The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-23
FAIR PLAY.
From The Baltimore American.
THE GREAT FIRE IN NEW YORK.

The Express of Monday afternoon, in notice OF
incidents connected with the fire, says:
|. The workmen are engaged in the ruins of Davis
& Brooks store, digging out the rubbish, prepare
terry 10 rebuilding the store.
| great number of masons and carpenters appear
ed here this morning from Philadelphia, ready to go
to work. Mechanics and laborers are pouring in
from all parts Of The country.
IT is said all the Zante currans in first hands have
been consumed in Broad street.
The following remarks respecting the cause of the
terrific explosion In the warehouse of Messrs.
Croker & Warren, are copied from the New York
Journal of Commerce of July 22d
The FIRE.-The great question now is, what
caused The explosion The general opinion seems
70 be, that !, must have been gunpowder. Yet,
Croker & Warren state explicitly that there was
no gunpowdcr in their store, and there is no good
reason to doubt their declaration; for there is no
evidence of any gunpowder having been put In the
store at any time. There was large quantity of
saltpetre there. The building was strongly enclosed
by iron shuttersi but, before any explosion took
place, there were brilliant flames issuing from the
crevices, and SO filling the air to alarm the people
| on the neighborng roofs. The first motion was the
bursting open of one of the iron windows-shuters,
and the pouring out of an unusual smoke, which
alarmed the ffemen AND others in the neighborhood,
This soon followed by rumbng explosion
within the building, which eau ed the cry of ''guns
powder" to be raised, and all hands fed up and
down the street. One gentleman came out from an
adjoining store, and ran half way TO Wall street
perhaps hundred and fifty sleps-before the great
explosion took place. Some persons report several
preliminary explosions These kind premoni,ions
saved hundreds of lives; for when the grand explo
sion came the stores for two three numbers each
way from Crocker& Warmers, were instantly pros
trated and the fame passed like the blaze of
non across the whole breadth of Broad street, and
in an instant the buildings the east side on
fire. A thorough investigation will no doubt be
had, and it will, perhaps, be found that the heat
had prepared gases and other Materials which, by
their own combinations, produced the terrific result
The efforts yesterday to recover goods from the
ruins were quite successful The Croton was Of
great efficiency in this work for it could be applied
to any extent, without the Intervention Of engines
which in 1885 made the expense of thorough extn-
gushment very great. A large quantity of goods
were recovered from the cellar of Fearings& Halls
store, some of them very little damaged
The Etna Fire Insurance Company state that they
surplus, and Giat their loss will not absorb more
than half of this aggregate. They continue to do
business.
! he North American Company announces that
they have Sl50,000 of their capital remaining, and
are taking measures to supply the deficiency. They
The East River Insurance Company count their
actual loss at $4,000
The following insurance companies have resolved
to wind up. They refuse to issue more policies,
and ask that all policies now out may be Cancelled,
though they will be able to pay nearly or quite all
the losses by the late disaster viz ;
The American Mutual.
Mcrdhants Fire.
Guardian.
Manhattan
The rates of premium demanded by offices which
60 on are double the rates Of last week. and our c
zens rapidly paying the rates.
On Saturday and Sunday men in small boats were
busy on the river, gathering up the oil which was
carried down the main sewer in Broad street, and
Aoated on the surface of the water. This they Sc
cured in casks; and those who had TO casks, poured
it into their boats One ortwo boats were half filed
The greatest number of barrels filled by one man was
twenty-one and the smallest number three barrels
the total amount of barrels about fifty, worth about
dollars EACH Both the atmosphere and water OF
Whitehall were favored with brandy and other
liquors i
Thirty stores were destroyed, in which goods en-
titled to debenture had been stored by the officers of
the customs. There were also four large stores be-
longing TO the custom-house, filled with liquors, de-
stroyed.
None VICTIMS or THE ESPLosroN.--Henry Medi-
Cos and Henry Rodman, both Germans, entered
store adjoining that in which the explosion occur
red, few minutes previous to the catastrophe, and
have not since been seen. Medigos was single
man, 81 years Of age, and boarded at u Broad
street; Rodman was porter IN the employ OF Hob
ley & eager, and has left a wife and children resi-
ding IN Lumber street.
Mr.. Won Grooming, Of the firm of Pavenstedt 4
Won Grooming, "a Pearl street, was blown up in the
store of AZ Broad street, but his body has not been
found.
A young married woman-a bride OF three
manifestations name we understood To be Runyan
is missing. 1t is said that, shortly before the explo
sion, she stood in the door Of No. 81 Broad street,
with her husband, and, leaving him, went up stairs
At the time Of the explosion, the roof OF the
house was blown off, and it is supposed that she
was killed.
Peter Mahan, public porter, and his wife, when
the explosion occurred, had not escaped from their
residence in Broad street, which was overthrown
by the explosion; and they are supposed to have
been killed. A little son, eight years OF age, sup
posed to be their only child, escaped unhurt. lie
has seen nothing of his parents since the fire.
The chief of police, Mr.. Matsell, and hundred
of the police force yesterday at work, search
ing for the bodies of those supposed to have perish
ed The applications to the chief Of police for per-
mission to visit the ruins, in order TO look for miss
ing relatives and friends, very numerous; and
there is too much to fear that large number
have fallen victims to this dreadful confagration.
! EXTRAORDINARY MoRTALITY.-The number OF
deaths last week was unusually large-no less than
Ala As was to be supposed, the increase is by dis
on ses Incident 10 extremely hot weather. Eighty