New-York tribune., 1877-03-08
THE FIRE MARSHALS INVESTIGATION.
Fire Marshal Sheldon was very busy yeStcI


day, assisted by Deputy Hi i'll investigating the cause
and poarcss Of the fire He said that il one OF the
singular fires that he ever had seen duilhg an e%
pericnce OF more than twenty years The building lad
an imposing front and its side and rear walls were
of brick Partitions ran up through the building, dviG-
ing its Whole interior into three portions. The fir"
undoubtedly begun in the subce!Iar beneath the store Of
Tavlu OIr..tead & Taylor. Their store and basement
ran through the building from Bnnd-a tp the alley III
the rear Ia the vault used by them and run
ming under tEe alley. This vault was connected with
the sul-cear. There two smaller vaults connected
with the other subceliars. That in the rear of No
Eoud-st. was occupied by the boiler and engine that
furnished heat to parts Of the entire building and mo
tive rover to the machinery used there The third vault
in the rear of No. B0ndst was used as u common
room by the engineer and rencn On the night oi the
fire the engineer wen; home early leaving tnc preise
IN charge the fireman, with reiterated instructions 10
send ior him il anything unusual happened About :
O'clock the fireman told that there smoke ia the
buide soIncyyh re, and he hasteHcd into the boiler
room TO whether not anything there was on ne.
lie could not find any fire except that in the frnac"
The smoke seemed 10 he working its way through
the interstccs Of the partition walls between the
vaults. He Immediately sent out an alarm and
this brought a large force OF frcncn and policemen 10
the scene of the fire. After they reached the plae; they
were pOwerrss Tor some time account Of the heavy
iron shutters. VIXEN the entrance effected sudden
draugh made and in few moments the entire build
ing was in flames. The volume Of fire that rushed out
into the vault great that The fire
men. who were endcavoring to lead their hose
into the par: of the building where the
fire had started had TO be assisted TO escape or they
would have been sufsoc;itcd In few moments. After
the firemen had been driven out OF the building the
flames made quick work with 1t. The floors had been
covered with heavy layer OF Georgia pine, which nad"
the combustion rapid THIS caused ,le volupcs Of heavy
black smoke were noticed at the hiSht Ol the lit
TIE cause the tire could not be ascertdihcd !estr-
day Ii was suggested that it had been caused by the
lh;ed STUMP OF cigar something "f th.t 6lnd accl-
dentaly falling through the grazing Oh the Sidewalk INTO
the suu-crliar The packing done IN the rub-
cellar, large quantity ot paper clippings
and very cOniustlb, material was scattered aDoh
il had become known beyond doubt that
disastrous fires had been started In this man
ner singular tung the fact that the fire III it
upward course skipped one nOUr. WhcH the upper and
lower floors were all ahlazc the third story still
daik rs ever and OF lire could he observed tcIt
The Fire Marshal believed that This sustained his opinion
that the flames had assembled The veDtang fue 10 the
MN. + stories anu tLt to the Georgia pine uoOis Ia
great measure may be attributed the difficulty OF con
trolling the tlrr.