, 1866-05-25
e { r. E 8.
THE NEW YORK CONFLA.
GRAFTON.
Burning Of the Academyof Music.
LOSS OF THE NEW YORK mEDIcAL
OOLL4EIEs

Origin Of the Firc-Gencral and Iudi-
vidun1 LosAe4-Insurauces-I
and ndAccfdcnta-Losuo A CT fL1fe-Tnc Street
Crowds-ksrtfttant EdeclA Of the LIgur
Sketch OF tho Academy-TAe Operu
Season Closed.
From the N. r. Commercial Advcr&,.cs, May aa.l
Just before midnight last night the bells
rang ont for 1rc district no. 49, and In ashort
time 1t was known that the Academy or
Music was tie scene Of the conlasration. Tie
bells soon gave general alarm, and fremcn
and fire apparatus from nll parts OF the cit,
came to tho Academy. The fro spread With
great rapid1ty and soon wrapped the I'M
mense proportions Of the Academy in flames.
and extended to buildings northward and
eastward, and beyond Third avenue to lie
neighborhood OF Stuyvesant square.
The fire Taged for three hours, and in that
time some OF the most conspicuous buildings
In New York we're destroyed, aud an I'M.
mcnsc loss was entailcd. The night was clear
and bright. and though fresh breeze was
blowing, The wind was not high or strong.
The flames were exceedingly brilliant, and as
the news OF the fire spread, thousands aocked
to witness the downfall OF one of the nobIest
structures in the city.
ORIGIN or TIE F1RE.
The performances for the evening we're
closed all the artists had LETT the building,
and the acknowledgements visiting the
interior Of The Academy to sec that nll was
safe, when he discovered smoke arising from
the parquettc, near the north end Of the Or
chestfa.
lie called the attention Of the assistant ms
mnn, j. Grui,am, to the tact, aud both pro-
ceeded 10 the spot, and finding that there
were flames underneath, they nj once affixed
the hose belonging to the building, and tear
ing away the seats, poured stream Of water
upon 1t, but in vain, as even BY that tune the
flames were raging beneath the parquctte
floor, and breaking ont through the intcfstices
Of the plauks, rendering the spot upon wlicl,
they stood dangerous.
Immediately upon the smoke being dlscoy-
cred, Mcssrs. Grant and Rullman, the latter
janitor Of the Academy, rushed to the street
and gave the alarm, discovering al the same
time that flames were issuing from the upper
window OF the Academy, The fire was uu-
doubtedly tho work Of
An IScESp1ARy,
ior Immediately under the parqueste, where
the smoke Was first discovered, the place was
seldom used, and no one scarcely ever visited
1t. TAc supernumeraties' dressing room was
iu TINT vicinity.
From the rapid progress Of the fire ut this
point it is surmised that some highly inflam-
mabtc material must hare been employed to
mid the flames, for, almost Immediately aftcr
they were discovered, they seemed to have
spread beneath the entire foundation Of the
par9ucttc.
The iact that fire was almost simultaneous.
" discovered In the gallery near the cntrancc
bears out the theory TINT II was Quilted in two
from each other, 50 that doubtless more than
one inccndiary was engaged in the plot,
There has been no fire used Ii the Academy,
not even in the furnaces, aud the flames could
not therefore he accounted for from that
cause. The gas Lights were In the charge Of
q very careful and competent man, and no
leakage uf Eas had been NJ any time percepti-
ble.
The flames from their first discovery spread
viii such rnrfdity rs to give reasons for the
o itirc declaration that the fire Ind an In.
cc diary origin. In lev minutes from the
i;rst discovery Of the fire The building was iu
Lames inside, ind, owing to the intlammablc
nature Of the fittings and decorations, ull
hope Of saving 1t was abandoned.
4 NARROW EscArE.
The janttor OF the building. Mr.. Emil Rull.
nlan, occupied apartments on the fourth
floor. Ills mother, aged about eighty years,
was in her apartment with Mr.. Rullman 's
wife and children. The old lady was almost
helpless from a paralytic stroke, but fortn.
na1cly Was saved through the e1trtions of
cmy, who, aficr seeing that Mr.. Rulltnan'a
wiie and children werc on their way out OF
tie building, hlmse1f carried the old lady to q
rclghborlng place OF refuge.
THE CONTENTS OF THE ACADEMY
consisted Of wardrobes belonging to the Grau
ANAFSr StGAEt1 O"AEA Q$ I4AA S10EELZEh
l4breitos and plates belonging to 3Icssrs.
Rullman and Gocsche; properties aud scenery
Owned by the Association two chests con,
tanning the wardrobe Of the Brisley family ot
| acrobats; the musical library Of Max Marct-
EEK, and some Of the most beautiful scenery
and wa1drooes ever exhibited in this country
The loss on Mr.. Max A1aretzck's library can.
not be less than SO 600, and money will moi
| replace It. The artists Of his theatre LOST
none OF their costutnesi neither did he have
many dresses IL the building, they having
been removed at the close Of the season.
the principal artists Of his troupe NIGH
have left their dresses in the Academy at lht
close Q: his season, but 1t appears that unlike
theatrical "ardrobcs they are owned BY th'
/ management, md fortunately for a1r. Marct
alr. n. owned considerable OF the mos
costly scenery, which, OWN. to It's intlanl,l,a
bic character IS not READILY insured, aud i.
consequently n total loss. It will probabl,
be safe to estimate MIR. Matctxek's loss at no
less than sc, 900, which includcs the library
sccEery, music, costumes, tSc.
a,K. GRAC'S Loss.
Mr.. Grnu's loss is very IcarY. &c hadscn
to the Academy. Immediately on his arriva
from Havana, all hts costly wardrobe, prop
critics, music, SC. The va1uc Is ut leas
$4,000. They could not be replaced for $40,
COO. Mr.. Gran was not insured. We lear
that the managers have rendered him ! ben
eft, as token Of sympathy and cstesm.
INSURANCE.
Tie Academy building Ia Insured for $3.50.
COO, and the scenery, machinery and ward
| robe for $T0, ,0OQ, IS follows: