The New York herald., 1872-12-28
ESTIMATED LOSS $l5o,o00,
Fifty Lives i'm Danger In
Mercer Street.
Bravery OF THE POLICE AND FREMEN.
Another Glazing Case Of Neg
lect of Duty.


eonfecti0n man ufactory, that caused damage OF
>l5o,OO0. The FIRST indication OF the IRE came
through window In the ground fOor Of the build
ing running from Mercer street through TO Broad
way. The flames started from this place forward
towards the dining room, and in short time the
entire rear building was on fire. The dense mass
Of smoke thrown ont by this burning house envel-
sped the hotel fronting on Broadway, and the
guests and persons belonging to the establishment
were seized with panic. Mrs. Maillard being
sne Of the nrst persons In the house to
detect the fire, she gave an alarm to
thOse sleeping on the premises and rush was
made for the main staircases Many escaped in
that way, but some had to be taken from the
windows by the nremen, and one young lady,
Cigar Gelemick, jumped from the second story
window to the ground. She fortunately fell into q
large heap Of snow in the alleyway leading into the
old So. Thomas graveyard and escaped without in
jury. While Mr.. Maillard, who was aroused about
the same time as his wife, was endeavoring to
locate the fire an alarm was given to the Fire De-
partment and In . very short space OF time three
engines were on the ground second alarm
was rung, which brought numbers OF others, and,
after the third the streets in the vicinity OF the fire
looked as il the whole department had
tnrned out to do battle with the flames.
The reserve force OF police belonging to
the Eighth precinct under Captain Mccullough,
answered the summons almost simultaneously with
the nremen, and in an incredibly short space of
time everything was IN order to fight the flames.
Whether 1t was the strong wind tnat prevailed at
the time on the situation OF the houses that helped
ITS COURSE OF DESTRUCTION
does not now appear, but the flames burst out at
the side and rear buildings with such violence and
velocity that for time II was feared many lives
well as the entire block OF buildings between Hous-
ton and Bleecker streets would be sacrificed Next
" e s th tanr shon s,ore Of & M m on
store was back some distance and was joined to
the factory. Next to this on the downtown side
ls 2 narrow afeyway, with an ron gate, that runs
past bOtn structures and opeas into an old grave
yard which makes large open space almost IN the
siiey the houses run down to Houston Street ans
on the Mercer street end four houses occupy the
space between the corner OF Houston street and
tory. Two Of these houses chose nearest the fac
tory were occupied as tenements, and when the
were All in bed The pocs v ses
BY the terrible loss Of lie that has lately occurred
fom nre, saw the danger these persons were in,
tain McCu0gh, followed by some six or seven on.
GERS, went up by the narrow winding staircase
mp to the dwellings OF the poor people.
they could scarcely have ascended more than one
night Of the deathtrap, when some OF the inmates
Of the lower floor OF the tenement nearest the fire
thrust themselves half through the windows,
Those on the top nOors and in the next house were
then reused by the SCREENINGS OF the women and
the 81 the police Some o. them to
apparently maddened by the confusion and
danger, and attempted to get upon the window slls
atefy behind them, and saved not only some lives
but many limbs. The greater number OF those
escaped by the staircase, but it requirod the great
sst caution from the police TO pilot them through
the narrow, tortuous passage. As soon as the cry
THE wAKENMa SENSES
n these people, and they saw that just at the mo-
mens their nves ~ were not directly assaed they
them valuable. Beds, bedding, chairs, tables
boxes and almost every conceivable article OF
street. Looking from Houston street the scene
was curious one. At some OF the windows women
and men were shreking heplessly for assistance,
while at others people were flfnging out, In
renzy Of desperation, whatever came next to their
hands. Along the fronts Of the two buildings the
AIR was for several moments blackened by the
shower OF miscellaneous utensils, and many heads
IN the lower row OF windows narrowly escaped
and the men were In about the same Condition
Two or three, finding the crowd at the head OF the
stairs was greater than the narrow way would per-
fronts beneath and drop into the street. but they
were prevented from carrying out this hazardous
this scene OF disorder lasted humber Of men had
congregated on the roof OF the high building oppo-
ons s au S nose s ens @ more hide
way. Again and again Captain Mccullough, fol-
lowed by his Ofcers dashed into the buildings and
brought out fainting women and
yERRIFIED, SCREAMING, HALF.PERIsHED CHILDREN.
the river at the time and The poor creatures were
almost frozen before they could be removed to
the station house. The excitement Of endeav0ring
70 get ont OF danger had made some forget the cut
ting cold, and the devOuring desire to save little
OF their property had heated others to an equally
strong pitch Of iorgetfulness The hurry and rush
OF both being over they shivered on the snow in
the cold morning breeze. They were removed to
the station house as quickly as was possible and
The nremen rendered most valuable assist
ance in rescuing these people, and 1t was
the ladders up and brought the people to the
ground. AS seems to be thc rule in every fire now,
where the lives Of poor people are in danger, there
was no means OF escape In the rear. These houses
stand In q line by themselves, with large open
space In the rear, street In front, and no provi-
get away In case OF fire. The only entrance to the
rooms occupied BY all these people Was the narrow
winding staircase nom the house on the corner.
IL seems monstrous that such state OF things
should be allowed to exist, and yet here in the
very heart OF the city the lives Of the unfortunate
names in Maiard's factory had eaten through the
body OF the building instead Of bursting rapidly
through the roof, as they did,
NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACLE
could have saved all these persons. The nremen.
who are always brave and daring. and who walk
unmurmuringly into the jaws OF Death, would, no
doubt, have been able to rescue some but one OF
these very firemen might have been sacrificed in
she can u to lose
short time out or the houses when the flames licked
up their former homes and left nothing but the
walls. While this end Of the block was burning the
frc ran along the roof OF the factory building and
caught In the extended roof OF the dining room.
From there the flames at intervals swept into
the principal saloon on Broadway and
made complete wreck OF the hand
some ceiling. The smoke that brought the
knowledge OF the presence Of fire to the guests In,
the hotel was no doubt going u from the roof OF the
factory, and had got into the building In time to
warn them Of their danger Although for some
time considerable excitement prevailed In the
house no accidents occurred and the people were
al removed to the hotel over the Olympic Theatre,
on the opposite side OF broadway. The fremen
belonging 10 the engines that stood on Broadway
worked splenddly. While some pointed tho
streams OF water and went into the building to
Proteot tnc property others dashed mp the stair
cases anu into the rooms TO help the guests out.
=. no time during the fire was there any real
tha y, loss OF ife In the front building but
several times threatened with dcstructien. For