The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-04
Disastrous Fire I'm New York

this morning. 1t is rumored that Ten
persons persisted The flames extended
to the south side et the street, destroying
the entire block between Tenth and
Eleventh avenues; also NJ. Connelly's
barrel factory, j. Graham & Cos silk
factory, and several houses adjoining;
j. Walkers charcoal factory, north oi
Thirty-ffth and Thirty-sixth. A steam
engine was burned, the tiremen being un-
able 10 get it out in consequence OF the
intense heat 1t is reported that one
hundred lives have been lost
Tne Post says: The factories and
other buildings named in Thirty-tiftb
street were reduced to rams IN about
three quarters of an hour. The fire
steamer, Fuller, WIS anchored 1T the
dock at the foot OF Thirty-f tn street, and
lines of hose extended from II to
Eleventh avenue. and supply OF river
water to engine No. l. The hydrsnt at
the corner of Tenth avenue and Thirty
sixth street WAS entirely empty while
the fire was at its heighth. Water WAS
so scarce that the tenants OF the houses
which caught from the sparks, were un-
able TO obtain water except by damlng
up in the gutter the water which came
from the fire hose. The fremen made
every exertion possible, but the
lack OF water constantly hampered
their efforts They succeeded before
noon, however, in getting the fire under
control, although 1t was then still ourn
ing fiercely in some buildings. The
walls OF brick buildings fell from time 10
time with heavy crash. ln'the contu-
| SION prev ailing 1t was impossible 10
obtain any details OF the losses, and 1t Is
very difficult 10 make even an approx
mate estimate OF tle total amount. The
10 vest estimate of the litter Is 100000,
and many persons place the amount ut
much higher hSure.
It is reported that many lives were
! lost. but rumors on this point are very
conflicting. 1t is probable .ha! some work
| men in the piano tactary were unaDeto
| escape but the number is not yet known
bv any one. The fire is believed to have
broken out IN the fifth story building
| and it is known that some worknen IN
the upper story had great difficulty III
escaping. One workman, uamed I'd
ward Packmaster, jumped from the
upper window, and was taken up in a
| terrible condition. His skull was irac-
tnred and may bones were broken. he
was renewed to the Stephen House, and
died id tew moments. Two other men,
whose names were not ascertained,
were seriously hurt. They were sent
to Bellevue Hospital. a woman is
knowp to have died during the fire, tut
| reports differ us TO whether she was in
Iured il attempting TO escape from the
| building, or died from illness aggravated
! by excitement and shock. 1t ls believed
| hv many persons IN the neighbOrhood
that from twenty to forty workmen per-
| lshed in the piano factory, but this Is
merely supposItion. Three alarms were
| sent out in rapid succession, and large
| force Of fremen, engines and trucks re-
sponded to the calls. The heat produced
| bv the fire was intense, and
tue firemen were Obliged to keep At
distance from the pubic buildings. 1t is
probable, however, that they could have
prevented the fire IRON spreading if
they had had sufficient supply of water,
The hydrsnts supplied only scsnt
streams, and some became entirely
drained in short time. A row OF brown
stone apartment houses south OF Thirty
| fifth street and east OF the factory burned
rapidly Their Inmates were able to save
bu. small par; of their property. A
number of shanties on the other side
! o! the street were also consumed. The
establishment ol w. b. Brown, 54l
West Thirty.ftth street, is gutted. A
strong wind, which veered from point 60
point whirlsd sparks and fragments OF
burning material in all directions. The
sparks blown TO Tenth avenue set fire TO
number Of frame buildings occupied as
| stores and dwellings and three struC-
lures. from 446 to 463 inclusive, were
| burned. Some of the occupants sue
ceeded in removing part OF the furniture
| 10 the street. but mos. OF 1t was de-
! stroyed.
A telegram says there is no hope that a
vestlge OF the block bounded by Thirty
| fifth and Thirty sixth streets and Tenth
ana Eleventh avenues Will be left. The
school house on Tnirty-lilth street is en-
tirelv consumed, aud the tenement
| houses on the four sides of the block are
in ruins. Sparks fell from the burning
buildings and lighted on the canvas
| roof of the Gospel tent and 1t was des-
troved. The conviction Is growing that
the loss Of life will be serious, and sew
eral ambulances are in the neighbOrhood.
One authority says that there must be
from ninety five TO one hundred bodies
buried IN the RUNS. Another story Is
that some twenty-five 10 thirty girls who
were employed in the upper stories OF
Hsle's factory, perished. The amOu-
lances have removed some eighteen or
twenty wounded who jumped from the
burning factory.
Hsle's piano factory was a very large
establishment, turning out one hundred
pianos in u week The factory WAS irst
erected about six years ago. The ialnng
of the walls killed number OF persons.
The fire originated through Nichols
Monk, a vsrnish rubber, who was heat
lag var-ish over stove. While MS back
was turned it cot ablaze and the flames
spread like flash. He fed at once for
his lie, giving the alarm a. he RAJ, but
the windows being open. the flames
swept through the buildInz finding fresh
fuel At every step. 1t is supposed about
100 men were employed in the building
1t the time. On the seventh floor were
twenty SIX. on the fourth floor thirty-oue,
ana on the fifth and sixth and other
floors about one hundred and fifty. 1t
can not Vet be ascertained how msny have
been burned in the building. Tne match
wnvs IN one corner were open, and the
flames rushed to the upper stories as il
through a hue. Several frJmen say
that men were calling from the windows
of the upper story OF the factory tor
ladders for help TO- Gods sake, but the
ladders were not long enough 70 reach
them. and even lfthey were they could not
be placed IN position on account u. .he IN
tersa hest. Some fell 10 the pavement.
and others, after wildly waving their
arms. fell back into the burning mass
behind them The great eigh. story wal
on Thirty sixth street fell almost with
ont ro.ice and who are buried Uular IL