The New York herald., 1870-11-14
DISASTROUS FIRE In BUFFALO.

Destruction of the New York Central Trans.
fer House and Two Hundred and Sixty
Seven Freight and Stock Cars-Twenty Cars
of Lumber Consumed-Loss One Hundred
and seventy Thousand Dollars.
From the Buffalo Courier OF November II.
In Yesterdays courier we gave our readers DrleI
account OF The destruction OF the New YORK Central
Company's transfer house, at East Buffalo, and the
incidental loss OF large number Of freight and stock
cars. The areness OF the hour at which we wrote
precudeu the possibility OF giving the full particu
lars OF ihe DISASTER Wncm te aar was % seu
streets 1t was twenty-five minutes past one
O'CLOCK and at tins time the hre IN the trans
fer house mad gained such headway as to defy
any resistance that could be offered under the most
favorable circumstances. fresh breeze was blow
ing at the time and the flames spread with wonder
ful rapidity; indeed hurried and irresistible was
the sweep or the flames that one can very readily
imagine the building 10 have been hred IN Several
OF flame arose from the centre OF the building. On
what is known as the north tracks, running along
the line OF the building were four immense lines OF
freight cars and the utter destruction Of these was
threatened. The intense heat OF the burning build
air. repelled, for the tme all nepe OF extrcating
the cars from their dangerous position. portion
OF the fire department got upon M ahe GROUND h / as
employed IN the vicinity, managed TO prevent
the names from communicating with the stock
yard. Division superintendent Torrance reached
the scene OF the disaster with number OF locono.
tives as soon possible for him to get there
ceeded "a saving seventy cars filed with freight and
100 stock cars, which must needs have been de-
stroyed had 1t not been for the timely action OF him.
self and his men. The relentless flames, however,
dd not subsde till they had made u
complete ruin Of the transfer house and
mad swallowed up 287 freight and stock
| cars aud twenty cars that were loaded
with lumber. The spectacle was well worth the
seeing. 1t had nothing suggestive OF the magnli-
cent about it, but rakish ana vlclously wicked.
The lew building, 1900 feet long, burned brilliantly
from one end the other while the cars smoked or
burst out into by It's sidc and the feeling the
whole scene excited was one OF regret rather than
any higher emotion.
building not having been in use Tor some time past,
| and the freight and stock cars burned were all
| empty. The loss may be estimated as follows:--
Transfer house. SoO,ouU
267 cars valued 1t $3.50 each. 126, ,S25
Twenty cars with lumber. ll,O0O
/ TOTAL. ,oZ0
IL Ia entirely safe to say that $4,000 Will cover
the loss the whole OF which falls on the New York
Central Company. The Central 1nsures It's own pro.
perty, and the exact less to the company, under
these circumstances, we shall not undertake to estl
mate.
The building itself had ceased to be Of practical
value the through freight lines having rendered its
use unnecessary and the same Will not be replaced
Tracks VIII be laid over the burned territory, and
| no embarrassment whatever will result from ths
| fire.
or the origin Of the fire nothing is positively
kpeWp more than that ~ wan the undoupisd WPSH