New-York tribune., 1873-08-01
FIRE WRECKS.

MENT.
The loss of property by the fire of Wednes-
day night in the United States Appraisers store on
Creenvjch-st wiz not prove so large was AZ first
feared Deputy Collector Tomkins who is in charge OF
the public store, told TRIBUNE reporter yesterday
that IN opinion Of those who had carefully examined
she matter. the loss OF goods from fire and water wond
not exceed $4,000 and placed IL much lower lho
10 the building he estimated at from $oVoo 10
s2SOOO The store extended through from Greenwieh-s
10 Church-st, there being practically two buildings
which when they were first erected, were connected oy
open arches. These afterward closed Win HOn
doors. which fortunately preserved the Church-st'
building from injury The iron doors were heated 10
red heat, but successfully withstood the haines'
The Apprasers store receives sample cases from all
invoices OF duabe goods which enter this port These
constitute about onetcnth OF all the impotaons Cen
orally only one from each lot is sent TO the sore
nut the Appraiser may IL he sees t send io other cases
or for the whole invoice ImpOrtauOns which duties
Te collected are divided into ten classes each OF winch
has a separate department in the public store and eaeh
department is under the supervision Of a special assist
ant appraiser and corps Of examiners The cases re-
oeivod numbered aud nave marks by when the ln
voice TO which each belongs can be readily ascertalned
Duplicate invoices file in the Custom-house Dep
uty Collector Tomkns said yesterday that would take
nearly week 70 compile the books OF the store,
list OF the destroyed and injured by the fire. and
that 1t would then take long time 10 compare II with
the invoices and ascertain the character and value OF
the goods aud the names OF the owners
importers themselves do not know the amount OF
their LOSSES and some OF them have not been able to
ascertain with certainty whether they have lost any
thing The managers Of the Custom-house business OF
A. r. Stewart Co., II. b. Clalin Co., ana other large
houses were investigating the matter all day yesterday
but without reaching definite results. It's lmpossl
ble" one Of them said to a TRIBUNE reporter "to ma
out ANYTHING about it, We have goods constantly
coming in and are unable 10 tell what are sent 10
bonded warehouse and what to the Appraisers store
We found goods onithe wharf to-day Wmch We
had supposed lost, and it not unlikely tua' we
luav ind that we have lost some goods which We had
ORIGIN OF THE TIRE
The fire is believed to have originated in the wool oft
under the roof where there large amount OF un-
washed wool in bales 5000 worth OF samples haht
ing around the walls The baker next door. who dscoV-
cred the FIRE and sounded the ALARM and the policeman
who first entered the building, agree in TINS OPINION
The officers believe it to have been caused by the spoh
taneous combustion Of wool saturated with oily SUD
stances and IN this view Mr.. Jackson, OF the o!d hrm
of Midget 4 Jackson who considered an expert IN
such matters, fully concurs There was no hre IL the
building except the three furnaces III the ceIiI auu
the fire ia these carefully raked NJ and banked early
IN the evening. Watchmen who visited every hoor dur
in the night carried lanterns There each hoora
clock having over the dial wachman's index which
showed by indentation under the number for each
hour whether had been visited by the watchnen in
charge at the time indicated The clocks showed
20 nne inclusive, Wednesday night but as the fire
was not discovered until 9lO may have had fully half
an which to gain headway. Only the upper or
SIKH floor on the Greenwich.s side destroyed the
fire penetrated to the fifth hoor, where great damage
was done and the contents OF the fourth floor suffered
considerably from water. The elevators destroyed,
bu the books papers relating to the business were
oil preserved unnured The outer wall is standing and
is Believed TO be perfectly secure.
THE BURNED GOODS.
The top OF sixth contained the goods which come
under The sixth division for appraisal j. A Bausn Is
the Assistant Appraiser and j. A. Walton g. L. Crocker,
and NJ. Wckham are examiners. II contained the fol-
lowing classes OF goods: Cor esparte sisa gross fiber
flax focks hair OF all kinds, hemp iute, shoddy wool,
and aI materials which enter into form component
part OF textile fabrics except cotton and silk, brlses.
canes manufactured carpets, carpetng furs, and all
manufactures Of fur, mats aud mating Oil CLOTH palm
leaf ratan whaebone, wooen oloh yarn and all manu-
faCtuTes Of WOOL
Tnc nftb noor. which was partly burned, contained
goods belonging TO the Fifth Appraisers division c.
w Meade was the Assistant Appraiser, and g. A. Rueh
g. Carter j. II. II. Cushman, and +. H. Clark were the
examiners This floor contained samples OF bunting
corses feathers, crude and ornamental; flowers, art
fetal and natural dyed and dred; gloves, hair brads
hats hosiery, knit goods, millinery goods, parasOs
straw brads, umbrellas, and wOrsted goods Of every
description
large amount OF damage was done by water to
goods fourth floor. where there was large num-
bor of valuable foreign books and paintings The goods
on this floor belong the Tenth Appraisers DIVISION
ofwhch D. c. sturges the Assistant Appraiser. and
J. McFarrington A. L. Smith, d. W. Lee, and W. Wacut
were Examiners. 1t contained ale, artists ma
terials beverages, backing, books cocoa,
coffee cordials food fruits grain, grease groceries,
except mOasses and sugar maps, malt mineral waters;
nuts not drugs; oils except essential and medicinal;
paper paintings plants, porter printed matter SEEDS,
sealing wax soap not toilet; stock sopane spiri-
tuous liquors. stationery, statuary tea, types, vanilla
beans waifers wines. and works OF ART 10 ths uIvis
ion also belong gunpowder and hIeWTotksi % Dut tne
none Of goods in the building al the ume OF the
fire. .,., -. =, ,to
Goods ere an received the Greenwlcb-st SIDE, tne
business must necessarily euueF COlslueI-
able temporary arrangement A EaIy 5 M Syonds ~
ing orders issued by lhe COecIof oI an sOOs "
he taken appraisal 10 the General Oruer stores nea
the wharf where they are landed lHds us thSb
ment will probably continue for several Gays, tnOush
the CusOmhUuse officers were yestefday I1 Sonsula
ton hiring the large building on feaI m bTtge t
cid one can be repaired Mr. Darling thought well OF
fbe propositions and spoke Of the building as one wen
adapted TO the business Delng az al efens TIC Do'
that could be got in an emergency :, ,..
Deputy Collector TOmkins said that he kept private
memorandum Of the number OF packages received ana
Sges stored In the two buildings He had DO means OF
Immediately learning their value or the KINDS OF goods
contained IN them
COUNTING THE LOSSES.
The buid,pg is owned by Dr. John c. Aver Of Lowell
Mass in whose absence the insurances on 1t could not
De learned.
A speeial meeting Of the members of the New-York
Board of Fire Underwriters interested in the hre was
called for D. III. yesterday, at their rooms, No. l66
Rroadway Mr.. CrOwell Of the Phenix OF Brooklyn
nrSsided and most of companies that bad risks ON
the building and stock were represented on can OF
the cOmDanes IL was found that the risks footed up
about the building, and S23OOoO on the stOch
e amount on the lease could be ascertaned owing
tha bGou q