish house
transacting church business.
Greenvllc p. Amcs, tho sexton,
turned in an alarm, and then. with
DR.. Burgess, ran into the church and
up to the organ loft. BY this time, how,
ever, flames were pouring in great
sheets upward along the beams and
timbers forming the ceiling, and the
intense heat soon drove both men from
the structure BY the time the first
fire apparatus arrived the flames were
shooting from all the church windows,
and huge squirt of fire and smoke was
leaping from the turreted belfry.
Four Alarms Turned In
In rapid succession four more alarms
were turned in by the tiremen, com
manded by Assistant Fire Chief
"Smokv Joe Martin. This five
alarm" caused movement OF every
piece of the department apparatus
from Fourteenth to 125th Street.
AS the iircmen arrived it seemed in
evitabe that the Clintonia Hotel apart
ments, the walls Of which we're
scorched by the giant flame tongues,
were also doomed. More than 200 resi-
dents of the apartments hurried to the
street when the fire started, and those
who ventured to remain in the bulld~
ing were ordered to leave by firemcn
and policemen. There was no panic,
however, although one woman, Mrs.
Catherine Adams, who was assisted
down from top floor through the
smoke, became hysterical and required
medical treatment before she could be
Gained
In fighting the blaze the hremen
risked their lives on numerous occa-
sions, especially from falling timbers
and masonry, but none was injured.
Two firemen. Fritz and Kennedy. OF En-
CINE Company 50, were overcome by
smoke, but returned to their stations
after receiving medical aid.
Heat Threatens Fircmen
Most of the firefghtng was done By
the streams turned downward into the
blazing church furnace from the roof
and windows Of the Clintonia Apart
mcnts, the rooms Of which, where the
iircmen were stationed, became ignited
time and again by the intense heat
waves. The tiremen found it necessary