Year: 1879

REPORT OF CHIEF BATES TO THE COMMISSION


ERs-ANoTHER EXAMINATION TO BE MADE.


The report of the investigation by Chief Bates OF
the Fire Department. OF the management OF the
recent conagratons at Nos. 62 and Ga Worth street
and Nos. 462 to 46S Broadway was officially con-
sdered yesterday by the Board Of Fire Commission
ers. The first alarm. the report speeches. for the
Worth street fire was sent out from box No. 50, at the
corner Of BroadwayEnd Thomas street. at hity-two
minutes after seven o'clock ON the evening OF the
17th ult. Engine companies Nos z. 81 and 81, and
hook and ladder companies Nos. l and responded.
There was no unnecessary delay in reaching the hre
other than that occasioned by the depth of the
snow in the streets. Chief of Battalion Bonner
reached the scene of the fire three minutes after
the alarm received. The third alarm was sent
out by Assistant Chief Shay at minutes after
eight O'Clock. The delay in sending the third alarm
due in part to the box, No. SO, not working and
the time lost in reaching the box at Church and
Leonard streets. Chief Bonner. Foremen Kehoe.
Kittson and Bradley, and Assistant Foreman Nc
Donald state that upon their arrival in response to
the first alarm, the hames were rolling out Of the
third and fourth story windows over the sidewalk
and tapping the upper windows and cornices each
side. An insurance patrolman found the
stairway almost exhausted. The panels i'll part of
the partition were broken and space made for the
Of lines, but the flames drove the fremen down
stairs, and increasing. cut them off from the doorway
and forced them to the Thomas street side for safety
In less than ten minutes after the alarm received
the building was complete furnace from cellar to
roof. The buildings burned covered space of 115
feet inches on Worth street and n feet inches
Thomas street. They were stories high from sub
cellar aud 81 feet from sidewalk and were numbered
So and CO. so and a. 66 and 68 Worth street. and 66
and 68 20 aud " Thomas street. The distance
from street to street is 1S0 feet The fire probably
broke out on the fourth floor of the building Nos.
81 and "a Worth street. "That the fire stopped
concludes the report, within the space burned /
deem a very fortunate circumstance Had it
veoping Nos 81 and IS worth street. the west side Of
that street upon which part of the extensive estab
lishment of H. b. Claim \ Co; il, is located would
preservation of this building and the buildings sur
rounding due to the exertons of the force of the
department, who. during the whole progress OF the


fire and until it wasnder control, worked diligently
and faithfully.


TIIK GRAND STREET FIRE


The first alarm received for the fire at Nos 462
to 463 Broadway, at thirty-two minutes past nine
o'clock. the night of the 1th of January Assistant
Chief Of Department Shay was the nrst officer at the


fire, and he immediately transmitted the third ALARM
which received at the Central Office at thirty
five minutes past nine o'clock. When he arrived
Crosby and Grand streets the fire coming from
the windows OF the fourth and fifth floors on Grand
street and reaching from the Crosby street end to
about one-third the distance toward Broadway, the
flames spreading outward toward the street about
ten feet. throwing an intense heat. On the Crosby
street end the fire had extended half way the
building Dense volumes of smoke were pouring
from the windows Of the two upper floors on Broad
way. Chief Of Battalion Bonner passed into the
northern part of the fourth floor through stairway
at No. 463 Broadway and found that the fire had
extended to that part through the part-
ton and was working down to the third
floor. While the fremen the stairs the
machinery Of the elevator fell carrying large quant
ties of burning materials to the lower floors. The
remained ut the head OF the stairs about twenty
minutes, until driven down by the fames There is
every reason to believe that the fire had been burn
ing for long time and had gained great headway
before the first alarm sent out. No ladders
ordered up for the that parts of the large gall
vanized iron cornces were dropping to the sidewalk
and the brown stone trimmings were flying in every
direction from the heat. The covered by the
building 100 feet by 200 feet. The superficial
surface of each floor about twenty thousand
feet. The vast quantities Of material stored the
floors created heat which required the use OF all
the streams to keep down. Chief Bates concludes
his report by saying that "the conduct of the
bers OF the department every way commend
able.'


The Board determined to begin their public inves-
tigaon into the causes OF the ire at o'clock this