The New York herald., 1876-02-09
went, like wild beasts in tho fOres. round the bright

THE LINES
To IS TO believe and none would believe had they
not the number OF badges distributed by the Fire
Department; for inside tho line less than 200 peo-
| pie, ununiformed, congregated Some OF these
represented interests: others were OF the
firms In dangerous vicinity TO the fire. and the number
OF reporters, bogus and genuine amazing TO be-
hold The privileged within the line wandered to
and fro wlll much the discomfort annoyance
or the conscientious blue coats who called aloud for
credentials and were often answered In pantonime
by the presentation of silver badge concealed be-
meath the lapel Many among this number idle
sightseers, with nothing else to do than enjoy and
create sensation. More than cruel
hoax was started that poor fireman
had been crushed and mangled had
fallen into the seethng hell with which he fight
ing. The vague romances OF the idle rabble not
long OF realization for the wall of No 446 Broadway
fell TO the flags with laundering crash and rattle the
report spread echo of the sound thai Francis
Burke, fireman. had been killed Tho smoke clearing
away the crowd set in tide toward the spot where
the front had fallen. Il was stemmed by q line OF
police marching rs q vanguard In the process
sion OF what seemed to be a corpse; It
Burke the injured fireman, whom one Of
tho iron splnters had injured in the leg An
ambulance, waiting the outskirts Of the
crowd, forced It's way inside tho line and
tho ambulance came almost irresistible tide o.
human beings but tho noble and efficient conduct OF
the police prevented q Generalization which might
have hundred lives The value OF The conduct Of
the police at this juncture was not fully realized until
shortly thereafter when the front Of No AS fell IN
with dreadful noise and terrible force than the
which had just preceded IT, The rattle and din or
the crashing iron the wild eaping OF the flames and
the surgng of clouds of smoke seemed to madden the
mob and make It uncomfortable
No. AS being totally demolished the flames
caped up, brilliant and vivid having received food
| from the timber interior of the number beyond At
this point the simmer OF the blaze the golden letter
boards and the thousands of upturned faces indeed
sublime sight, reminding one Of the solemn scene at
| Phlippi and the faces OF the Roman legions
| frightened by the blaze OF the funeral pyre OF
Brutus. Hardly had the solemn murmur evoked by the
last grand crash subsidized whom again the flames were
dmmed by the falling Of one OF tho anterior walls.
Into the place where the razed building had stood some
| adventurous hremen forced their way and werc no
ticed to be in precarious position fragment Of an
| impending wall threatened to burH them. Captain
| Alaire noticing their dangerous position ventured
| near to warn them, when down came the fragment,
burying beneath 1t five and injuring tho Captain.
| This quickly communicated to the crowd on
the outskirts and first murmur then groan indi-
Gated its reception BY this time many who had left
the Are returned again. and the crowd began TO grow,
| numbering &c, 000 In Grand street solid
phalanx extended from Crosby far east Centre;
and from the of Howard al which the southern
| line drawn, down far as Worth street; from
Broome up Broadway, far Spring street. surging
thousands blocked the way. In Howard street, far
west as Church. ANXIOUS hundreds clamored for op
portunity witness the conhagraton which now was
grand in its terror threatening at this tmeto embrace
| the whole block.
The words Of Horatius at the bridge found here a
fitting illustration, for in the street few po-
oemen with their peaceful batons held back the angry
| crowd Superintendent Wailing Inspector Dilks,
Captain Allare, Captain Mcdonnell and Captain Low
cry, with their men did most effective work, and may
| we'll be complimented on tho quiet they maintained.
At hafpast ten the floors of No $50 and 452 fell in,
and for the the flames died out and the crowd
began thin. Gradually toward the periphery
circles people began disappear and slowly gcn-
eral adjournment took place. tho immense crowd, in
less than thirty minutes, diminishing to mere hand
fl of gazers who remained for want OF better occupa
| tion-
sroPPAGE TRAVEL
Tho FIRE broke at a time when the traffic by
the Blocker street and town lines via Grand and
Canal streets full tide or travel
rested by the of the fire. and for three
hours people unable go up down
by either route The utmost confusion prevailed
| In consequence. People who had taken passage by
| either way were compelled leave the at the
limit Of the fire line and unless they wished TO sec the
thrilling spectacle, make detour through the Bowery
| Broadway. This a serious inconvenience,
though unavoidable and caused universal dssatisfac
| tion especially to those who were on their way to
| Fulton Ferry. Long lines OF stood motonless in
Crosby street, above and below the fire. and now and
then the leading would Jump the track and 60 back
/ efanef I'M
| town cars were blockaded, and, like tho
| Blocker street line, they stood In the midst
| OF dense Of human beings. who
| more intent viewing the scene before them
conscious Of the fact that they stood in the way Of
the Even Centre street. at the junction Grand
| the Fourth avenue with difficulty driven
through the there assembled All of the Broad
way traffic was OF course, diverted the tide OF
buses and trucks being turned into the Bowery
through Canal or into Wooster through Broome. The
absence Of these vehicles in tho immediate vicinity OF
the FIRE gave good vantage ground for the immense
crowds OF people who were there assembled
THE LOSSES
Nos 444 and 4Ie Broadway, double iron front five
story building, occupied by Leshcr Whitman Co.,
dealers In talors trimmngs loss 500 OOo not fully
covered by insurance.
Snedecker, Watrous 4 Boynton, clothicrs; stock is
worth $4,000; fully insured.
William Smith Co dealers in fancy goods; loss un-
known.
In the back part OF the building the large whole
sale clothing house Of ~ n. Rogers Co.
No AZ where the Continental Hotel is situated the
back part OF the building was burned; loss unknown.
The fire did extend below this but the buildings
far as Howard street less damaged by
| water
Nos 44s and $50, occupied oy Hornihal, Whitehead
4 Co, clothiers; stock worth $3.50 900; insurance,
| $500 O00 all in New York companies.
II. c. Cushing Co., agents; loss, $50 0oo
| No 452 Broadway and l6 Crosby street. George E.
shortridge Co., clothers; stock worth sl5O,OOo.
Powers Castor & Co., dealers In shoes; loss un-
known.