School Fire at Troy

School Fire at Troy

School building No. 5, Seventh avenue. Troy, N. Y., was wrecked by fire recently with an estimated loss of $75,000. The city does not insure its school buildings. It was a spectacular fire and a freight train blocked several pieces of apparatus, a serious handicap, which it is claimed caused a large portion of the loss. The building was 4 stories, 75 by 200 feet and was constructed of brick in 1884. The fire started in the basement from an unknown cause. When the fire department arrived dense smoke was coming from the rear windows and the fire was rapidly travelling up the stairways to the roof. First alarm apparatus was held up 10 minutes by a freight train at the D. & W. R. R. bridge. There is a fire alarm gong on the gate tender’s house and he is supposed to hold trains for nearby fires. Chief Patrick Byron early sent in a second alarm. The peculiar construction of the building also badly handicapped the department and the flames spread with such rapidity that about two hours after their discovery part of the roof fell and soon the entire roof gave way. Repairs a year ago strengthened the wails so that the firemen were enabled to confine the fire to the building. Two adjoining buildings suffered only slightly from water. Six engines were in service and had ten 1 1/8to l 1/2-inch streams through 5,000 feet of hose on the building from 4-inch single hydrants. Battalion Chief H. T. Rankin was one of the first at the fire and with Chief Byron directed the operations of the department. The building was partially destroyed in 1002. The accompanying illustration is by courtesy of the Troy “times.”

Photo Courtesy of Troy “Times”