New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-10-06
abou, from pacc to Place to hear n the machines taa'
were the lss; in the bullfirg.
FX-CAPT. NAySARD's STATA hkSr.

~
| W. give tie following statement fra eI-Capi
! Maynard Of the Municipal Police:
Tie fire originated at the Porty.sc-ond 4 rect FL
trance, North N9ve. at abou, O'Clock. n s en
trance /, usually Kept closed and il 40 arranged 80 to
form lumber rcom and there is no fire snyvh~,- in
the ncighborhcod Of il. was standing al the puf4e
entrance on Sixth avenue, and the first ptirnston
had y ~ the cry Of - fire." There then rusn
Of people for this entrance, which was the
only open. In connection with the visi
tor exhibitors and employees there wer. about two
thousand people in Tie building. all Of whom appeared
to ruth for the door. In connection with the Mana
GER, I kept them back, 10 that no accident should
happen by their pilirg on top of each other while
goig down the steps. From the time the fire started
until the crowd paced out. which WA not over fifteen
cr twenty minutes, the building was filed with smoke
and flames fum the dome Ia the floor and the speed u
tie fire wa great that Of the exhibitors
had time TO save anything except what they could
carry easily out. The only property saved At
the SiIth-avenne entrance few light ar;-
ces which the exhibitors carried in their hands
one light carriage, and glass case containing
the gold and silver medals. silver cups intended
10 be awarded to the exhibitors at the present
Fair. The visitors had for t. most par. got out be-
fore there much rprcad Of the fire, and when al
OF pretty much oil were out l was startled by ire
mendous cra,b fall of glass. rushed in to what
caused it, wien found the fire Immediately my
head on the Sixth avenue entrance. The lat thing
taken ont was the Gaze aforementioned and the
flames lsaped after us a. We left the edifce with it.
A young man named Smith, in the employ of the H.
shnte Wa about the last in the building, and saved
case Of valuable watches.
In an almost incredibly short space Of time the dome
fell in snd soon rendered the structure perfec.
wreck.
STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
OF MANAGERS.
From Frederick w. Geissenhainer, esq, the Chair
man of the Board of Managers Of the Anne lean Insti-
tute our reporter obtained statement of facts con-
n. cted with the cOnfsgrstion.
Mr.. GeissenhaiEer was standing in the south nave
near the Forte h street trance when be heard the
alarm Of fire in the north He ron rapidly to the
Forty-second street entrance, where he discovered
quantity of wooden patterns Of the iron work used IN
the construction OF the Palace and which had been de-
poated in the west sde Of the entrance enveloped in
rapidly extending dame, which had already communi-
Gated to the fight Of stairs near the entrance. The
ptcb-pne floors only invited the flames and they licked
over the plaukng, rolling up dense clouds OF smoke,
which nearly sufocated those in the north nave After
diepatcl ing man to turn OF the gas, which had just
been turned on for the evening Mr.. Geissenhaner
ran to hydrant, with hose attached, the north
entrance and cau-ed the water TO be turned on. Ow-
ipg however, 10 the low water in the reservoir il
of no avail. In the time the flames Ind pro-
crossed with fearful rapdity, rendering the steam
pump and FIRE engines and apparatus ct this
time unsvailipg, had there been . suficiency OF
q hist fh,Ye VIA np
Of saving the building the hundreds who on the flint
alarm rushed to the point where the fire wa burning
ran A rapidly toward the Forieth street and Sixth
avenue entrances in the greatest confusion and excite
mert while the employees Of the Institute and few
Others dey o-d their eos to clearing the building Of
the people. Without any preconcerted arrange
uent, they distributed themselves throughout the
building looking for persons in retired spots
ard warning them Of their danger. The hanes
ascend,d to the second-foor, and semingy rolled
along the surface Of the woodwork like
molten ron at speed ~ rspd ~ the ordinary pace
of pedestrian in the street. After gong through two
of the galleries Mr. Gosscnhaincr proceeded to the
picture gallery. DE went behind the panorama
thinking that the men who were engaged IN winding
the PANORAMA for the evening exhibition might st De
there When he returned from the gallery he found
bo'h starways in u blaze. He ran to one OF the
towers, and finding board displaced in the floor,
he easily removed another and slid down the iron pipe
leading from the water tank o the oor below, and
moment after made his egress from the building The
last persons had hardly left the building when the
dome fell in with tremendous crash, just twelve
minutes after the fire was discovered. The Institute
saved only the three entry books and their safe with
the medals and premiums and these with great difficult
~ On one eide of the SiIth-8venue entrance the
ticket seller had the money he had received done up and
,ay,d il without difficulty. The other ticket seller
was forced to leave, leaving over s2oV IN toe tils.
The Institute had expended 1000 last year IN
fitting up the Palace. But little property was saved
Mr. Ceissenhainer thinks that there were thousand
persors in the interior when the alarm was sounded
In the rush for the entrance large numbers OF persons
became separated from their friends aud families, and
for LONG time many were running about in deep dis
tress in the fear that their family or friends had not
been 80 fortunate a. TO escape from the building
In To the hour Of Mr.. Gessenhainers leaving the
rups he had heard of no deaths. One old gentleman
WAS found living at the foot Of one OF the starways
seps.lss be having fallen in his efforts u escape lie
WAS carried out Of the building. Some fears were c1-
pressed that there might be persons in the water
closets who were unable TO make their escape. MIR.
G,isscphsiner thinks this is improbable, as any
persons there could have easily made their escape
tbrouch the machine shop both ends Of which were
open.
Mr. Cessnhs .ner estimates the amount OF property
in the building destroyed at nearly $5O,OOO. 1t Is
stated that there is policy OF insurance Oh the ce'
in the building in favor Of the bcndhode and city for
s50OO.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but
l e in