New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-10
RELLDLNGS EFT TOR VIM


The possibility of n widespread conilagratlon
which may sweep over considerable portion
of this city was indicated by the rapid
spread of the fire of night before last.
Just one week previous gale lasting dur
ing an entire day blew through the city
at rate varying from forty to seventy
miles per hour. Had gale ragged with similar
force during tho fire, 10 Human power
could have stayed the destruction till it reached
the waters edge. Even wind OF half such
yelocity-not at all unusual at this season.
would have Scared d great area with black
ened ruins and inflicted permanent INJURY
on New-York. Such a wind played the
chief part in Chicago's great fire. In
tie Fourth of July night when large portion
of Portland was consumed. fierce wind car
rcd blazing timbers, almost entire roofs,
for long distances, spreading tho flames
from new points with astonishing rapidity.
Other conditions may prove almost as effective
IA "A high wind. The cpzootic malady among
the horses of the Boston Fire Department
caused the delay by which the granite ware
houses and Mansard roofs of that city were
burned. There are instances where " cold per-
a. forms the effect of fire. as in 1880, when
New York's greatest coniagration started
while the Thermometer marked near zero
and the hydIants were frozen. great ex-
plosion proved an equally efficient means OF
spreading the flames OF the Broad-sl.
fire of 1915. Nor in enumerating these
instances do we by any means cover the
list of possibilities. If the water main
near Grand-st. and Broadway had been acct
depially fractured Il few hours before Tues
days fire, or very heavy snow had fallen so
"A To blockade the streets, one bloch would
not have comprised the scene of destruction.
In fact, all the outside circumstances were
favorable on Tuesday evening. The building
i'm which the fir, broke out frontod on Broad
way. one of our widest streets, and on
Crosby-st where the buildings on the
opposite side are brick and Of no
great hight. Evidently the danger would
have been far greater in narrower
street Oh the one hand and among taller build
ings on the other; conditions to be reasonably
expected when a large fire breaks ont in what Is
called the dry goods district" of this city.
Let us hope that that fire will not start
in such building as the iron frontcd
stores that were consumed on Tuesday night
Very handsome were their fronts, and very
strong looking tho tall walls, but they were
little safer in reality than a Chinese fort with
painted portfolios. Between the two buildings
that extended from Broadway 10 Crosbyst.
there was nothing but party probably
not over sixteen inches thick in the lower
stories, and tapering upward. Into this wall
the beams of both buildings entered; hence
when one burned the other in the
greatest danger In each building u large
skylight capped well that served as
the chimney for furnace in which the
goods stored the fuel. These sky
lights were side by side in the two build
ings aud when the flames shot ont through
one of them hundreds OF feet into the air, no
fireman could stand near the other skylight to
protect it from Il falling deluge of blazing ma
teria The fire was rot stopped till 1t came
70 substantial walls which the fremen could
keep wetted.
Ii il noteworthy, also, that there was no
parapct wall between these buildings para
pet five feet high affords efficient protection to
liremen on the roof adjoining blazing build
ing If there are openings cut through the
paraprt. water can he poured directly on the
flames, and in any case the adjoining roof
can be well wettcd. The absolute need
of such a barrier between ncighboring
roofs was never more clearly illustrated
than in this fire; especially is it requisite
where the buildings are of great hight and
depth, and used for storing valuable goods.
Without parapetS and separated only by party
walls, the lofty stores built in recent years are
likely to serve as the torches to light the flames
of IA burning city.