The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-30
DISASTROUS FIRES
A Sugar Refinery Burned In Leonard Street and
Great Loss--Twenty Houses Depopulated
and Man Buried by Falling Walls.
A DEY STREET STRUCTURE Quilted.
Destruction Of a Saw Mill and Carriage
Factory in Brooklyn and
3 c.a SEQ, 900 Loss.

ca $50, 600 Loss.
Burning OF . Sugar Housc-rnsurancc
Over Two Hundred Thousand Dollars
Losses Not Ascortaincd-A Man Buried
I'm the Ruins.
At five minutes before three O'Clock yesterday
morning officers Of the Fifth precinct discovered
smoke issuing nom the Immense sugar refinery
located directly opposite the station house In
Leonard street, extending from IS to 80 inclusive.
moment later the alarm Of fire was given by the
Waterman within the building, and before the Fire
Department could put on o stream Of water the
third floor, where was located
A FURNACE,
presented q mass OF smoke and flame. Some re-
ports give the credit OF the discovery OF the fire to
the police, others TO the Waterman who II is said,
gave the alarm to the engineer who notified the
police. This, however, 10 matter Of minor interest,
except 90 1t may enable Fire Marshal McSpedOn to
mako
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
as to the origin oft, ana If possible clear up the
suspicious circumstances surrounding it.
The establishment, which Is owned by Messrs
Burger, Hurlbnt Livingston, is situated near
the corner OF West Broadway and Leonard street.
and extends through from Leonard TO Worth
street Some portions OF II were but three stories
HIGH others five, others SIX and near the centre on
the Leonard street side, small portion was seven
stories high On the West Broadway side, where
the building is six stories high, 1t was
fanked by o row OF houses said TO belong to
Mrs. Catharne Livingston, of Manhattanvle,
whose agent is John F. Doyle, Of 81 Wall
street. An alley Of about twelve feet divides the
refinery from this row of buildings. On the west
slde on both Worth and Leonard streets, were
to hereafter
AS soon as the alarm was given Sergeant Bud
dington and his officers
FORCED OPEN TIE DOORS
on the Leonard street side and proceeded to the
third floor, where 1t Is believed the fire originated
The fire seemed at that time to be confined to q
small space in the ceiling, and above large vat,
Volumes Of smoke, compelling the men to retrace
their steps, The nremen were on hand In an in
credibly short space Of time, but the fire had al.
ready gained great Roadway,
TIE INFLAMMABLE NATURE
of the sugar house facilitating It's progress.
The whole building from Leonard to Worth streets
was soon filed with seething, bubbling mass of
liquid. On account of the fire being so high up the
force Of the water was not adequate TO extinguish
the names or even to do much toward arreHtiDg
Before s the Fire Department arrived the Fire lar
CURED; but after the water was turned on they
worked like beavers to confne the fiery element to
Me rennery. III tne meantime Acting Captain Du
THE rENEMENT HOUSES ADJACENT
would take fire, ordered his officers to arouse the
inmates and depOpulate the buildings The prOtcs
tations Of the inmates were both loud and deep,
and 1t was with the greatest difficulty that they
could be induced to abandon their rooms. Some OF
them had to be gently but firmly put out, and as
they insisted on carrying the greater part OF their
household furniture, the task was no easy one. At
last however, they were removed to within o safe
distance.
Nearly all the inmates, however, moved back
few minutes after the tenements on West Broad
wa, had been empted OF their inmates the east
WALL OF THE BURNING BUILDING FELL
with o crash upon ID West Broadway, breaking in
the roof and demosbing the furniture OF Charles
Shaener whose loss is about five hundred dollars
upon which there s an insurance OF $500 in the Ger
mania The damage to the building, which is owned
by Mrs. Livingston, Is about five hundred dollars,
fire had progressed SO far that the flremen turned
their attention towards averting any disaster from
ard street between West broadway ana the '1 sta
ton house. and everything done for the protection
o. those at work.
was sent out and additional engines arrived upon
the scene At fifteen minutes after nine O'Clock
Of oil the inmates or the adjoining tenements van
ished and they replaced their effects in their
Among those was Michael Downing, who, with his
wife, kept grocery at 81 Leonard street in two
and half story building. The front wall of the six
story portion OF the building fell across Leonard
street at fifteen minutes after nine, struck the gro
Gerry Of Downing and forced In the front wooden
wall. His wife, who was in the rear OF the store
es Of he wal and the ebrs Of S ~ e
The police set to work, and, dragging him out
found him but slightly injured Later
into the coal yard of g. Angiere, II North street,
upon about one hundred tons OF coal, and inflicted
about one hundred dollars damage to the yard,
upon which there IL no insurance.
During the entire day and late into the night Two
engines remained on the ground pouring water on
the burning sugar, very little Of which can be saved
Sergeant Du Shay, his officers and Inspector
shas ONCE spent nearly the entire day endeavorlng
TO ascertain rom members OF the firm the extent
OF their Loss dhey secueG no how
firm TO Sergeant Du Shay that he "would SEND him
particulars" Sergeant Du Shay, at late hour,
The fire marshaI's officers, who, under the law, are
ENTITLED TO ALL INFORMATION
succeeded no better. Detective Mooney, who en-.
deavored to ascertain the cause OF the fire from
employees, was subjected TO insults, and at twenty
Ave minutes mir before three oclock on returning
g sS!sh' him a'sgss'n as tosy r.
G sP0r Sne v Ocees 'ns law Sfs IN ber wa
WHO positively refused 70 give any Information,
and declared that y NS9!S not pe gwen 70 the
Sa and sSmS Ss as sn fs sa
them While chatting with Mr.. Berger, tie Re.
porter discovered looking over policies Gentle
Company tSst had takeG ID FIX on the estaSiisS
ment. Mr.. Berger refusing to give any informd
ton. the representative OF the HERALD LETT, and
subsequently met Fire Marshal Mc5p3don and his
officers, who had been equally Unsuccessful.
ALL INFORMATION WAS REFUSED.
and the Fire Marshal will PROBABLY draw IL out In
due time, The record at the Fire Marshals once,
made by Mr.. Reinisch places the loss on building,
which belongs TO the William Curtis Noyes estate,
at $4,000 and stock and machinery at $40 900.
This gentleman is usually very accurate in his esti
mates; but from estlgations made by the re-
porter OF the HERALD he estimates the loss on
building at $4,000 and on machinery at $4,000.
The value Of the stock could not be ascertalned,