The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-09-12
A New York Horror.

New York Horror.
New York, September 81. L.
Hale's piano factory, ON West Tbir-
iy-ffth street, was entirely DESTROYED
by ire this morning.
The flames extended to the south
side of the street, destroying the en-
tire block between Tenth and Elev-
enth avenues; also NJ. Connell's bar
rel factory, j. Graham 4 Co.'s silk
factory. north of Thirty-fiifth street,
and a block Of frame houses on Tenth
avenue, between thirty-6ftb and Thir-
ty-sixth streets. A steam fire engine
was burned, the firemen being unable
to get it out in consequence of the in
tense heat.
The Gremen made every effort pos
sible, but lack Of water constantly
hampered their efforts. They sue
ceeded before noon; however, in get
ting the fire under control, although it
was still burning 6ercely in some OF
the buildings. The walls of the brick
buildings fell from time to time with
a heavy crash. In the confusion pre-
vailing it was impossible to obtain
any details Of the losses, and very
! difficult 10 make even an approximate
estimate of the losses. The lowest
estimate of the latter is 81, 600, 600,
and many persons place the amount
at a much higher figure.
1t is believed by many persons 10
the neighborhood that from twenty to
forty workmen perished in the piano
factory, but thus far it is merely sup
position. Three alarms were sent
out in rapid succession, and q large
force of 6remen, engines and trucks
responded to the calls. The heat
produced by the fire was intense, and
the iremen were obliged to keep at a
considerable distance from the burn
ing buildings. Ii is probable, howev-
er, they could have prevented the Ere
from spreading if they bad bad a suf-
ficient supply of water. The hydrants
supplied only scant streams, and
some became entirely drained.
Another statement is that 25 or 30
girls employed in the upper stories of
Hale's factory have persisted. The
ambulances have removed some Is or
90 wounded, who jumped from the
burning factory. Still another state
ment ia that Of $50 to 200 men in the
factory at the time of the fire, com.
pGatively few escaped death or fatal
waunds.
About $50 families. are rendered
homeless, and most of their furniture
destroyed. While the fire was at its
height q number of people on the
sheds in Phelan's yard we're thrown
to the ground and badly injured. A
woman jumped from the window of a
tenement house in Thirty seventh st.
and was Instantly killed.
NEW York, September 3-At 10
o'clock this morning a fire broke out
in Hale's extension piano factory. on
West Thirty-fft street, between
Tenth and Eleventh avenues. Owing
to the inhamable nature of the stock
the flames spread with great rapidly,
and soon the factory and a dozen teG-
ement houses were 10 flames. There
was a scarcity Of water in the neigh
borhood, consequently there was
some delay before the engines played
on the Ere, and several alarms were
ser! : ort in haste. Fnally water was
obtained from Eighth avenue aud the
river. The fire o~rigineted in the
sounding board drying room on the
third floor Of the factory. A spark
from the stove ignited u pot Of var
nish, which had been placed upon il
to heat, and the flames spread like a
flash. NichoIas Monk, tbs vsrnisher,
fed at ONCE for his life, giving the
alarm as be ran, bot the windows be-
ing open, the flames swept through
the building, finding fresh fuel at ev-
cry step. The hatchways in one CDR,
ner we're open aud the flames rushed
to the upper stories as through a aue.
The factory wag eigh, stories in
height, and although it il said that
the menas Of escape were sufficient,
yet o number Of lives were lost
There were enc hundred and SIXTY
five men in the building. The flames
spread so rapidly that the men who
were above the drying room were cut
of from the staircase. They a to
the roof and to the windows and
dropped to the ground. Meanwhile
the fire rapidly increased in fury, aud
the piano factory was q sheet off
fame. The walls SOON began to fall
Tome Of the 6remen say that at this
time. Oh Thirty sixth street fourteen
men were Olinging to the windows of
the upper story, and that they were
buried in the falling ruins. They
could not be reached by ladders, and
the flames drove back the fremen.
OTHER BUILDINGS DESTROYED.
A high wind carried the flames
across to ank destroyed seventeen
tenement houses on the north side of
Thirty-sixth street, six tenements
owned by McMasters. in West Thir-
ty-6fth street. the zeal of twenty ten
ements in Thirty-seventy street, a
small tenement in the real of No. 525
West Thirty-fourth street, besides
which several factories In Wess Thir.
t~y-fourth street were damaged. Nos.
453 to 451 Tenth avenue were partly
destroyed. In Thirty-fftb street the
flames destroyed :he two factories of
Mr.. Hale, Connolly's barrel factory,
Foxes brass foundry, Lobb's roofing
factory, Booths steam boiler factory,
Browns machine shop, and about
TWENTY-FIVE shanties aud stables ;
also No. 504, James bevljn's resi-
dence; Nos. sos, sos, $40 and 5ls,
John Grahams silk weaving estab-
lishment; No. sic, Mrs. Hunts
pickle factory No. SIS, residence of
Sergeant James, of the police force,