The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1845-07-24
TREMENDOUS FIRE IN NEW YORK.

~tJ "a WV AV1 NJ WINCH ACO " OVV SUITES ant
dwelling houses, with their contents, of an aver
age value, probably, Of twenty or thirty thousand
dollars, are laid in ashes. The aggregate loss is
estimated at from FIVE TO TEN MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS. The fire broke out before 3
o'clock, and about an hour afterwards, its ravages
were suddenly spread, in every direction, by the
explosion Of thousand bags of satpetre, and inn
mediately afterwards Of a gasometer which was
near by. We take from several of the New York
papers, such portions Of their several descriptions,
as win give pretty clear view oE,the extent OF
the disaster. 1t was at first. apprehended that
many lives were lost, but we do not find any pos
tive evidence of more than the two deaths men
toned in the extracts below. The following ac-
count of the commencement ofthe FIRE, is from an
early edition Of the Journal of Commerce -
At a quarter to four this morning we were star
tied by the successive reports OF tremendous ex-
plOsion, alarming the whole city and arousing its
slumbering inhabitants to consciousness of the
tulcaamity which has visited US in the shape
oil one Of the most destructive conhagrations that,
with the exception Of the great fire Of 1885, we
ever witnessed. On repairing to the scene ofthe
disaster we found the flames ascending from appa.
rently hundred buildings at once extending
from Broadway down Exchange Place 10 within
few doors OF William street in one direction and
in another from the public stores in Broad street.
near Wall, to Beaver.
The hre broke out in Van Duren's oil factory,
No "a New street, as early as quarter before
three. At aquarter to four occurred the explo-
sions above alluded to, which in an instant scat
tered in fragments three of the largest stores in
New street. Fortunately these were in or near
the centre of the confagraton and the loss Of life
ie therefore nofeo az fIsoE
tors having been kept at distance by the heat !.
Indeed, In the confusion of the scene it is vet i'm
possible to ascertain with certainty that any are
killed. But, we are sorry to add, that to all APP
pearances the apprehensions of considerable loss
OF life are well founded. It's said that two fire.
men are missing, and we ourselves saw several
with hands, faces and limbs more or less injured
The progress Of the flames was SO rapid, that ii
was with the utmost difficulty the inmates of ma
ny OF the buildings were saved. We saw women
and children passing from roof to root in order to
escape the destructive element
The loss of property must be immense We
have no means of estimating the amount with any
any siesfer q eeere~.s hist large psepag tea
the buildings destroyed were among the finest
stores in the city, occupied, many of them, by
large importing houses, and filled with goods Of
great value.
The flames continued to spread until about u
o'clock, when their further progress was check
ed, and soon after apprehension Of their further
spread subsidized. The following is from the Ex-
press -
We record with pain and anguish the details az
the terrible calamity that has overtaken one Of
the richest and most commercial parts of the civ
The hre is in the vicinity of our office. and we
were, at one time, in an alarming proximity
None, however, connected with our Press. anti
cpated any such overwhelming conflagration
when the alarm bells were first sounded At 3 a
M, and when the lst Edition Of our Morning pa
per was put 70 Press 1t was not felt to be SO ter
rible, until the explosion took place.
AT about four O'Clock, Croker s Warren,s Store
in New street, in which was stored verv LARGE
quantity OF saltpetre, blew up with one Of the
most tremendous explosions ever heard or felt in
the city. That building itself was of course scat-
tered in fragments in an instant and those near If
were little better of. The explosion created one
OF the most trighttul spectacles ii was ever our
misfortune to witness, and the noise and uproar
could only be equalled by the explosion of mag
azine.
The first explosion, which was comparatively
moderate. filled the of the writer of this par
agraph, with light more intense than at noon
day, and upon looking out upon Broadway. a
scene met our gaze that can never be forgotten.
Hardly had he reached the window when the
second and grand explosion took place. The
buildings as Tar as the eye could reach appeared
one mass Of flames, while the buildings on the
west side Of Broadway, from the Mansion House
to the Astor, were brilliant that the eve could
scarce rest upon them. The spire Of Trinity
Church looked like pillar ofifre, and the moon,
which moment before we saw just above the
root, paled under this vivid light and was invis-
BILE. The sky, over the region of the fire, and
along the range of Nassau street, was filled with
mass of flame from the burning gas, alcohol and
camphine, let loose at the explosion High in
the air as the eye could range, appeared an inn
mense quantity Of fire, that had the appearance
Of serpents darling spiray upwards, like the
small rockets Of FIRE work. These tongues Of
flame, too, shot out in all directions from the cen
ire, making together the whole look like noun
tain of FIRE, which created in the air noise like
that caused by flash Of electricity in thunder
storm. The panic caused by such an explosion.
who can describes The street, from the Waver
ley House to our Office, on Broadway, presented
thick multitude Of men, running as If for their
ives, shrieking as though they were in the ago
hes OF death. Those who could keep their feet
we're fortunate indeed, for the masses behind. n
heir terror, over.ran many who fell, regardless
1 anything but their own safety.
Through the other streets like scene was ~.
lifted but as the others we're narrow the conf,,.
on was greater. The fremen and sunctasors
IT those parts only to receive in another nIa.e