The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-20
FIRES IN THE CITY.

Extensive Fire in West Forty-third street.
Burning of E. 3. Higgins & Co.'s Carpet
ManufactOry-Loss Estimated ut About
$16O,OOO-List of Insurance-Eleven Hum
dred Persons Thrown Out of Employment.
At few minutes after three O'Clock on Saturday
morning private watchman Patrick Reardon, in the
employ of E. s. Higgins Co., discovered fire In the
basement story of the west wing of the
tensive carpet factory of that firm, situated
on West Forty-third street, near the North
river The alarm was given at once by
ringing the alarm bell Of that establishment.
The engineer Of the factory George Higgins, was
very soon at the premises and at once attached
several hose to the force pumps and directed power
full streams into the room in which the fire was
raging. This Of course tended very much to keep
the names under subsection until the arrival of the
fremen but by the arrival of the fremen the flames
had reached the third story, and 1t was not until
several hours hard work that the fire got under
This west wing was a building Of five stories,
brick, some seventy-fve feet long and about thirty
feet wide. The basement story was used for spin
ming worsted. The first third, fourth and fifth
stories were used for weaving worsted, the second
The stock is estimated to be damaged by nre ana
water to about $4,000. The machinery IS damaged
about $4,000. The building is damaged to about
$4,000.
The fire also spread into a one story brick building
used for wool picking. The building is damaged
about $4,000 and The machinery In 1t to the amount
OF about $4,000.
The cause of the fire is at present unknown
Strange to say, tnat where the fire broke ont and in
fact in no part OF the building was any dre heat
used.
There were about eleven hundred hands employed
In this factory, the greater number being girls. who
are IN consequence Of this fire temporarily thrown
out OF employment.
Fire Marshal Bracket yesterday afternoon COM
menced an examination into the causes OF the ire.
Several witnesses, watchmen in the factory, were
examined, among Others Patrick Riordan, who fills
the position of rouidsman over the Others. he
stated that In his opinion the Ore originated from
spontaneous combustion caused by wool and ill,
the oil used in lubrcating the machinery. He fur
Their stated that lire occurred there about year
since, caused by spontaneous combustion OF pile OF
loose wool, which was eNtingulshed bv him. IL
CURED in the same basement nearer to the river
than this he should think, about sixty feet from
where this occurred.
The following are the assurances on stock macbin-
cry and Neutrality-suspicious., Providence, $1,000; Albany
City, $500: Merchants, So, 0oO Adriatc. 81, O00
Commonwealth, 5000; Liverpool and London and
Globe, $50 900; Ena, New York, s5,OOo North Amer
York, $4,000; Importers and Traders, $4,000 Lum-
bermen's, Chicago $4,000; Western Buffalo, $4,000;
Buffalo City, s2,5oo Lafayette, New York, $4,000
Mutual, Buffalo, $4,000; firemens, Boston, $4,000;
shoe ana Leather Dealers. Boston, $1,000;
$4,000; Merchants, Providence, $1,000 Wash
ingjou, Providence, 5000; Firemen's, New
Lamar, New York, So 100; Mechanics and Traders,
$4,000; Baltic $4,000; International, 5000; CONT
mental, $4,000; Queens $4,000; Peoples OF Wooster,
10000; NarraGansett, Providence, s5,000 American,
Philadelphia, $1,000; Hoffman, New YORK. SO, sOO II.
Marks, So 000 Cleveland. OF Cleveland, 900; sun,
OF Cleveland, 5000; Enterprise Cincinnati, So 600;
Irving, New York. $1,000; Merchants of Hartford
$500; Williamsburg City, $4,000; Atlantic Prov-
dence, 50, 500 Union Baltimore $4,000; City OF Hart
ford 2,500 Rutgers. New York, $4,000; Merchants
and Mechanics OF Baltimore $4,000; United States
Baltimore, 5000; National, Baltimore, $1,000; Ger
man, Baltimore, $4,000: New Amsterdam New York
$2,5oo Girard, Philadelphia, S2,5oO Security, New
York, $4,000; Manhattan, $4,000, divided fol-
overwhelmingly, $l63, 800; stock, $g2 1OO build
ngs $780, Total, S273,050.