The Portland daily press., 1873-01-02
NEW YORK.
Mem Years.

tal. New Years.
The custom of making New Years calls was
generally observed in this city and neighbor-
hood, callers mostly making their rounds in
sleighs. The day passed over very quietly.
-o Another Fire.
New YORK, Jan 1.-The Fifth Avenue the
atre was burned to the ground this afternoon.
The fire commenced shortly after four o'clock.
1t was about 4.25 when the smoke was first
discovered ascending from near the roof in the
rear of the theatre, although the fire must have
started long before that time somewhere in the
lower portion of the building. The matinee
audience which attended the play of "False
Shame" had scarcely more than dispersed when
passers by witnessing the smoke gave the
alarm, and crowd of several thousand per-
sons were soon gathered, nearly filling up oath
street from Broadway to 9th Avenue. The
theatre adjoins the Fifth Avenue Hotel on the
oath street side, and is the first building west
on that street towards 9th Avenue. On th g
Broadway side the hotel shuts it out from view
and hence the flames were not to be seen from
that direction. In scarcely more than Is min
utes after the discovery of the fire the whole
structure was in blaze on all quarters, burn
ing like so much straw The flames assembled
with great ferceness and lit up the surrounding
squares as if they emanated from well ar
ranged bonfire.
The crowd, which by 4.45 had assembled to
the number of 1000 or 5000, had almost wholly
bockaded oath street, and took possession Of
the doorways and passages of private dwell
ngs on the north side of the street, to witness
the conf1agration. TIE streets at that hour
were well filled with men making New Year S
calls, who, as they neared the vicinity, added
to the throng.
There seemed to be considerable delay in the
val of the fire department, as fully fifteen
minutes elapsed from the time the fire was
well under way before any engine neared the
| spot and even upon their arrival the usual
al caampd IN hn NO in hoe
| on. There was great excitement in the 9Th
| Avenue Hotel at this time as it was feared the
| fire would spread to that edifice. Nothing but
| the strongest exertions saved the hotel.
| Had the high winds lately prevalent existed
| the whole block would doubtless have been
! burned. AS it was there was not breath
stirring and hence the firemen were more cas-
! ily enabled to check the devouring element
After the arrival of the fremen the police
drove the crowds on Oath street clear back to
9th Avenue, and even prevented many who
were residents on the street from getting tt
their homes. They acted at times as though
| uuelling a riot The crowds, however, were
very orderly. and retreated quietly. The en-
| gines at seven o'clock were still playing upon
| the ruins.
five this afternoon Mr.. Appleton, the treasurer
of the 5th Avenue Theatre, saw fire come VI
| the register but before he reached the street
to give the alarm the flames had run through
the whole building and enveloped it in mass
| of fire. which in less than an hour completed J
destroyed the entire building.
The servants in the 9Th Avenue Hotel who
almost simultaneously with Mr.. Appleton saw
ehe fire, became frightened and rushed wildly
ims1 the corridors, but the chief clerk, Mr.
CialIee, at once restored order and directed
cnlr'oG IN streams from the hotel to play on the
hre. Inns was the means of saving the hote
About twenty minutes after the first outbreal
the south wall OF the theatre fell in carrying
with it the east wall, which struck tho west
twenty feet wide by fifteen high, destro OWN
the frying and baking kitchen. Soon after The
west wall of the stage fell and striking tn,
roofs of two private Stables belonging to Phiiil