The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-16
THE GREAT FIRE.
A HERALD REPORT OF 1886.
THIRTY YEARS AGO TONIGHT
The First Developments of Our
Newspaper Enterprise.

This is the anniversary OF the sreat Fire OF 1885, y
We give to-day thu details of that important local
as published in the New YonK HERALD at that time.
They win be read with interest by the thousands
who witnessed terrible conagration that terribly
cold night of December 10, thirty years ago.
From the NEw York HslaLp, Dec II, 1851
TERRIBLE CoNFLAGRATioN.
Last evening, between eight aud nine o'clock, FIRE
broke in thu No IS Merchant, narrow street
that leads into Pearl and Exchange Streets the Post
ONCE and Of the most terrible and destructive
hagrations took place that ever visited New York.
At ten o'clock. when we left the scene, probably
thirty forty of the most valuable and richest dry
goods stores in the city burned down on Are.
was expected that II would sweep away tn whole
Of that section Of the city, in It's rance through Pearl,
Water and Front streets to the East river Wall street
for hours was as light as day
The loss Of property cannot be esmated-prcbably
The narrowness Of the that quarter aided the
spread OF the destructive element The wind blew from
the west, and the cold was extremely intense.
Ii feared when paper won't TO press that the
fire would burn Its way into the lower end of Wall
street. and from that reach the shipping lying at the
wharves in the Fast river
How 1t originated we have rot been able 10 learn II
Is feared the nccndiary is abroad The engines were
2, @ 30 ey w o me
PosTCaIPr-ELEvEy O'Clock.
Just from the From Wall street TO Hano.
square, and from the Merchants Exchange 10 the
East river ell on fire. About three handred stores
burned and burning downprobably live millions o. pro-
pc1ty lost About thousand merchants ruined and
several insurance companies gone. Arthur Tappans
store Is entirely gone-no vestige remaining. Many
lives lost The shipping hauling out from the wharyes-
several on fire.
[From the HERALD Dec Is
THE CONFEDERATION.
We recorded in paper OF yesterday the first stage
of of the most awful conaagrations that bcfc
any city, in any age, IN any country. Talk not 10
Of the burning of Moscow-he property there lost was
nothing in comparison that otyesterday in New York
The sreat lire In London Is equally unmporant.
Tho Details descriptions, sketches. anecdotes of this
terrible calamity will be found in our subsequent
columns. We state hero In the mass that nearly twenty
blocks OF valuable buildings destroyedhve hundred
and twenty nine rich storesthc splendid edifce called
the Merchants Exchangcthe Phoenix Bank in pait-a
church, all involving rum OF two thousand merchants
half dozen OF insurance companies and turning out OF
employment probably Eve eight thousand PERSONS in
the capacity of clerks porters carmen, &c, &c Tho
teen 10 nfty mill ons OF dollars
Such is the awful sum total OF this melancholy ca
lamity But dreadful as il is, desolatng IL appears
10 be- persuaded there Is an energy and spirit
in New York that will make her, phoenix like, spring
from her own ashes All business must be suspended
for time What, then, must be done? Let the
Governor OF the State instantly assemble tho Legsla
ture and devise measures to sustain the credit Of the
great capital OF the Western hemisphere. Let loan OF
ten millions be issued by State authority at once. Let
Congress Immediately apply the vast surplus Treasure TO-
the like purpose The credit OF New York is the credit
OF tho nation the calamity which has befacn - ID
national calamity. We possess here llfe strength,
energy enterprise and every animal and mental power
apart Of our capital-a poriion-a large o adm,tof
our resources. Let the Corporation also meet, and
u ".
tho whole nation, and especially to Congress- now
session.
Another point, End important one Is to ay out the
scene Of ruins In spacious Streets wde airy and
regular, and to forbid altogether the crowdng up OF
buildings as heretofore existing. IL was the width
alone OF Wall street that saved Pine street back to
Cheer up fellow citizens-cheer up We must recover
il in couple Of years.
VISIT TO THE SCENE.
At nine O'Clock yesterday morning went TO see the
awful scene. It was hcartrendingrin the extreme.
walked down William srcs, croyls Of people Of both
PIERCING cold and every other person had wCoen
comforter wrapped round his neck. Onapproaehng tho
corner Of Wall ana William streets the smoking ruins
were awful The Who'll, Of the southern side OF Wall
street nearly down. The front walls OF the Exchange
were in part remaln'ns covered with smoke and e.
columns cracked in several parts. The street
full cf peoplc-tho sidewalks encountered with boxes,
bales bundles desks, safes and loose articles. There
was no possibility Of then proceeding further down
william street. Both sides were burned down and the
streets filled up with hot bricks burning goods aud
The fr mt Of the Phoenix Bank was sill standing, the
back all burned away, tho Presbyterian church behind
heap Of utter ruins United states soldiers stationed
hero and TO protect tho goods yet the boys
and women OF all colors were stealing and pf,riny rs
fast. as they could From this spot proceeded down
Wall street In the centre. saw the Journal Of Cyncc.
sigrall the rest gone. The various brokers oc es 10
the right were n heap Of ruins The Josepas, the AL
lens, tho Livngstons and various Others all in ruins
From the Exchange down 70 the river side or Wall
street Is heap Of ruins Tho Exchange, understand,
caught about three In the morning Great efforts were
w maus over 70 the 70 ret e Or maaes to
hoist IL out Before the company the whole bald.
ing ruins The dome fell in about half pss; three
In the morning with tremendous crash.
On going down Wall street found II din1cult 10 set
ne s s,. II, Tho nsss Of NE Are sss
Wall, was standing. behind which wore ali ran and desc
souihw ardy, saw single ruin standing about half way
to Hanov1r square. Iproceeded climbing over tho hot
bricks on tho sa As Thought q Pearl srSsss 2,
that reared ts head as II u was In mockcry OF the eio
mental wsx. On approaching read on the mu.iaicd
fhcsc were all the characters could distinguish Inc
column. Two stories OF this great wall were standing
the rest entirely y runs was wac ,ae ony posGa o.
square for beyond tina. there are nothing but smoke
and Are and dust.
street, sometimes out Of IT, found several group Of
boys and men digging among The hot bricks and dust
said he, "they arc looking for money Some 81 them
have found gold pieces and Others frapc piecc5 Z
"Ho" cried dirty looking little fellow y have got
something In several other places there were smaller
groups pierers and thieves In the centre Of Hanover
square found q variety OF goods aud merchandise
selves fro made Of line French calicoss AMI IRISH
linens Hero the smoke was intense
From Hanover square could neither proceed south
east or west. William street. Pearl aud down TO the
wharf all impossible. The smoke was sufucaiing
Tho whole OF tho space between tho corner OF William
and Pearl up 20 tho Excage, Win all inc ticetk ktOi
Nc, saw 10 be a sad heap OF utter RUNS. Good
Godn said n man 20 me, "what "a sightn "Whai a
sight, truly" said !.
from this spot near the G,sepe ONCE, which was IN.
trcy harmed down, I returned the way came, climb.
ing over burnln bricks, knocking against boys,
ering bales and boxes I'LL again reached hrm ioong
IN Wall street then proceeded down Tic northern side
Of Wall street tocthc wharf below The crowd o SPEC
a,ors greater here than The street was full
Of boxes and goods ! felt quite cold | saw large
group of stirring up fire In the centre OF Wall
street. between Water and Front, which rs here wide
On going 90 warm myself found the fire was
made out OF the richest merchandise and fine fuIrarc
from somc OF tho elegant counting rooms
proceeded 10 Hudsons News Room, which escaped,
having been the windward side OF Wall street ]
could not nd entrance. II full of goods AMI bales
Of merchandise pro ccdcd then TO the corner II wall
and Front streets. Here saw horfibl scene Of desc
ation. Looking down South street towards tho scdil,
nothing coald be seen but awful ruins. People were
standing shaking their heads and rampng ther Ic -
still cute cod-and uttcrng melancholy exclamation
A small boy Mt the corner was caught Ny hn honest
black porter stealing some goods "Wh1 yor going
TO do with that?n asked the porter Nothing, - q