The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-28


Early yesterday morning. very extensive eonnagraton
place in Broadway at the corner Of pey street. nvolv
ing destruction ofpropey to the amount hun
DIRE tho and dollars. As officer Hambn Of the Third
ward Iatrolling beat in Broadway about half past
IL cloci yesterday morning. he discovered issuing
from tic basement Of the store OF the Of Broadway
and Deg treet and instantly gave the alarm Shortly
after the os flee hell ran. the alarm of fire. which
wa mn edatel7 responded to by the City Hall bell.
number Of engines and policemen were promptly on
the spot and the smoke seen issuing from below
the door Of said store supposed that the fire was
confined to that building The fremen went boldly to
work and ayng broken open the DOORS after consider
able ertion they discovered that the fire was raging in
the buildings Nos AM Z, which are adjoining and
which, in fact but continuation the store at the
Of Broadway and Dey street. occupied by Merritt
Bliss Co. he whole available force Of the Fire De-
partment then brought to bea upon the building in
Dey street, but the fire. owing the very combusbe ma
ture goods had already made such rapid
its destructiv that the building entirely en-
veoped in one sheet Of flame, and completely bafled all
the efforts OF II fremcn. About quarter past one
the flames burst forth with terrible fury from the win
and the roofs Of those buildings Fears being en-
tertained that the fire would spread IN extensive
conagration ensue, general alarm rung when the
engine companies ind policemen of the upper part of the
HoCkeu IN numbers TO the scene OF destruction
Bat the devouriDg element still continued to set at
MAJ ght their combined force The flames they issued
from the roof Of the fted building rose to an immense
height. and were grand and imposing to behold The
heat intense that the remen in Dey were
compelled to leave their posts The buildings Nos q L.
and Dey street were imminent danger and the roofs
and framework Of the had caught fire several times
but Immediately extnguished All the attention Of
the fremen directed to save the adjoining
buildings from threatened destruction About quarter
to two O'Clock. the walls Of the buildings Nos and in
Dey street fell in. with tremendous crash carrying
with them the walls Of Nos. 1873, 1856. and 1877
Broadway. The scene which presented itself
to the eye Of the spectator was truly magni-
fcent. Sparks, cinders, burning embers flames
and pieces of goods dancing in countless
myriads through the sky and carried in every
rection to immense distance The falling of the walls
instantly checked the progress and spread of the flames
when the many powerful streams directed the
ing ruins operated with visible success and the fears
Of interested parties for the safety of the adjoining
buildings greatly relieved.
The six story brick buildings, Nos and Dey street.
in which the fire is supposed to have originated from the
hot air furnaces in the cellar below and which had been
only recently erected completely consumed together
with their valuable contents. The first flor was occu-
pied as storage warehouse by Merritt, Bliss s. Co.,
wholesale dealers in dry goods fancy goods silk hosiery
sc they lost large stock of goods by the re-proba-
bly, amounting to $780, 000on which they have nsur-
/ . nAn rt1A-