The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-30

pital by the war will only cause temporary
embarrassment and injury to trade; if they are
not, ruin is inevitable.
The Late Fire In Broadway-strange Dlsclo-
Some strange circumstances are coming to
light in connection with the late fire at No. 23l
Broadway. 1t seems that one or more of the
unfortunat men who were in the building at
the time the walls gave way, and were injured
or killed by its fall, had on, at the time they
were conveyed to the hospital, new clothes Of
rich quality, which bore on them the mark of
VIM. T. Jennings & Co. These clothes were
much more expensive than those which firemen
or others would naturally put on to 90 to
fire; and from the tailor's mark being still at
tached to them, it seems likely that they had
never been worn before The singularity of
fremen or volunteer firemen being dressed in
such clothes induced the person in whose charge
the bodieswere placed at the hospital to retain
them, as exhibits, to be produced at the in
quest.
| Another rather suspicious circumstance con-
nected with this fire is that 1t caught in the
upper stories, which were entirely unoccupied.
and that neither Mr.. Jennings nor any one else
can suggest any plausible cause for the acct
dent. In connection with this, it may be well
to mention that another clothing store, kept by
Mr.. Wyman, near Jennings, was robbed short
while since. The thieves entered by a skylight
in the roof, and being doubtful of the height of
the loft, let fall lighted matches through the sky
light before they ventured to leap down. The
reconnaissance by means of the matches being
satisfactory, they descended helped themselves
to all the light and valuable articles they could
carry off, and retreated as they came, through
the roof OF course if the matches they let fall
had happened to come in contact with straw,
dry paper, or any other combustible substance,
confagration would have ensued. At the time
the alarm was given, the thieves might still
have been in the house engaged at their work
! their only safety would then have been to as
sumo the character Of firemen. Had the walls
been more solid than those of 231 Broadway,
their escape, with their booty, might then have
been easily effected.
Another circumstance on which it is we'll
| that we should reflect Is the singular dispropor-
ton between the fires in stores and fires in
dwelling houses. For one private residence that
is burnt five stores are destroyed. For one fire
in Tenth, Twelfth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Six
teenth, and the other streets where private
families live there are six in Broadway, Pearl,
Fulton, and the business streets. This dispro-
portion seems the more singular when we bear
in mind that the consumption of coal and wood
and the number of fires kept going is usually
far greater in dwelling houses than in stores;
and thus that the opportunities for accidental
confagration are more frequent in the former
than the latter Again, fires are more frequent
in stores where dry goods, clothing and other
light portable goods easily disposed Of are kept
than in stores where bulky articles, such as
Wholesale groceries, are sold and fire that
once breaks out, at night, in one of the former
is hardly ever extinguished
These facts are suggestive of many refec-
tions some Of which will probably find utter
ance when the whole evidence has been adduced
at the inquest. On many points, there will
doubtless be much difference of opinion. But
there can be none with regard to our present
volunteer fire system. Volunteer fire companies
are well adapted for small communities, where
every man knows his neighbor, and each has
some stake, however small in NE town or vii
lage. But for large cities where the circle of
each mans acquaintance is necessarily restrict
ed, and where large floating population csm-
prsing hundreds of worthless and depraved
characters always congregates, volunteer fire
companies can hardly be as efficient as q regular
paid force and may afford large opportunities
for mischief and crime. To come to the point:
A burglar, pursuing his vocation here, could
find no more eligible chance of making money
than by setting fire to store, rapidly commu-
nicating the intelligence to the nearest fire
company, accompanying the engine to the
scene, and being the first to enter the house, on
pretence Of saving, in reality to plumber it of
its contents. The bulk of our New York fire.
men are of course men of responsibility and
standing; but there is even reason to fear that
individuals whose character should exclude them
from any such post, have thrust the mselves into
their ranks, and pretend to be runners or hang
ers on, m rely in order to steal with impunity.
1t high time these abuses were corrected.
FRAUDS UPON EMGRANpe.-Of all classes Of
miscreants those who make a subsistence by
plundering and swindling emigrants we have
least sympathy with and yet, bad and recreant
as they are, they have been permitted until
lately to continue their nefarious trade without
the slightest interruption. Indeed, SO success
full have they been in their operations on for
eigners that their attention has been directed
to deeper and more profitable game. They
found out better class Of pigeons to pluck,
namely American born citizens, going and re-
turning from California, who, on their arrival
in New York from the country, intending to
take passage for San Francisco, are bounced
upon by swarms Of runners, who by the most
ingenious devices induce them to purchase tick