Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-04
Destructive Fire i'll New York Git

Destructive Fire i'll New York City.
4 de7astiag FIRE occurred 10 New York city
YESTERDAY, Questioning the death of several
persons. The rapid spread Of the fire was
mainly due 10 the scarcity Of water. the 6remen
n5t being able 10 SECURE enough water to fight
the flames.
The FIRE oou1a ,aced 10 al eight story build
Ing, occupied as tie piano factory Of j. P.
Haze on West Thirty. fifth street.. This build.
log has been az uotortaoate ooe. When orgl-
1a!iy 5I!!i six years ago, the walls tell and
killed : b3r Ct parsons. ThsEe were q
meo employed CO toe upper flor, and about
80 in tie cotire building, and though the
tl!I!i1. vas furnished with fire escape ladders
AZ e!;hr! ED, they seem to have been nearly
usa.es: ia saving life. Several threw themselves
from tie upper stories to be crushed 70 death
on t.a rocky ground below. The loss Of life ls
estimated q; from twenty to one hundred. 50
rapid vas The progress Of the FIRE that the
eu;i.a building was en7s!oped in hanes with
10 i.tocn nnuces after the FIRE was discovered,
aud Is mauy As fourteen men were haoglog at
the upper windows 10 the attempt to escape
HGco the walls began falling. Eighteen or
tIarly H,uGdad men we're taken to the hos.
pitz!. The bea. was so intense that steam
i7c coglre had 10 be abando1ed 10 the street.
AID vas ruined By the fire. The fire spread
70 three ether large factories aud school
house, which, together with about forty tene-
meot houses aod large number Of shansies
aud stables, we're completely destroyed. At
least SD families we're rendered homeless aod
most o.: their Household goods consumed. The
Gtc o.goatcd from workman heating some
7a!1i;h q stove, which took fire while lis
back ras turned for a moment. The blaze 10.
sia1iIy c3ul uuDicated TO the combustlble ma
.:!;ais scattered arouod. aod the mao bad to
rau l., escape win lis life, giving The alarm as
b, d. 20. TIE fire spread 10 the upper floor
through the open na:chwaJ, the blludIng smoke
causing sutf1cltioa &c NANNY before the flames
reached them. l. is thought there were about
tEo tuailed woIkmeo cmployed 10 the build
ioE.
TIE 5,aua durog the fire was bearrending.
Wi;es OF the HoIkncn and members Of their
families quickly rushed from neighborlDg streets
10 the scene. Some of the women sobbed aHd
cried bitterly. \ few entirely Euccumbed and
saDs On the sidewalk, moaning piteous7. The
homes Ct many hundreds Of families were des
o!aie. aod womeo and chidren were running
abou. the neighboring streets perfectly be.
s!ldc.ed 10 their bereavement. The burnt dis
,1ics covers space Of about 400 feet on the
nor,h AID s.ulh sides Of Thirty fifth street,
l15 feet % the west side OF Tenth avenue, aud
about 500 feet 90 the south side of Thirty sixth
street Thirty eight buildings in all we're
buried. Hsle's building cost sS0O,O0O The
total loss cao be safely estimated at from ST.
500 900 to s. 900 900.
Hai='s piano factory vas very extensive es-
,ab,i.bnobt, turning out about oue hundred
peaao !o!tes week. Ii IL reported to have
contained large quantity OF stock.
Angus. Vorcath, Varaisher in the factory,
said that be was one Of tTenty-lour men at
work 10 the top story when the fire was d!scov,
cred. The alarm was given to them BY work
MAJ who bad pu. his head ont Of a widow
aod seen the smoke issuing from the windows
below. The foreman urged the mao to keep
cool, sayiDg there was probably plenty of time
for escape Eorrath says that the meo scat.
:ered 10 various directions, but that the fire
aud smoke drove them back from tie stairways
There WAS FIRE ladder d. each ead Of the
building ADD also chain FIRE escape. Vorrath
got doHa By one Of the ladders. He said that
since his escape he had cot seen any of his ie-
low Iorkmen. He saw one man Jump from a
viaaoE 10 the upper story, aud supposed that
this vas the mao Psckmaster. He saw auotb
err workman attempting TO lower himself Oh to
the roof of another building. and had been told
that this mau alter hanging BY bis hands some
time from roof gutter, Was compelled By the
heat to reiicquisb bis hold, and was killed. 1t
is asserted that the occupants of houses 10
Thirty. sixth street could distinctly see wofkmen
10 the piano factory making futile efforts to es.
from the roof and the upper stories, and could
bear their shrieks for assistance. These per.
sous believe that the bodies Of many wo,kmen
will be found 10 the fuits. The sparks from
the fire fell on the roof OF SIlbermans silk fac
tory, On Tenth avenue, and set fire to that
building. The roof Of Phean's billiard factory
IN Te,,h avenue. was also set on fire. Int these