The New York herald., 1875-11-24
FIRE IN SIXTH STREET.

About half past four O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
employees in Jones' brewery at Nos 619 to 63s Sixth
street discovered flames in IN tho centre Of the
immense building, nearthe engine room They rushed
for the fire extngushers with which the building was
amply supplied and maniully fought tho flames for
nearly half an hour.
Al fve P. " Roundsman Mcclure Of tho Eleventh
precinct was standing avenue and Sixth street.
when he saw the flames and smoke burst out OF tho
doorway at No. 6l9. Catching officer Of the Seven
teenth precinct who going home he sent him
70 the engine in Fifth street give the
alarm, while he went to the Eleventh precinct station
The 6remen promptly responded, but when they
reached the brewery il was wrapped IN flames. The
inhabitants of the adjoining tenement houses were
wild WITH alarm and in few minutes the side
walks on sixth and Seventh streets crowded
with household goods and weeping women and chill
dren The dense atmosphere drove the smoke down
on the street. and police drcmcn had grope their
way to the scene OF destruction.
The fire is supposed TO have been caused by defec
tive gas pipe The room became al,ed with gas and
when . workman who engaged in lighting the
building entered with lamp an explosion ensued,
which shook the building 10 It's foundations
and enveoped il IN flames. In the apart
mcnt number OF casks were slowed prepara-
tory TO shipment From department to another
the flames quickly spread W the entire establishment
became mass OF falling walls and cracking beams AZ
intervals sharp explosions sounded rom the glowing
heap OF blazing tmbers announcing the ravages made
in tue vaults, and the loud rumbings betokened tho
fall Of walls or floors. At SIX o'clock portion
or the south wall crashed over into sixth
street. and at halfpast six the rest OF IL came down.
The scene then became one Of iurid magnlcence One
vast sheet OF flame rose from the accumulation OF
ruined buildings the centre ana on either side
tongues OF nre were hcking the walls and playing
about the crevices Of buildings stu standing In
scyenb strcet the tenement houses being vacated
bv their frightened occupants Az nine O'Clock nearly
the entire brewery had fallen aud the tenement houses
adjoining saved by the efforts Of the IRE depart
ment the destruction Deihs Hneeu W 'he Prescs oi
just before the rear wall fell Thomas Head ppeman OF
Engine No g. was on duty behind the rear wall He
heard the order sand clear, but was covered by the
falling wall and severely injured. AT the same moment
an accident occurred 70 Engine no. 2s, which might
have resulted in loss OF life. While working with
pressure Of thirty pounds OF the square
inch the cap became looSened, and as the en-
gne rocked to and fro under the shock the rapidly
revolving machinery the great brass bulb began TO
turn on the screw and finally becoming freed shot into
the air with a whiz and, descending landed on the
sidewalk In close proximity to group OF spectators,
and crashing through the flags half buried itself the
earth Fortunately hurt The engine was
OF disabled, and had 70 be Withdrawn from the
oaicer Mcclure Or the Eleventh precinct rescued
Mrs Weiss an babythe latter week old-from ono
of the ad ng tenements, No GAO sixth street. Mr.
threatened tenement Nr Folmer, blind man, and his
wife and baby Gong back into the danger he rescued
Mrs Longschuer and baby, and had conveyed them to
place OF safety when the wall OF the brewery
fell demolshing their tenement At ten NJ. the
brewery was in RUNS but no other damage was done
except 10 the rear tenemcnts az Nos 20S and 30
Seventh street The damage, so far could be
ascertained, was as ioowsJoncs' brewery. $50 feet
front Sixth street and 100 feet deep op the main
building with wing extending northwaTd TO seventh
street, rs feet wide including stock and machinery,
500, 900; insured IN various companies for SSVNOvo
No. 20s Seventh street owned by Mr. Langschur,
damaged 81 600 insured for ST. 900 front ana rear
In the German American Insurance Company. NO AO,
rear owned by Mr. Schradcr damaged $500 insured
in the Hamilton and Continental Insurance company.
Ii appears from evidence gathered on tue ground
last night, that tho walls of the Jones orewsry sopa-
last week by the pressure Of gram on the noors
and the building was condemned BY the proper officers
Great alarm prevailed among the res aess o. ne a'
ioin,no houses that the walls would fall upon them,
and amid ali the terror and excitement Of the 1re tho
tenement population reioiced when the walls fell that
thew had moi sent the and children 70 derry
grave