Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-09-05
Great Fire IN New York.
100 LIVES LOST.
A MlLLloN DOLLAR FIRE.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3.--It il reported
hat one hundred lives have been lost
n fire at Tenth avenue and 36th st.
A MILLION DOLLAR FIRE.
New York, Sept. ID. p. Hates
,iano factory on West 35th street was
entirely destroyed by fire this morn
ng. 1t Is rumored that ten persons
,erished in the flames. The fire ex-
,ended to the south side Of the street,
destroying the entire block between
10th and 18th avenues; also M. Con-
nelly's barrel factory, J. Graham y
Co.'S silk factory, and several houses
south, j. Walkers charcoal factory
north Of 35th street and block OF
frame houses ON Tenth avenue be-
tween 35th and seth streets. A steam
fire engine was burned, the firemen
being unable to get 1t away.
The Post says the factories and 9TH
or buildings named in 35th street,
were reduced to ruins in about three |
quarters of an hour. The firemen
made every exertion possible but
lack of water constantly hindered
their efforts. They succeeded before
noon, however, in getting the fire un-
der control, although it was then still
burning fiercely in some buildings.
They fell from time to time with
heavy crash. In the confusion pre-
vailing it was impossible to obtain
any details Of losses and very diff
cult to make even an approximate cs-
innate of the total amount of loss.
The lowest estimate Of the latter is
q, 0oo, eco, and many persons place the
amount at much higher figure. 1t
is reported that many lives are lost.
Rumors on this point are very con-
flicting. II is probable that some
workmen in the piano factory were
unable to escape, but the number is
not yet known by any one. The fire
is believed to have broken out in the
fifth story of the building and it is
known that some workmen In the up
per stories had great difficulty in es-
Gaping. One workman named Ed
ward Packmaster jumped from the
upper window and died in a few
minutes. A few other workmen
whose names are not ascertained were
seriously injured. A woman Is
known to have died during the fire.
Many persons in the neighbOrhood
believe that 20 to 40 workmen per-
ished in the piano factory. Three
alarms were sent out in rapid sue
cession and a large force Of firemen.
engines and trucks responded to the
calls. The firemcn were obliged to
keep at considerable distance from
the burning buildings on account Of
heat. It is probable. however, that
they could have prevented the fire
from spreading If they had had suffi-
cient water. The hydrants supplied
only scanty streams and some became
entirely drained. The row of brown
stone apartment houses on the south
side of Fifth street, east of the facto.
Try, burnt rapidly. Their inmates
were able to save little property. A
number of shanties on the other side
of the street were also consumed
The establishment of w. b. Brown
at "a West 35th street Is Quilted. A
strong wind which veered from point
to point, whirled sparks and frag'
ments of burning material in all di'
rections. Sparks were blown to lOtf
avenue and set fire to q number Of
frame buildings occupied as stores
and dwellings, and three structures
at 449 and 463 inclusive, burned
Some of the occupants succeeded in
removing part of their furniture Il
to the street, but most of 1t was dc
stroyed.
Il LATER,
il A telegram says there is no hop,
thata vestige of the block bounded b!
IS and 36 streets and 10th q 18th ave
nue. will be left. The school house o
35th street is already entirely des
troyed and tenement houses on tn
four sides of the block are in ruins
Sparks from tho burning building
lighted upon the canvass roof of tn
Gospel Tent and it was destroyed
The conviction is growing that thu
loss of life will be serious and severa
ambulances are in the neighborhood
One authority says there must be from
IS to 100 bodies buried in the ruins
Another statement is that some Is (,
30 girls employed in the upper stor!
of Hates factory have persisted. Am
balances have removed Is or q
wounded, who jumped from tn
burning factory. Still another state
ment is that Of the $50 to 200 men il
the factory at the time Of the fir
comparatively few escaped death o
fatal wounds. The occupants o
houses in Seth street could distinct,
/ see workmen in the piano factor,
making futile efforts to escape from
the roof and upper stories and coult
hear their shrieks for assistance. Au
gust Varrath, varnisher in the facto
Try and one of the 40 men at work il
the top story, said the alarm was Civ
en- to them by workman who hat
put his head out of the window an(
saw smoke issuing from the window
below. The foreman urged the mel
to keep cool, saying there was proba
bly, plenty of time for escape. Var
rath says the men scattered in variou
directions but fire and smoke drov,
them back from the stairways. Their
was n fire ladder at each end of tn,
building and also a chain fire escape
Varrath got down by one of the lad
ders. He said that since his escap,
he had not seen any of his fellow
workmen. Half the surgeons of Bel
vue hospital, police surgeons, ant
coroners are on duty at the fire
About $50 families are rendered home
less and most of their furniture des
troyed. While the fire was at it
hight number of people on sheds il
Phelan's yard were thrown to tn,
ground and badly injured. A wo
man jumped from the window of ,
tenement house on 9th street ant
was instantly killed.
i Hates piano factory was an exten
sive establishment turning out abou
100 piano fortes week. The factor,
J was first erected about years ago
The walls fell and a number of per
sons were killed.
ii The New York Fra