New York City, NY Fire At Soap Plant, Oct 1962

6 FIREMEN DIE AS SOAP PLANT WALL CRUMBLES.

New York (AP) -- Six dead firemen were pulled early today from the debris of a collapsed wall at a fire-gutted soap factory in Queens.
More than 20 firemen were trapped Friday night when the side wall and part of the second floor gave way during the blaze. Five were hospitalized.
The whereabouts of the building's watchman and his assistant were not known, but firemen said they were not believed to be in the building.
The fire department identified the six dead as:
CAPT. WILLIAM RUSSELL, of Wantagh, N.Y.
Fireman FRANCIS EGAN, Merrick, N.Y.
Fireman GEORGE ZAHN, Jackson Heights.
Fireman RICHARD GIFFORD, Belrose.
Fireman JAMES MARINO, Corona.
Probationary Fireman RICHARD ANDREWS, all of Queens.
The fire broke out from an unknown cause around 9 p.m. in the two-story brick, 73-by-50-foot building housing the Sefu Fat and Soap Co.
The four-alarm fire was brought under control at 10:50 p.m., and shortly thereafter the wall fell. A fifth alarm was sounded to bring emergency equipment to the scene.
Firemen were walking in and out of the first floor of the building from a loading platform outside.
Then a voice cried out: "Look out, there goes ......"
The sentence was never finished.
The wall and ceiling tumbled down, burying the fireman under tons of bricks and other debris.

Charleston Daily Mail West Virginia 1962-10-27
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!