New-York tribune., 1877-03-08
STORY OF THE FIRE.

l'N0"N'
eagerly up the police lines from Broadway and the
Bowcry to watch the clouds OF smoke and jets OF flame
which continued rise from the ruins until late in the
day. and TO gaze the huge fragments of iron which had
once formed the costly business palace of a score OF
wealthy iewelry companies but which now lie in CON
fused along the entire width of the street ana
among the heaps of eInb,rs and barred wealth The
lveies manifested in listening to details OF
the cOn1dgra and the opinion was constantly ex-
pressed that it sirangcst of the
destructive fires that the city has known for many
years review of the progress of the Dire furnished
food for IN ch ectOn the ability Ofa large, strongly
built iron structure resist no: only the attacks o.
thieves also The attempts OF remen to save 1t from
destruction.
The building at Nos l. g. and Bond-st, owned and in
part occupied by Robbins Appleton. agents Of the
American Watch Company OF Wal;hqm. Mass. has been
regarded since its completion in 1871 as one OF the most
thoroughly burlarproOf structures in the city II was
six stories mgh with tie front ana side toward BroIu-
way built OF massive iron lined with brick. The rear
wall was Of brick with iron shutters and thick party
wall of brick divided the building from No. Z, adolunr
Narrow alleys separated the building from the Wilcox
Gibbs warehouse at Broadway and BOnlst ami from
thc Bleccker street Bank and other buildings fronting Oh
Beeckcr-st. Strong shutters at night covered the
doors and ndows OF tie first floor. The binding was
well supplied with extingnshng fires, and
private watchDan has been employed NJ night
The watcl,nau, about O'Clock on Tuesday evening,
in OF nc upper sOrcs when he discovered that
smoke coming mp through the Well-hOle OF thr
building He descended as far as the second story,
where the smoke dense that he was unable to
breathe and fearing that he would be suiOcaed hc ran
10 private at the OF The building and reached
the ground safety by of an outside iron staircase
About the time, RoundSnan Bemis OF the FIJI
teeth Precinct Police noticed smoke 'scang from the
windows Of the fourth story aud gave the alarm OF IRE
When the ncemeu arrived they found cvc:y means of
entrance against Them the watchman in his fight
having 1eit behind the keys 10 the building The shut
tcrs and the Hst floor were broken down with
great difficulty and several tremcn entered keeping
close 10 the floor and crawling into the interior OF TIE
building They returned almost suOcated by the dense
smoke and reported that otEer signs of hte were
apparent II then noticed that tie sidewalk near
No was becoming warm leading to the belief that the
flames bad started the basement under the rooms OF
TAYLOR Il Brother on the first floor An hour spent
in vain attempts make i'll the hoOr, thrOngh
which TO pour water the fire. The discovery was then
made that the flames had mounted t. the fourth floor,
through the welloe second alarm brought more
fremen and engines. Tile Gre patrol entered the second
and third stories by Of ladders and placed under
cover articles of slvcrware and valuable clocks which
had been left exposed Meanwhile the police kept back
the crowds of spectators at each end of the
street, Inspectors Dilks and ThOrne beng
present with Capt Byrnes, to enforce order
The fire in the interior the building became morc
clearly visible from the outside by 10 O'clock but the
hope was still entertained by the hremen ana by Mr.
Appleton who was present, that the building might be
saved. Efforts however made to remove from some
portions Of the building account books and articles OF
value known be exposed The flames continued to ILL.,
crease in volume and although the fremen made every
possible attempt throw water on them. their efforts
were made futile by dense volumes of smoke which
poured from the openings. \ third alarm and several
special alarms had collected 80 fire engines and 10 hook
and ladder companies, aud on every side OF the burning
building and from the roof OF NO z, ADJOINING, water
was poured in great quantities
IL tr1t destructive
tcr OF the FIRE became certain. Suddenly great volume
of flame through the roof and rose in the air 90
feet above the bulding, illuminating all the surrounding
objects and then all hope Of saving the structure was
abandoned TIE members Of the Insurance PATROL with
a final effort rescued quantity of valuable property
belonging 10 the GOrham Manufacturing Company and
Robbins Il Appleton. THESE efforts however, were OF
short duration Soon the great iron front wavcret at the
top. then tOppod and, rtcaninG It's stc&iEeSs fOr
second, finally fcl into the street. only the front
Of the two lower stories remaining. The interior
Of the building then a mass Of flames
The rear of several buildings Broadway caught fire.
and streams OF water playing upon them At
O'Clock yesterday morning the fire was under control
Occasionally heavy safe could be seen TO tumble mo
tlc fiery alyss and detached girdCrs went crashing
down Al daylight yesterday the fremen were sul
throwing water upon the smoking ruins, from which
flames occasionally The tail chimney and the re-
aLing stories OF the iron front alone remained IN
place
Tie anxiety of the pedeFtians on Broadway yesterday
morning the OF tie Gre was SO great mat
IL required the efforts OF the police to Keep
spectators rom dangerous proximity to the iron lron Ol
Tie burned building. While three streams Of water were
being poured ntO the burning mass III the cellar fIe-
meu were engaged upon the roof Of No Z BoId-st,
endcavoring to throw down the wall. They sue
eecded about 9 o'clock in tOppng over a
portion Of the upright pi lars nearest to them.
Ro,cs were finally obtained which were made last
70 the top of main iron girdCrs With the aid oi horses,
the dangerous wall was then pulled down. the crowd
che ring as it fell 1t completely blocked up TIE side
walk and street rendering passage impossible The hre
still smOldered and times burst forth III names
About p. the engines withdrawn, except one
which continued throw steady volume oi water INTO
the cellar The heat WAS intense at Onc.tlme during
the proess Of the fire that the large plate glass VIII
dows i'm the front OF Nos. 2, 4, and DOnfst were
cracked nv the aanes and they have buged outward
So that they liable 10 fa at any moment, the ponce
have preycu ted people from standing IN the vicinity
Some of those who occupied the building paced mp
and down in OF The ruins during the day and others
stood in knots discussing the probable fate OF the iron
safes in whch all her most valuable property bad been
dcpositcd II was evident however that nothing could
be obtained from the ruus before to-day ana possibly
before tomorrow The number OF dealers III JewerS ana
watches In tire burned building probably exceeded that
in any Other single edifce III tnc city, ana as coSe
quence Ia almost every ONCE thelc was a'
least one safe. Robbins & Appleton had four
la,oe double-door safes and four small ones.
Carter Howkjns a Sloan had two large ones ana one
small one Tue Gorham Manufacturing Company had
four More tau forty SAFES altogether are buried III the
ruins II is expected mat tho contents OF these saes
will uot All b. dc,ro cd, although the heat TO which
tcy have been subjected WIS sufficient yesterday morn
ing f. make the Of which they are composed white
with its intensity Juat before it was dark last evening
Data 81 liScoVa aFYn1 ifl