The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 5, 1898, Page 1

'- to be taken from the Library. ++++ s U UL SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1898. PRICE FIVE CENTS FLAMES ATTACK TWO OF NEW YORK'S BIG SKY-SCRAPERS FIRST ROGERS, PEET & CO.’S STORE IS LAID WASTE Then the Flames Sweep the Home Life apd Postal Telegraph Buildings. Already the Damage Is at Least a Million Dol- lars, but No Loss of Life Has Been Reported. Special Dispatch to The Call EW YORK, Dec. 4—1In a blinding rainstorm to-night the massive block of buildings on Broadway, Nos. 253 to 9, and included between Murray and Warren streets, was almost destroyed by fire. Within three hours more than a million dollars worth of property was destroyed. The fire began e five-story brick building occupied by the men’s furnish- firm of Rogers, Peet & Co., on the southwest corner of dway and Warren street. Adjoining the Rogers-Peet uilding and south of it was the magnificent white building of the Home Life Insurance Company, and next to this was the brownstone building of the Postal Telegraph Company, erected at a cost of millions only a few years ago. Within a few minutes after the discovery of the fire the >eet building was a roaring furnace, and an alarm had seen turned in which brought more than a score of engines to the scene. It was but a short time when the flames had eaten through the wall of the Home Life and were roaring high above that lofty structure. Thousands of people had gathered on the scene, and the blinding glare of the flames lit up the lower part of the city. Even in the downpour, the great crowds of people grew, and the police were called out from many stations and kept the people back for blocks. Great showers of sparks were rried in all directions by the gale that blew sixty miles an hour. It was a picturesque fire. The Home Life Insurance building was occupied by that company and by a large number of prominent men in various lines of business. Every effort was made to save the valuable papers stored in some of the offices, but many of these were lost. The offices of the Rapid Transit Commission were on the ninth floor of this building, and it is believed that all the plans and schemes of work with which the commission have been working this many years have been destroyed. In the Postal building as well there were many serious losses of a private na- ture, and when the flames reached the operating room of this structure, which they did within three hours of the outbreak, the one or two solitary operators who remained at their posts were compelled to flee for their lives, leaving unsent messages 1e ke The fire burned even more fiercely in the Home Life build- ing, owing to the great height of this structure, and in an in- credibly short time the upper half of this magnificent building was in flames. The water towers in the streets were able to throw their heavy streams only into the lower part of the structure, and the firemen, though they worked with great bravery and untiring energy in the blinding smoke and heat, could do little in the face of such a fierce sweep of flames and gale. It was only a question of time when the Postal building, so far as the upper stories were concerned, went the way of the others. The estimate of the losses by Chief Bonner, after midnight, was a million dollars with a probability of a still further loss should the fire continue to make anything like rapid progress. At that hour he believed he had the fire under control within reasonable limits. At 2 o'clock, however, it was still burning fiercely in front, and, although not observable by the thousands of people, was burning still more fiercely and extending lower down in the rear. An insurance man roughly estimates the losses at about as follows: Rogers, Peet & Co., building, stock and losses to other tenants, $350,000. Home Life Insurance Company, building and losses to other tenants, $500,000. The Postal Telegraph Company, building and losses to ten- ants, $100,000. Losses to surrounding buildings, $50,000. Chief Bonner thought that this estimate, on the basis of a million dollar loss, was about as near correct as was possible to make. The Rogers-Peet building was the property of the Hoffman estate, and was one of the historic buildings of Broadway. It was erected thirty-five years ago. Rogers-1 at ti The fire started in the rear of the ‘mrrents and the wind blew a gale. An asement of the building occupied by |alarm was sent in, but before the first ogers, Peet & Co., clothiers, about |engine turned into Broadway Rogers, 30 o'clock. Two policemen, standing | Peet & Co.’s basement: was & roaring iithin half a block of Warren street, eard a lqud explosion and a moment ter saw a thin line of smoke curling p from the side of the Rogers, Peet i Co. building. At that time the rain was falling in furnace, with great flames bursting through the floors above and rushing fiercely to the roof. Within ten min- utes five alarms had been sent in, bringing engine after engine to the scene. % . _BOME LIFE INS. CO. BLDG -5 TWO OF THE TALL STRUCTURES IN THE PATH OF THE FIRE. By 10 o'clock, so rapidly and fiercely did the flames make progress, there was nothing but the shell of the Rog- ers-Peet building left, with mountains of flame roaring a hundred feet in the air and encircling the adjoining struc- ture, the Home Life Insurance build- ing. In that blinding rain the firemen worked, stretching the black and slip- pery lines of hose through the building, fighting the flames from every side. Soon a great wave of fire swept across Warren street and caught the United States Life Insurance building at the west corner of Broadway, num- bered 259 and 261. The woodwork on a dozen windows was afire in a moment, and from that time on several streams were played on this building to save it from destruction. ‘When the Warren-street wall of the Rogers-Peet building fell, at 10:30 o'clock, a dozen firemen were directly beneath. Several of the men were struck by bricks, but none was more than slightly injured. Acting Chief Perle fell, but was dragged to safety by some of his men. Just before 11 o’clock the Home Life Insurance Company's building, sixteen stories high, at 255 and 257 Broadway, caught fire. The firemen already had their lines in this building up to the seventh floor. They were greatly han- dicapped by the many stories. Flames had eaten their way through the side- wall in many places and the huge white structure burned fiercely. The ele- vators made trips up and down and in this way many of the effects of the offices were saved, but the men run- ning the cages were finally compelled to flee for their lives. The three top floors were on fire almost simultaneously. The smoke was dense. Flames shot high above the roof and over the massive brownstone Postal building. Every- body at work in the structure had been ordered out of this building long before. Desperate efforts were being made to save it. The interior of the Home Life Insurance Company building was by this time a furnace. From the windows of the six or eight upper stories the flames were pouring in masses. In the rear nine stories were afire and the Fire Department, so far as this portion of the building was concerned, was absolutely powerless, At 11:15 the Postal building, of four- teen stories, caught fire. Chief Bonner, who had charge of the firemen, took the elevator and went to the roof to give personal directions. At this time there were a few operators, who had ignored the orders of the fire chief, two or three clerks and a few boys at work in the building in the stifling smoke, and mes- sages were sent until the flames came and all were forced to rush for their lives. The unsent messages were left at the telegraph keys. Chief Bonner had under his direction all the engines stationed in the fire houses below Twenty-third street. In addition five hook and ladder com- panies, including water towers, were at the scene. Most of the men worked in the lower parts of the building to save adjoining buildings. Only a few gangs were with the fire chief on the top of the Postal building. They fought with all their strength to keep the flames back. But notwith- standing all their efforts, at 1 o’clock this (Monday) morning, three floors of the building had been partially de- stroyed. The fire was then working jts way downward. Chief Bonner thought, however, that he had it under control. He did not expect it to ~et much below this. \ The fire started from three explo- sions. What caused the explosions no one knows. The firemen could not find out. They thought gas had escaped In some man- 1 ner in the basement and so resulted in the explosion and fire. The Postal Telegraph Company of- ficlals say that all their wires have been burned out and that they have no connections from their building. The Hardware Club’s headquarters, which were on the top floor of the Pos- tal building, were ruined. Their loss is heavy. The Home Insurance building was one of the handsomest on Broadway | and was supposed to be absolutely fireproof. Its summit was 280 feet above the sidewalk. Leading archi- tects of the country submitted plans for its construction. At 2:30 o’clock Chief Bonner went home, saying that the fire would burn itself out in a short time and that it could not spread and was practically out. SCHOONER’S CREW " LOST IN A STORM Attempt to Leave a Sinking Vessel and Their Lifeboat Is Capsized. NEW YORK, Dec. 4—The Nova' Sco- tlan schooner Walleda arrived to-day from Gonaives, and reports that during the height of the hurricane on November 28, in latitude 36.22, longitude 7.3, she sighted a dismantled schooner of about 700 tons flying signals of distress. It was nearly dark at the time, and the crew could be seen on the decks gesticulating frantically for assistance. The Walleda bore down on the stranger, and got close under her lee and haile her. They shouted that the vessel was sinking, and asked to be taken off. Captain Kemp told them that his boats were stove in and useless. They said they would come to the Walleda in their own boats. During this time the Walleda laid to, but found that she was rapidly drift- ing to leeward, and went about on quar- ter tack, and after several tacks managed to cross the bow of the wreck and n drifted down to the leeward position. The Walleda hailed again, but got no answer. In the meantime another three-masted schooner came to her. assistance and as- sumed a _position to the windward of the wreck. Both of them stood by until day- light. When morning broke the wreck was seen to be deserted and the boats gone. It is supposed that the unfortunate men had attempted to lanuch their boats during the night, which capsized and all hands were lost. PICQUART APPLIES FOR A COURT. RULING Wishes to Know Whether He Is Amenable to Military or Civil Jurisdiction. PARIS, Dec. 4—Colonel Picquart, now in custody and awaiting trial on a charge of having committed to his counsel docu- ments that hau come Into his possession in the military department of the secret service, has applied to the court of cassa- tion, now engaged with the Dreyfus af- fair, to declare whether he is amenable to military or civil jurisdiction. His appli- cation is based on varijous articles in the Code of Criminal Procedure. Henrl Rochefort, editor of the Intransi- %'eam, having declared in that paper that eneral Horace Porter, United States Embassador to France, recently said England financed the Dreyfus syndicate with a view of dividing and weakening France. General Porter, on being shown the paper, said that Rochefort's statement was a fabrication, pure and simple. i DEATHS OF AMERICAN TROOPS AT MANILA WASHINGTON, Dec. 4—The War Department has received the following report from General Otis of deaths in the troops in Manila: MANILA, Dec. 4—Following deaths since last report: sNovgmober 2—Otls W. Drew, econd Oregon, smallpox. November 30.—Irwin J. Willet, musician, First South Dakota, dysentery; James E. Link, private, Company L, rst South Dakota, dysentery; John J. Mahoney, pri- vate, Company K, First South Dakota, typhoid; Clyde D. Pitts, private, Company L, Third _ Artillery, acute melancholia; Charles F. O'Donneil, musiclan, Company F, First Idaho, dysentery; Frank Temple, private, Company I, First California, smallpox. SHIP ABLAZE FROM private, STERN TO FOREMAST Steamer Dalrearli, From Brazil, Re- ports the Loss of an Un- known Vessel. NEW YORK, Dec. 4—The ' German steamer Dalrearli, from Rio de Janiero, which arrived to-day, when in latitude, 37.45, longitude 70.52, came alongside of a ship ablaze from the stern to the fore- magt, while a large, yellow-funneled Ger- man steamship was standing -near the flaming wreck. Nobody 'could be seen on the deck of the burning vessel, nor were there any boats struggling amid the waves, so it i{s probable that the crew was rescued by the steamship, which was waliting to note the end. After steaming around the wreck twice the Dalrearli proceeded on her way. The steamer by the burning ship was either the Werra or the Fulda of the North German Lloyd line. Both vessels sailed in company from this port last ‘week, bound for Havana. NORTHWESTERN ROAD CONTRACTS FOR RAILS Belief That It Is About to Begin the Extension From Casper to Ogden. OGDEN, Utah, Dec. 4—The reported FELL HEADLONG ‘'TO DEATH FAR DOWN BELOW ’ nessy Down / elevator men at the Palace Hotel, was | instantly killed last night at 10:40 o’clock by falling down the elevator shaft from the third floor. Just exactly how he met his death no one can tell, for as far as can be learned there were no eye-witnesses to the sad tragedy. The first intimation that any one had of the accident was a sound like that iof falling glass. There were several | people in the lobby at the time and they rushed to the elevator. On looking |in the shaft they saw what was ap- | parently a lot of broken dishes, and | it was first thought that some one of | elevator was at the top of the shaft |on the sixth floor. Gra@ually, as the | eves of those who peered into the bot- tom of the shaft became accustomed to the darkness, the form of a man was seen. Shaughnessy lay upon his back, with his left leg resting on the iron brace that supports the framework of the shaft. The back of his head was crushed to & pulp. Night Clerk McDermott at once noti- fled Manager Warren of the hotel, who immediately telephoned for the ambu- lance. By this time many guests and the waiters and bellboys, attracted by | the noise, had gathered. Nearly all Charles Shaughnessy, one of the night | | the waiters had dropped a tray. The | Fearful Fall of Charles Shaugh- an Elevator Shaft in the Palace. Some Mystery Surrounds the Manner of the Accident—Broken Panes of Glass Lead to Complications in the Case. a habit of standing in front of the ele- vator with his back to the door when waiting for a call, was doing this on | the third floor, and that without his knowing it the elevator started, and that when some one rang he stepped back into the opening. This s not | plausible, for if it were true it does not | account for the broken glass. This same elevator on another oc- casion became unmanageable and ran from the first floor to the top of the hotel. Some are inclined to belleve that Shaughnessy was standing on the landing of the third floor, that the ele- | vator started and he sprang to get in, and in doing so was caught and drag- | ged upward and thrown through the glass, and that not having had time to close the door his body when it struck the floor fell through the door again and down the shaft. On its face this is a plausible solution, but it would be impossible for a human body to be dragged between the frame of the door and the elevator, and this would have had to have been the case before Shaughnessy could have fallen through the glass. Detective Akergren stated that the elevator did not stop at the fourth floor as he came down, and yet Thomas Morcum, a bellboy on the fourth floor, CHARLES SHAUGHNESSY, Who Fell to His Death in a Palace Hotel Elevator Shaft. contract of the Northwestern for a large quantity of steel rails for delivery early next spring has again aroused interest in local railroad circles in the proposed ex- pansjon of the Northwestern from Cas- per, Wyo., to Ogden. Coupled with this is the fact that surveying partis are known to be in the fleld west of Casper. This extension has been annually discussed for ten years past. In 1888 a large bonus was promised to aid the enterprise. There is a general feeling that this year will see some positive action. Surveys of at least three different routes are on record at the office of the Secre- tary of State, and all are feasible. They are known to be in_ control of certain ersons in Ogden and those persons are n close touch with the Northwestern management. One of these routes leaves Ogden by the way of Ogzden Canyon, and the other two are by the way of Weber Canyon, which is also the Union Pacific route. All the surveys keep well to the north of the Union Pacific in Wyoming from Casper west, following to a great ex- tent the old Mormon trail from Casper to the forks of the Green River in Wyo- ming, the great divergence of the three routes west be ‘~ning at that point. PERU’S POLITICAL OUTLOOK IS VERY THREATENING Owing to the Obstruction Policy at Lima, Coalition Gains a Majority. ble to The Call and the New York Bpe:ll:ln%n %ngyrl‘l:tefl. 1898, by James Gor- don Bennett. LIMA, Peru, Dec. 4—The political out- look is very threatening. Owing to the obstruction of the policy pursued coalition ‘gained a majority of 400 at the municipal lection. 3 Mr. Horlan, an attache of the United States legation, will marry a Callao lady of French descent on December 14. cor g Seven Burned to Death. BERLIN, Dec. 4—Seven persons were burned to death in a fire which broke out. in the hamlet of Exenthal, near® Sonne- burg, Saxe-Meringen, about twelve miles northeast of Coburg. guests in the hotel heard the crash and came from their rooms alarmed. Shaughnessy’s body was taken from the shaft and Dr. J. D. Whitney, who had been summoned, made a hasty ex- amination. He said death had been instantaneous. His neck was broken. The bottom of the shaft is of wood and the floor had been broken by the force of the impact. A. Akergren, employed in the hotel as a private detective, came rushing on the scene a few moments after the noise had been heard. Accerding to his statement he was the last person who saw the unfortunate man alive. He ‘was on the sixth floor and rang for the elevator to go to the third floor. He says that Shaughness—~ came up to the sixth floor and took him down to the third, where he let him off. Akergren stated that he then left the elevator and turned into the hallway. As he did so he heard the noise of the fall and rushed back. The door of the ele- vator was open. The heavy plate glass above the door was broken and lay over the floor, shattered into a thousand pieces. Akergren rushed to the first floor, thinking that the elevator had fallen. The most mysteérious part of the sad aceident, for which no one seems to be able to account, is how the glass came to be broken. The glass was in one solid piece about seven by five feet. It had been completely shattered and broken outward, for nearly all of it was on the floor, showing that some- thing had struck it. Between the top of the elevator door and the glass there is a strong frame which would not per- mit of a body passing between it and e — & who heard the noise and who rushed to the elevator shaft immediately, de- clares that he found the door on the fourth floor open about six inches and that he closed it. The glass plate was about a sixth of an inch in thickness and it would have required a heavy blow to have broken it. Akergren says when he left the elevator and turned into the hall he had barely gotten around the corner before he heard the noise of the fall, so that the time be- tween leaving the elevator and that when Shaughnessy. fell to his death ‘was hardly enough for the elevator to have got to the fourth floor, and yet the door on the fourth floor was open. Just how the poor man met his death the elevator. The explanation advanced by some is that Shaughnessy, who had Continued on Second Page :