The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-10
Another Large Fire-Loss OF Oyer 100000
Worth OF Property.


Yesterday afternoon, about half past two O'Clock
FIRE discovered in the upper story of the immense
storage warehouse of Mr. g. Merle, in Water and Front
streets This warehouse embraces three large 1--WE story
brick buildings in Water street. Nos 2S9 29l and 293
and through the entire block to Front street taking
in three large buildings on that side ALSO
The Rrc discovered issuing from the roof on the
Front street side having originated among some cotton
bales in the upper story The Of the fire is un-
known, but supposed to be the work of incendary
inasmuch there fire used in the building any
where, and no one at work in the portion Of the ware
house where 1t first broke out Some supposed that the
FIRE was in q cotton bale when first slowed away
there few days SINCE and had been numbering till yes
terday, when 1t burst forth.
The building stored with several thousand barrels
Of -four and liquor but principally with cotton bales As
the FIRE discovered the alarm sounded and
age portion Of the IRE department. with their entire
paratus hastened to the spot Of the conagraton But
before the flames could be subdued the had extend
ed through the upper story from Front to Water street
the greater part Of the roofs of Nos 291 and 293 Water
and 264 and 900 Front being burned off, The Ere was
limited to these building, the other range, Nos 2so
Water and 1852 Front street. being separated from the
burning part by 42-inch wall, which was an efectua
protection
When the fire. as we have stated increased SO much as
the whole warehouse would be consumed unless the fire
was robbed of the combustibe materials upon which
fed 1t consequently Immediately ordered that the
story below the burning should be cleared of its con-
TENTS and the emen police and laborers were at
work. pitching the cotton bales and -four barrels into the
streets on both sides of the block
In short time the loft cleared of It's valuable
contents which had the desired effect of checking the
progress of the flames Before however, all the cotton
thrown out of this story the second from the roof
the fire had reached through taken hold of of
the bales. The remen, however, began to get the
fire under their control and sent their streams upon the
burning piles with great effect. 1t not till six
O'Clock that the flames wholly quenched Fire when
hid in bale of cotton very difficult to reach 1t was the
case here; when the flames out it necessary
play for long time upon the smoulderng bundles thus
almost drowning the whole building from roof to the
basement.
II is impossible to state the precise amount of the loss
It the general opinion however, among those who
competent to judge that the damage could not be
less than sixty thousand dollars The property destroyed
was by fire and water and being pitched into the pools
of mud in the streets, and owned by various
parties, who had stored it in this warehouse. The
goods we're Stored at the risk of the owners and
among many it impossible to get the losses
tanned by each, the of the parties We under
stand however, that all were insured in various
MES in this city, Philadelphia, and Boston.
The mud along Water street, in the vicinity of the
frc, in places over knee Deep and greatly
tarded the efforts of the remen in laying their hose
dragging along their engines. We noticed in many
places where the hose laying along the street for the
distance several lengths sunk in complete lakes of
slush, and mud, and mire. Notwithstanding all these
drawbacks tie remen active in their exertons and
worked manfuliy in combining the conaagraton to the
narrowest limits POSSIBLE.