The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-23
THE FIRE FIEND.
The CONFEDERATION at Petersburg, Va

About 10 o'clock last night the alarm OF fire
was given, and its whereabouts was soon ascer-
tanned to be in the large furniture store of j.
7. Morriss, on Sycamore street. The fire origi-
mated in the cellar, where large lot of manu-
featuring material was stored. Before the alarm
was given the fire had gotten such start that
it was beyond the power of our gallant fremen
to check it. The entire building and contents
were totally destroyed.
The house of Messrs. r. A. Martin e Co. was
also O total loss, containing between seven hun
dred and eight hundred bales of cotton, be-
tween five hundred and six hundred bales of
which were destroyed. The fire was then
checked by the almost superhuman efforts of the
firemen.
The loss of property is immense, far exceed
ing any that has ever occurred in Petersburg.
We are confident that we do not overestimate it
when we say that it was $4,000.
INSURANCE.
AS far as we could learn at such late hour of
the night, nearly all of the property destroyed
was covered by insurance. We have heard of
the following policies, to witt
Morriss and Martin q Co., in the Georgia
Home Company for $4,000.
Martin & Co.. in the Farmers Friend Com
pany for $4,000.
Morriss and Martin & Co., in the Virginia
State Company for $4,000.
j. 7. Morriss, in the Hanover Company for
$4,000.
Martin 4 Co., in the Petersburg Savings Com
pany for $5000
L. L. Morriss in the Albemarle Company for
$4,000.
Morriss' building, John D. Ragland owner,
insured in the Manhattan Company of New
York for $4,000.
Messrs. Thomas H. Bond and Alex. Wilson
were also insured in G. II. Cuthberts agencies,
but we did not learn the amounts. Messrs. r.
A. Martin & Co.'s total insurance on Istock
amounts to $50 600. The building occupied by
them is owned by the Centre Warehouse Com
pany, and we believe is fully insured.
1t is rumored that several persons were miss
ing, and it is supposed they were burned.
singular <cene at New York Fire.
The New York Post, in referring to the de-
structive fire in William street on Monday
night, says
The fire continued to burn with great fury
until nearly o'clock this morning, when the
flames were got under control. At this time the
whole building, with the exception of the first
floor was completely gutted, and presented a
singular appearance. The front wall still stood,
apparently as firm as ever, although every ves-
tige of glass and frame had been burned from
the windows. The interior was filled with
charred beams and remnants of broken
furniture, the blackened hue of which
contrasted strangely with the glittering
stalactites with which they were covered. SO
intense was the cold, that in some instances a
beam that was burning brightly at one end was
covered with ice at the other, and the whole
front OF the building is hung with gittering
icicles many of which are two or three feet
long. When the fremen left the scene, between
were frozen so hard that some OF them were
almost unable to raise their arms above their
shoulders.
Disastrous Fire mt Buffalo.
The telegraph gave us a brief account eff dis
astrous fire in Buffalo on Sunday morning.
FROM the Courier of Tuesday we CLEAN the fol-
| lowing particulars
The fire was discovered about quarter after
five o'clock in the morning, in the picture frame
| factory of Messrs. Mutter q Hoddick, which oc-
cupied the third and fourth stories of the Epen-
ing Post building. The fire department were
| promptly on the ground and ready for aotion,
Some of the hydrants in the vicinity were found
| to be frozen, however, and thus far retarded the
action of the fremen as to give to the fire de-
cided and threatening advantage.
Up from the third story, in which the fire wa.
| discovered, the flames rapidly spread to the
fourth, and soon had possession of the roof
| Downward they went, carrying with them de-
struction to the property of George j. Bryan'e
h0ening FOSt and, extending southwardly the
roof of the tobacco mandatory of Gibson f.
| Howard q Co. shortly became sheet of flame
To confine the fire to the two buildings men.
| toned became an important object with the
department. and this was pretty effectualy
done. The fire was an ugly one to handle, and
it was not without persistent and well-directec
| effort that Superintendent French and his force
gained the decisive mastery. But this was moi
accomplished till the flames had worked theiI
way under the roof of the building Nos. 49,
and 1893 Washington street, in which is situated
the news and editorial rooms OF the Courier.
NnaI Win nre ana axe, Lno iooi on the nOrLt
part of the Courier building was pretty effec
tually destroyed; and the News Room, which
occupied the fourth story, became scene O
ruin. BY ''News Room, the uninitiated reader
will understand we mean the room in which Il
put in type all the matter that goes TO make al
the Courier, the Courier and Republic, and the
Weekly Courier. The editorial rooms, on the
second floor, were pretty thoroughly drenehed
On the second floor of the building was large
quantity of paper stock and the newspaper pres
rooms. These suffered considerable damage by
water.
The estimated loss is close upon S6O 600. ant