The New York herald., 1872-12-27
THE CENTRE STREET CATASTROPHE.
What the Printers, Pressmen and Bookbind-
ers Know About the Burned Building.
THE FATAL FIRE-EsCApEs ~
Tho Scene Of the Ruins Yesterday Lives
Known To Be Lost-Grief Of the Afflicted
Relatives-Search for the Bodies
To Be Commenced To-Day.
A Fire in Franklin Street Last Night
and Loss 100000.

%AW AVS0 VOO3SVOs
The ruins OF the Centre street 1re, notwth-
standing the severe snow storm, continued to burn
all through the day yesterday. An engine which
is stationed at the corner OF Centre and Worth
streets Is stuck fast in the snow but this does
not interfere with Its usefulness. q line of hose
attached to it playing with efficiency the blazing
debris. The block presented singular spectacle.
In the interior OF the building the snow was piled
mp In small pyramids, the backened elevator
standing out In singular contrast with the white
ness Of everything around. In the corner Of the
building adjoining George Middletons, the portion
In which the unfortunate girls and the boy Bevns
perished, nothing can be discerned bnt huge blocks
OF stone covered with snow, with here and there
burned ralter sticking indicate the nature Of
the disaster In the front part OF the ruined struc
ture thousands OF iccles of every size cling to the
remnants OF the walls which are LETT Last night
some OF the columns of ice fell, and through the
crevlces
THE FLAMES UNDERNEATH
could be seen leaping up as If in mOckery OF the
storm. The snow had fallen SO thickly on every
thing around that the tremen were forced to use
the most strenuous efforts to clear passage for
the hose. There were very few spectators, and
two policemen from the Sixth precinct were
amply sufficient to preserve order Several fires
ana night Were 1t not for this precaution the
half-ir0zen fremen would soon have perished.
The great beams OF which the buildings were
composed lay thickly around, and on one OF them q
fireman, OF whom nothing could be seen but the
ears, was standing directing line Of hose. The
NOZZLE OF THE HOSE
was visible, but the rest Of 1t was buried Ia the
snow 1t was feared at one time during the day
that the elevator would tumble over, as it was
moving In the wind but 1t did not do so, and
still continues to stand The snow which fell yes.
terday will facilitate the work to-day, tho bricks
to handle. The oiices Sf Howe Humme and nd Ed. .
;n1nsd SasS 1rss Sas aas s'%giss ss s fss q f
MddletoD's saloon is In Picturesque confusion, the
fragments Of his splendid mirrors being scattered
Over the ground, mingled with broken glasses and
bottles. 1ts f.. . +,os. VINO ~, ,,.,no.. - -,
building and the surro nnding ones is much more
severe than was at first supposed. Dun Bar
low, Anderson dea \ Archer and the New York News
paper union are 81 WV ,oSr,s
outside OF their insurance George Middleton loses
from twenty-five hundred to three thousand dol.
lars on stock and furniture. This Is exclusive OF
the loss on the house he occupied, which does not
belong to him. He Is insured in the National, No.
SO Wall street. Tor the full amount OF his losses
representative OF the company called upon Mr..
Middleton the day after the fire, and after some
determination was evinced to promptly settle the
amount OF the insurance. so that the business OF
the establishment could go en promptly rms
Is stated that all the other insurance companies
are equally
all fair claims, and follow the example which has
been given by the National. The total insurance
ON the property destroyed is about two hundred
thousand dollars, which is about half the amount
OF the total loss Those who are burned out have
shown audabe enterprise In their determine
fion to continue business, placards in front OF the
premises announcing that the business for q time
has been removed to places which they have
The storm was so great yesterday that no efforts
could be made to search for the bodies OF those who
morning Captain Kennedy ana his men commenced
to make a search, but
forced him to deslSt as the work which was being
done was unavailing Superintendent Kelso has
teiegraphed to the owners OF the building, who
search made. 1t is the duty OF the owners to do
tns in the first place, but II they do not imme-
taken by the police Around the ruins the relatives
OF the unfortunate victims OF false economy were
would Be made for their loved ones they were
frantic in their grie and refused to be comforted,
weeping and lamenting the nntlmely and
DREADFUL END OF THEIR FRIENDS
Hafhourly inquiries were made al the Franklin
street police station for tidings, and when none
II anything was wanted to make the scene partcu-
larry heartrending it was Afforded by the stories
tell. The great Christian holiday is to our working
people the brightest spot In the calendar
II,
Solemn and sweet, to which those who are wealthy
are comparative strangers, and the poor girls
who worked in the factory were longing for their
working day to expire that they might hurry TO
the home circle. The clock is nearing the half
hour, and all is mrth and laughter. when suddenly
the cry Of Fire ~ is heard Terror and anguish take
the place Of joy and gladness. The girls rush
panicstricken to the only way, by which they can
number are rescued by means or the rlcketty fire
escape through the cxertlons Of the police but the
unfortunate six who perished in the flames are too
Ia
they precipitated IN the ruins, where they now
lie buried, and what should be the season OF re-
joicing is changed into one OF bitter mourning.
The brother OF Jennie Stuart, an intelligent young
man, was almost mad with grief at the station
from the station house to the ruins he kept going
all the day, inquiring OF every hyssnder had they
ses o n is he na9 w4
them escaped but the flames were too fast for the
other one and they licked her up in their fiery
been IN full possession OF his Senses and he was
nnbnrdening his grief to every passer-by. lie says
As COOP A GIRL AS EVER BREATHEp.
she was regular in coming home each day after
never happy when she Wa not With her end
She was as pretty as she was amiable, and II she
had been spared she might have had happy
1uture
The two girls, Margaret and Mary Donoho, who
are sisters, were aged respectively fourteen and
beauty. They had worked but short time in the
establishment OF Anderson Archer. The Oldest
one, Oh tue night OF the IRE, was neard 10 CRY 10
one Of her companions "For Gods sake, save me "
but there was no help at hand and she was hurled
INTO tc blazing debris AS the sisters were 80 de-
Votcdly attached to each other that one would not
STIR out OF the house without the other 1t is feared
that they have shared a common tate. Their
mother old not expect them home early on Christ
mas Eve as thcy expected to work late she was
not alarmed when six O'Clock came, but when the
long hours ol the evening passed away and no ap-
pearancc OF them was visible terrible apprehen-
sion hllcd her mind. Twelve O'Clock came and
sun there were no tiangs OF the absent ones. The
fhnt utn nnf
so TO bed that night, but walked the
moor until morning, half dead with anxiety and
alarm. Just as she was about to 20 In search OF
them friend came In and informed her OF the fire,
aud then she gave up hope aud nerved herself for
ha mn Gha m fbo Dur v Iroocs