Old Views

[jon hynes]

Bell Service Stopped

Telephone wires that is all but what few entered the Y. M. C. A. Building and adjoining buildings distant from the Central New York Telephone Building, are located in subway which enters the Bell company's housing through the cellar. District Manager Hitchcock of the Bell company said the loss to the company's xxxxxxxx would be very small and it would not exceed $100. There was no damage to the Bell building by fire except for the ruining of a window and the pane of a window all in the operators room. The cellar was filled with water which he said could not damage the cables. The electrical apparatus did not appear to be impaired. That the service was interrupted at all was due to the fact that the danger to the building made it necessary to relieve the operators from duty at 2:45 o'clock this morning and to protect the electrical apparatus. He said that just as soon as the water could be pumped out of the cellar, to investigate if any damage had been caused in the exits to the subways, service would be resumed. He said that no real property damage had resulted. The Bell building is fireproof and the wall , next the ruins of the Y. M. C. A., prevented the fire from getting into the telephone building. All the while the fire was in progress several men were in the operating room on the top floor of the building, and they said that at one time the beat in the room became very great, and it was then that the window in the room crashed and the sill started to burn. A hand extinguisher checked all possibilities. The windows of the telephone building are protected by steel doors, which kept the fire and smoke out. H. J. Stevens, vice president of the Bell company came to Utica from Syracuse this morning to generally supervise the work of restoring service. After looking over the situation he said that just as soon as the water had been removed from the cellar service would be resumed. Had the officials been ready to resume service, it would have been exceptionally difficult to induce girl operators back to work, while the fire continued next door.

[jon hynes]

Few Home Wires Down

The Home Telephone Company, like the Bell, uses subways through Bleecker street, and what few of them were damaged were minor ones and furnished service from cable poles located in Bleecker street between Charlotte and Elizabeth streets is located in the rear of the new Fraser Block, so that no serious damage was possible to the company's service.

Business House Losses

The Y. M. C. A. Building, with the stocks of Thomas J. Maher, the clothier, and A. A. Kidder, the piano dealer, is a complete loss. Nothing remains of the building but a mass of brick and ice. The tower on the east corner of the building remained after the fireman had the fire under control, as did a portion of the front wall. The rear and the side walls fell. The think fire wall on the east side of the Bell Telephone Company's plant is apparently all that prevented the fire sweep, around the corner of Genesee street.

Thoams J. Maher only yesterday received the last consignment of his new spring stock. Mr. Maher in his new location had a finely appointed store in which he prided himself. His stock was the result of a careful selection and part of it was already on the tables for the spring opening. Mr. Maher's loss above insurance is greater than any other merchant affected by the fire. With the scarcity of locations and the construction of his stock Mr. Maher is greatly affected.

The stock of the A. A. Kidder consisted of a fine line of high grade pianos and organs. Miss Nettie Pugh kept a full line of music in connection with the store. - The pianos will no doubt be a total loss. They are for the most part badly burned and what the fire did not accomplish toward their destruction the water did. The fine instruments are coated deeply with ice. The cases are so damaged that they are of no practical use. The stock of Miss Pugh is a complete loss.

Michael J. Leo, who was located in the Bell Telephone Company Building had just secured his new spring stock of ladies' furnishings. Mr. Leo was apprised of the fire this morning at his home in Buffalo, where he has his headquarters. He left at once for Utica and arrived here this afternoon. He has no plans for the future. The stock is so badly damaged by fire and water that it is not thought any of it will be saved.

[jon hynes]

The Y.M.C.A. Building

The lot and building of the Young Men's Christian Association are valued at $116,000. The building cost to construct and equipment about $80,000. The insurance is about $60,000. The building was erected in 1888. The association last year purchased the Kinney Block adjoining the association building on Charlotte street. The Kinney Block was bought for $25,000 with the purpose of converting it into a men's dormitory with more for rental underneath. All of the tenants except Quinlan & Tulgg and the G. A. R. had vacated the building for the association, which expected to begin remodeling this spring.

The building was designed by Fuller & Wheeler of Albany. It was not constructed with thick walls and as a result the walls this morning fell in about fifteen minutes after the arrival of the department. The building occupied the side of the old Bleecker Street Baptist Church. A wide hallway and stairway led to the first floor, on which were the offices and reading rooms of the association. In the basement were bowling allies. On the second floor were located the dining room, kitchen boys' department, the business men's and several locker rooms. The third floor was used for the gymnasium, the physical director's office and a gallery, which was above the gymnasium. On the top floor was stored the property of the association.

The assembly hall on the first floor was a commodious one and on the north wall contained a valuable painting, the gift of the late General Darling. The painting was valued at several thousands of dollars. The reception room contained a mounted pair of elks antlers, the second largest in the world, and very valuable. Like the painting the antlers were a gift of the late General Darling. They measured 9 feet and 8 inches from tip of beam arrows the skull, and had a spread of 58 1/2 inches. They had a beam length of 63 and 66 1/2 inches and the longest prongs were 17 inches in length. There were 10 of these. The only other pair known to be larger are the property of Emperor William of Germany. That pair was presented to him by Hana Letden, the German consul at the Netherlands and the director of the Zoological Garden at Cologne.

[jon hynes]

The Janitor's Idea

Nicholas Rosetier has been the janitor of the building since its erection He was unable to give any reason for the fire this morning, except that in his opinion it was caused by electric light wires which lead to the arc lights in the gymnasium. Mr. Rosetier left the place about 11 o'clock last night. At that time everything was in proper condition. Mr.Rosetier was at the fire about fifteen minutes after it broke out and states that when he arrived he found flames belching from the upper part of the building and near the tower at the corner of Bleecker and Charlotte streets. General Secretary Theodore R. Jordan and Assistant Secretary William Hughes were on the scene this morning. The blow is a hard one for the auditorium, which had been making an unusual endeavor to raise a sum of money which would clear the association from debt and place it on a sound financial basis.

Kinney Block

The Kinney Block was not greatly damaged The windows in front were broken somewhat and the interior was damaged by smoke and water. The rooms occupied by Pont Bacon, G. A. R., were damaged, but the Ci val War relics and papers were not damaged seriously. Stevans & Lockart recently moved from the building as did George M. Smith, the liquor dealer.

Windows Broken

Many of the windows in the Bleecker street side of the Arcade were broken by falling brick. The damage to the block will be about $300 and is covered by insurance. The entire store front of Michael J. Normlie was broken out when the front wall of the Y. M. C. A. fell. Several bricks were hurled to the extreme end of the store, a distance of 60 feet. The brick was thrown with such force that they made large dents in the wood work. The office furniture of Hayes & Ormsbee was badly damaged by smoke and water.

The stock of Quinlan & Tuigg consisted of bath tubs and plumbers' supplies which was not easily damaged. The loss is estimated at about $1,000 and is covered by insurance.

[jon hynes]

Tumbling Wires

As soon as the full seriousness of the situation became known to those who do business with the wires strung through Bleecker street, power was shut off and linemen were sent to protect the interests of the various companies whom they serve and to render such assistance to the firemen as came within their scope.

Tons of brick and mortar and glass tumbled into the street struck the network of wires and bore them to earth. The fearful strain on the wooden poles caused several of them to smash as if they had been pipestems and the wires lay in the street, a tangled mass of wreckage. Power was kept up in the feed wires of the trolley system this morning and the danger of the situation was several times frustrated through the blue-green fireworks resulting from a cross. Soon after the fire started a wire fell on the awning in front of Perry's saloon on Bleecker street and set fire to it, but the flames were quickly extinguished.

The walls which tore down the wires also buried several lengths of hose, which were recovered with difficulty.

Firemen Gain Masonry

As the day began to break the crowds which lingered on the sidewalk saw that the good work of the earlier morning was telling and that unless something unforeseen occurred to upset the plans of the firemen, the flames would be confined to the building in which they originated.

The Bell Telephone Building on the west, which was erected in 1899, stood up so well that from a street view not a break can be seen in its windows, nor is there a crack to be seen in its walls. The chief damage to the building was from the water in the cellar and who merely temporary. Firemen pumped out the cellar. The telephone service was out of commission for a time, but was resumed at the earliest possible moment.

On the south side of the building, on Charlotte street, the Kinney Building shows signs of the fiery ordeal through which it has passed, but to all appearances it is uninjured.

[jon hynes]

The Water Pressure

There was no complaint as to the water pressure at the Y. M. C. A. fire, the force being all that was desired this morning. However, there was some comment as to the weak streams which were sent into the fire in the Moshier Block, during its early stages yesterday afternoon. There were some who claimed that these weak streams were due to a low pressure of stream of several of the engines. Streams furnished by one of the new streamers were noticed as being very strong. The force of these streams increased after the fire had been going for a short time. That everybody was not inclined to complain was evident from the following issued by A. H. Williams.

February 28

"As one of the tenants of the burned block, I wish to state that I am perfectly satisfied with the supply of water, also the pressure furnished at all times during the fire. The supply was adequate and the pressure, with all streams on, was ample and good."

At the Consolidated Water Company's office it was said that all the pressure possible was in the mains of the business district. Among those who stood and watched the fireman and the water force during the fire in the Moshier Block was Spencer Kellogg. He said that no criticism could be honestly made of the water supply.

Chief Sullivan said that the supply and pressure at both fires were good.

[jon hynes]

Lessons of the Fire

Mayor Sherman was an interested spectator of the fire yesterday afternoon. He watched the work of the firemen in company with Alderman Hayes and Sullivan and the other city officials. This morning he was down early to look over the wreck wrought by the second fire in the Y. M. C. A. Building. Asked if he had anything to say regarding the manner in which the firemen did their work or the water supply, he said there was nothing at present.

"If I should say anything," he remarked, "it would probably be about prevention and original protection against the cause of fire."

It nay be that the Mayor will be moved to send a special message to the Common Council as a result of what he saw of the disasters personally.

Police and Fire Commissioner Brown was another interested spectator of both fires. What impressed him most was the need of a water tower in the department. The aerial truck, he believes, doesn't answer the purpose and he said the fires of yesterday afternoon and this morning emphasized its immediate.

No. 2 engine was to-day pumping three lines through a Ginzier 1 1/2 inch nozzle, but the trouble with this arrangement is that the stream which is discharged from a permanent nozzle on No. 4 wagon strikes the wires in the street and is dissipated to a certain extent if it is aimed at any elevation. A water tower would place the initial discharge of the stream above the wires.

And by the way, speaking of wires, thee never was a greater lesson as to the need of putting them underground than that to be learned in Bleecker and Charlotte streets to-day.

[jon hynes]

Coal Office in Store

In the Naher store was located the branch office of Carney & Schmitt, the coal and wood dealers of Sunset avenue, which, therefore is another concern sustaining inconvenience by reason of the fire.


Mr. Jordan's Loss

Thomas R. Jordan, secretary of the Y. M. C. A. lost some valuable personal sffects, which were in his desk in the secretary's office. Among them were manuscripts of his addresses, notes and papers on foreign travel and various other things of a personal nature, which cannot be replaced.

Mr. Jordan, like the others, is of the opinion that the fire originated from electric wires in the locker room on the third floor. He can ascribe no other reason for its inception. He said the rooms were closed last evening at 1- o'clock, as usual, and, for what he knows, everything was all right at that time. The first he knew of the disaster was when he was awakened at 5 o'clock this morning and hurried to the scene, only to stand idly for awhile, like others, and view the flames and smoke.

But Mr. Jordan did not stand idle long. He saw that much of the work of years has been burned away. Instead of sitting down and repining over what has been and what was lost, he started out to plan for the future what is to be. He rustled around among the directors and made arrangements for the meeting at 12 o'clock in the rooms of the Retail Grocers' Protective Association in room 36 of the Gardner Block, the use of which had been tendered to the association. The proceedings of that meeting are told elsewhere in this issue.

[jon hynes]

The Ruins

Never was there seen in Utica ruins more picturesque than those of to-day's fire. On the northeast corner stands the smoke-grimed, windowless tower which was the chief architectural adornment of the building. The graceful cap, with which it once was crowned is gone and the jagged brick work loomed up like some grim specter of the glory that has gone.

In the center of the building stands the big brick gable-like partition which once divided the auditorium from the front of the building. A mass of ice coated bricks marks the place where once were the stores of T. J. Maher and A. A. Kidder, while a confusion of tangled bricks, iron and charred timbers bars the way to the plumbing establishment of Quinlan & Tulgg. Everywhere in the streets in front of the smoldering building are lines of hose and broken wires, while rivulets run into the gutters. Tons of water are still being poured upon the ruins for the purpose of cooling them and the police are keeping the crowd back to avoid injury. It is expected that later in the afternoon or possibly this evening the ruins of the tower may be hauled down.

[jon hynes]

Notes

The fireman's life is not the most pleasant in the world. Since the alarm sounded yesterday afternoon the men of the department have constantly been on the go. After battling with the blaze at the first fire until it was extinguished, the members returned to their respective houses and immediately started in cleaning the apparatus and getting it in shape in case of another alarm, The firemen had just got their apparatus placed in position when they were called out on the fire which destroyed the Y. M, C, A, Building. They have constantly been at work doing their best to prevent loss of property and have had no sleep since Wednesday night. The firemen worked hard and did much in saving adjoining property from loss.

The firemen are greatly indebted to the New York Restaurant at 112 Bleecker street for serving coffee and sandwiches from the time the blaze first started.

About 4 o'clock Captain Kiltian of No. 3 Engine Company, who had been on duty for many hours, gave out thoroughly exhausted. He was
removed to his home in the city ambulance, Dr. F. J. Douglas attended him and pronounced it a case of severe over-exertion.

Thomas McGuinness, a fireman belonging to No, 2 Company, sprained his left wrist and had to retire from service. He was taken to F. J. Cahill's plumbing establishment in Charlotte street and attended by Dr. F. J. Douglas.

F. W. Seerione's kindness will be remembered by the men on duty at the conflagration. He ordered hot coffee served at the Hotel Martin to every fireman and policeman, shortly after 4 o'clock.

Chief Police Cleveland was among the crowd of the spectators to-day. Just nine years ago this morning he was made chief.

While the firemen were drenching the ruins with water an enterprising real estate agent boosted the rents of stores under his control on Genesee street from $1,150 to $3,000.

P. F. Quinlan himself an old fire fighter and whose store was blocked by ruins, said the fire was admirably handled by the department.

A large plate glass window in the cafe occupied by Joseph S. Hamberger at 114 Bleecker street was demolished this morning.

[jon hynes]

Two Men Injured

Fireman Arthur Hill, a member of No.3 Chemical Company, received a bad gash on his nose while at work in the B. & C. building last night, He went to the Howarth-Ballard Drug Company's store where his injury was dressed. Fireman Hill's services were needed and after being treated he immediately returned to work at the fire.

Joseph Sullivan a son of Chief Sullivan was hurt in the eye by a piece of falling debris while watching the first fire late yesterday afternoon.

Another Alarm

This morning while the above fire was burning fiercely, an alarm was sent in from box 1-5-3 located at the corner of Blandina and Mohawk streets. No. 1 Truck and Hose, and No. 7 Company was sent to the fire but their run was a needless one as their services were not required. When the apparatus arrived some of the people residing there had removed a stove which was the cause of the trouble.

Herald Dispatch - March 1, 1907

[fiona]

Jon: This is a fantastic piece of work. Your writing provides a valuable piece of insight into the past. Do you see any similarities with the GF fire? Also, didn't a Thomas Mahar live in the GF on the far south side? I looked at my tenant list, but didn't find his name. Still, there is a little bell ringing, along with the name A.A. Kidder. Mabye Dave knows.

[fiona]

I also reviewed another artical dated December 15th, 1900, in the New York Times. It is a short artical about a previous fire at the YMCA which caused extensive damage on this date.

[jon hynes]

Y. M. C. A. Ruins 1907

[jon hynes]

Y. M. C. A. Before the fire