The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-04
ti.s r1ssRIBLE NEW YORK C0NFLA-
l.5 1 GRAFTON.
OVER MILLION DOLIANs OF PROP
ERTY DESTROYED AND A HUN.
BRED LIVES LOST.
Wen and women Burned Alive or Crushed
Under the Failing walls of a
Mandatory.

Wen ana women burned Alive or Crushed
Under the Failing walls Of a
Mandatory.
NEW YORK, Sept. 3.-At half-past this
morning, flames were discovered issuing from
the second story OF John P. Halls large piano
factory, West Thirty sixth street, near Tenth
Avenue. An alarm was Immediately given.
Three minutes later, the flames shot from the
third, fourth and fifth. stories Of the building,
and Immediately after 1t was flied with vol
umes of black smoke
The cries of hundreds Of operatives, who
could be seen at the open windows, were
heard: they were wildly gesticulating. The
fire department quickly responded to the call,
and streams Of water were poured on the
burning structure, but a fierce wind blowing
from the west bafi1ed their efforts, the flames
living from floor to floor with lightning ra-
pidity, and igniting the whole establishment.
The operatives were driven by the smoke
and heat from the lower floors, and sought
refuge In the seventh and eighth stories, from
which many jumped to the pavement below
and were either killed outright. or were fear
fully mangled. One man, stationed near the
window on the top floor, was seen to pull off
his coat and take his position on the window
sill.
The people In the street thinking he In
tended jumping shouted. ITO the roof; don't
i,imp.'' Needless of their warning he got
down on his hands and knees, and then Sc
curing good hold on the window facing, cast
one glance and then sprang down from win
dow to window, escaping to the ground al
together unhurt Others, despite warnings,
jumped to the roofs Of buildings far below
and were carried away dead
It now became apparent that the factory
was doomed, and the flremen turned their at
tention to Graham's silk establishment on
Thirty-sxith street. The roof was deluged with
water, but the heat was so intense that the
firelnen could not remain at their posts, and
the building was soon a mass OF flames. The
tenement house. below ON Thirty-sixth street,
caught fire from cinders and scene of confu-
sion followed which battles description. The
wind had by this time increased to q gale and
great sparks flew In all directions, firing the
dry roofs Of the buildings in the block bounded
by Tenth Avenue. Eleventh Avenue and Thir-
ty-tfth and Thirty-sixth streets.
The fire alarm again sounded and addi-
tional steamers and hook and ladder compa-
nies came to the rescue. few minutes after
ten the walls of Hall 9 factory, facing Thirty
sixth street, fell In with d terrific crash tits
said that several persons were buried beneath
the debris. The wind now had free access to
the other exposed buildings in Thirty-fifth
street, and they were soon In flames, the
tenants barely escaping with their lives, many
not being able to save anything. McMasters
Il Myers large five-stery brick house, near
Tenth Avenue next caught fire, and the
sparks igniting several small frame build
ings in the rear, quickly destroyed them.
1t now seemed that the fire would reach a
long row of business and tenement houses on
the east side of this avenue, but by the SUPER
human efforts Of the firemen they were saved
but the entire row Of buildings on the west
side of Tenth Avenue were more or less DAM
aged
At II o'clock the conflagration was SO far
mastered that no further danger was appre-
hended, and then began a search for missing
friends and relatives. Brothers reported they
had lost brothers Wives were seen wringing
their hands, end crying for husbands whom
they could not find. Children were wander
ing about screaming for parents.
The burnt district covers space four hum
tlred feet on the south and north side OF
Thirty-iifth street, one hundred and seventy
five feet on the west side of Tenth Avenue,
and five hundred feet on the south side of
Thirty-sixth street. Thirty EIGHT buildings
were destroyed, and three hundred and fifty
families are rendered homeless with most of
their furniture destroyed. The latest esti-
mate Of the loss is from eight hundred thou
sand to two million Of dollars.
The loss of life is variously estimated at
from two to five hundred. 1t may not be SO
large as two hundred. Not less than one hun
sdred persons were killed or injured by the
~ ling walls and perished in they factory
" he beginning of the conf1agration; and
deqlames and smoke spread rapidly, and
-s5Ilcre was no fire escapes, tits thought that
u great number lost their lives
The fire originated in the sounding board
drying room.
The greatest difficulty encountered was
from scanty supply Of water; five plugs
stood open without giving out single drop
of water. The fire boat Fuller was brought
to the foot of Thirty-fifth street and gave a.
supply of water to two engines. The cutters
were damned, and the dirty water which
was once used was again utilized and thrown
back upon the fire. One engine was aban-
doned, owing to the intense heat. The wind
was so great that large pieces of burning
wood were carried fully mile. Deckers'
billiard establishment, fully half mile away,
was In iminent danger at one time from
the flying cinders, and was saved through
copious drenching of water
key viii Not Resign.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.-Gen. Key stated to-
day that the story of his resignation was
surprise to him; he had no idea of doing SO,
but would exert all his efforts to aid the
President to pursue the policy of reconciling
the conflicting elements of the country. and
l. IN l~,,t thn ,,r4,,