The New York herald., 1876-02-22
THE WoODHAvEN FIRE.

LIE WOODHAVEN FlRE.
DESTRUCTION OF THE LALANcE oRosJKAA
HARDWARE woRKs-THR LOSS COMPUTED AT
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND Doll
LARS TO FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND Doll
LARs-THE INSURANCE THREE HUNDRED AND
SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Yesterday morning at O'Clock fire broke out in
the Timing Of the Lalance and Grosjean Hardware
Manufacturing Company, at woodhaven, Long Island,
and by eight O'Clock the whole mandatory was heap
OF ruins The buildings Of stone and brick
with slate roofs and iron shutters and together with
the storehouse which saved, covered an entire
block we're three stories in height except along
Atlantic avenue, where they four Stories with q
tower and clock, the latter valued at l,0o0 The
floors nearly all impregnated with oil grease
and burned like so much tinder There a scarcity
Of water, and II such had not been the case 1t
was impossible for the nremen 70 venture to-
direct stream the burning building Water war
obtained however from adjacent houses, but
TOO little In quantity TO be Of Half an hour after'
the commencement of tho nre the whole manufac-i
tory enveloped in sheet OF fame The
books In the ONCE fortunately saved but from
the main building nothing rescued Upward Of 200
machines OF different kinds worth from 500 600 to-
500, OO0 driven by very powerful engines among
ruins This hardware manufactory was the largest
on Long Island and perhaps, in the United States
About 400 workpeople employed at wages ranging
from So to $40 per week Upward Of thirty trucks
employed in transporting goods the manufac
tory to the store in this city About year ago the
old building removed 30 make way for the new
structure. The firm heavy contractors with the
government for supplying tinware to the army, navy
and for tho Indians Their machinery was doubt
the most elaborate in the country consisting Dies
cutters, &C
Mr.. Grosean, the President OF the Company, was az
his house Brooklyn and arrived at the scene OF de-
struction At about eight O'Clock the morning He
took his loss very phosophicaly and said TO some OF
the workmen that the place would be going again in
three months The engine which moved the machin-
cry rated nominaliy al $50 horse power Acouple
four-turnace boilers supplied the necessary steam.
The ay wheel was sixteen feet in diameter. Tho
Jamaica frcmen and the volunteers worked manfully,
but their task was an impossible one
While the fire raging another fire was discov-s
cred In the hotel of Mr. Theraut opposite the factory
II is alleged that this 1re not caused by sparks
from the other one, and there suspicion OF ncen-
Jamaica hremen, who present in considerable
force, with two three machines school-hense.
about quarter Of mile distant, caught fire from
sparks the roof, but the building saved.
rRKAsURER SAYS
Last evening HERALD reporter called at the once
Of the Lalance Grosjean Manufacturing Company,
whose ONCE and store rooms situated at No 80
Beekman street and No So Gin street. The following
Presdsn; fre ide Ga''1S Mr o. % Mssn Vice PresiSens
Mr. f. W. Martin, Secretary and Treasurer,
and Mr. j. H. Smith, superintendent of Works In
conversation with Mr.. Martin that gentleman made
"our manniactory al woodhaven, situated at about
three miles from East New York. the Jamaica Rail
road of the largest manufactures Of its kind.
The articles we make are OF tin and iron, and princi-
paly for culinary purposes and dishes, kettles, can
die sticks, frying pans, mugs spoons, sugar bowls,
cracker bowls, tea trays sptoons, tumber warmers,
TO mention The space covered by the works is a
pete book OF about four Many Of the workmen
Mr. Grosicsn. There are about sixty Of these houses
EsrnATED
Three OF my partners have been out at the scene or
the calamity to-day, and have Just received tee
gram from them stating that the loss Is estimated
TO be from $3.50, 900 to 100000 hope said the
HERALD Informant, that this amount is overstated,
for II be 1t exceeds the amount for which
insured-namely, $3l7 o0o-dvided among sixty
nine companies located in different parts of the United
States and Europe The following is list OF some Of
the companies in which VIC are insured
Biselow Cot K Peck divided am ong six com
paniesl -........................ 0O0O
Williamsburg ......................-. 500
Phenix, Brooklyn. 6,475
Royal Liverpool stog
SuarSan, Lennon bonuon 1S
Insurance Company of N A., Philadelphia. 1000
hs resson do not gve Won the u s IS that somo
insurance companies are very sensitive about having
their names appear In the papers We have got our in
eurance sysematsed that we have separate policies
effected for each department Of the mandatory The
storehouse, which is situated al distance OF about
hfty-sx feet from the main building has escaped tho
flames. II and Its conteuts are insured for about
500 600 The loss Of works great inconvenience
10 us@hrowing all our workmen out OF employ, and
causing necessarily loss OF trade. The works will
be rebuilt speedily possible Our machinery,
which of elaborate and complicated kind for tho
most part cannot readily be replaced. How the nro
originated unable say, but from all hear 10
began in the tin We have reason to believe
that 1t was Of incendiary origin. Ny partners who
we're the fire to-day Messrs. Grosjean, Migan
and Smith. The story printed in afternoon paper
that Mr. Grosjean tainted when he the Of the
factory this morning Is absurd
THE FOUNDER or The COMPANY
Mr. Florian Grosjean, who Is native OF Switzerland,
Is self-made man, in the truest acceptation OF tho
word and is greatly beloved at Woodhaven. In his
youth he clerk In Laances banking house al
Montchard France When twenty Eve years of age he
emgrated here and became importer Of French hol-
low ware and remained ia that business until 1861,
when he commenced manufacturing on his
count. In that year he established his mandatory at
has erected a large number Of houses, all of them
inhabited by his workmen He has also given
large and handsome church TO the village, likewise
large reservoir competent surgeon resides there,
whose practice confined TO the factory hands Skilled
mechanics from all lands are welcomed by Mr. Gros-
Jean, and there a queer minging of Americans,
Germans and Frenchmen IN the manuiactory. Mr..
Grosean lives in of the handsomest villas in Long
Island OF the Italian order OF architecture situated in
the centre Of about twentyone acres oil exquisite
garden.
FIRE IN SOUTH STREET.