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Show IKXTKST OF THE WAMAliK. The Principal Room Were Completely Destroyed Saving Life. New Yokk, July 18 The distributing distrib-uting room on the fifth floor, operating room dn the floor above, the associated press rooms and the restaurant on tho ninth floor wero completely destroyed. Seven lives were miraculously saved. A few minutes before 7 o'clock the operators op-erators began to arrive to go to work. About fifty men and young women had reached the operating room; when a messenger boy saw a puff of smoke under a tablo in the distributing room . on tho floor below the operating room. Ho scarcely had time to investigate the cause when the wooden tablo was in flames and the lire spreading with lightning rapidity. Ho rushed up stairs to notify the new arrivals that the 'building was on fire. They were compelled com-pelled to go through the distributing room to get down stairg. A panic was the result. Women screamed and men rushed pell-mell down stairs to escape the flames, which in less than two minutes min-utes spread almost the entire distributing distribut-ing room, burning up wires, instruments instru-ments and . tables as if they were so much tinder. The entire room when the panic-stricken crowds passed through it was filled with a dense, stifling smoke. They fell over each other in their wild efforts to reach a place of safety. By this time flames reached the ceiling of the distributing dis-tributing room and were eating their way through tho operating room, where the instruments that connect with tho wires that distribute tho news throughout the country aro 'located. In less time than it takes to tell it this eutire floor w as ablaze and tho flames extendiug to the floor above on which the Western Union company's restaurant restau-rant was located. Here were four men and three women, cooks and waiters iu the restaurant, who had been forgotten in the excitement. All means by this time had been cut off whereby these persons could escape. They wero not aware of their peril until the smoke rushed up the stairway leading from the operating room iu volumes. One of the men, finding no possiblo means to escape downward, rushed for the scuttle hole in tho roof. The trap door was pushed off and the prisoners climbed to the roof. The flames were shooting out of tho front windows and volumes of smoke puffed heavenward. Wrhcn the great crowds on the streets saw the men and women rush out on the roof a cry of horror went up, for it did not seem possible pos-sible they could be recovered. The women, screamed and wrung their hands and the men yelled, " for God's sake do something to save us." A long ladder was placed against the rear of the burning building. It did not reach within iio feet of the roof, but undaunted, undaunt-ed, however, two firemen scaled the ladder and threw a rope up. It was caught and tied by ono of the brave girls. Tho firemen pulled themselves up hand over hand until they reached the top, and, amid" cheers from the thousands below, they let the seven down.to places of safety. It was ac-comonshed ac-comonshed just in time, for the flames immediately burst up through fhe cornice cor-nice and soon enveloped the roof. The j tower of the building was caught up by the flames. |