The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18
A GREAT CONFEDERATION.
Destruction Of the Eighth Rsgi-
msnt Armory Building.
TWO CHURCHES BURNED.
Exciting Scenes in Twenty-SecOnd and
Twenty-third Streets.
WHOLESALE ABANDONMENT OF DWELLINGS.
Almost a Panic that the Police and
Firemen Stayed,
A RELIC OF THE RING.
Property Of Over Half a Million Dollars
Destroyed
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
WHOLESALE ABANDONMENT OF DWELLINGS.
Almost a Panic that the Police and
Firemen Stayed,
A RELIC OF THE RING.
Property Of Over Half Million Dollars
Destroyed.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.

People quietly vending their way to church
service last evening about quarter after seven
O'Clock In the vicinity OF Twenty third street ard Sew
enth startled by the sudden cry of "Fre
raised by some boys in the street, and which
quickly taken up on the avenue by passers-by, who
hurriedy ran 10 the nearest engine house N
Twentieth street to give tho alarm. The
cause was the appearance OF hugo
volume Of fame which was seen to burst
forth suddenly from one Of the upper the
sast side OF the six story building Twenty.third
Btrect, which had frontage OF $50 feet ON Twenty
ihird street. and was commonly known US the Eighth
Regiment Armory. although the regiment only oceu-
pied portion OF It. The flames issued so suddenly
and In such dense volume that persons passing
strset were dumbiounded, ana the cry being raised
that the armory stored with explosive material
grand stampede ensued 10 such q degree that
the block was In reality. cleared Of almost every
pedestrian by the time the first company Of nremen
rrived-which proved to DO hook and ladder COM
panyl The commotion In the street soon aroused the
Occupants OF the houses not only the block 1 q
rwentythird street. but the light from crack
lng flames created the widest excitement In Twenty
second street, and in shorter time than IL takes to
tell IL the houses were smptisd and everybody shat
roud leave was hurrying toward the locality Of tho
nro.
HUNGRY FLAMES
The flames, which made their appearance ON tho
Doutheast Of the building, seemed, when nrst
discovered to DO burning as hercey at the topmost
Btory ~ at the bottom, and few minutes had
veloped the entire west side OF the building. Their
roar could be distinctly heard i've blocks away and
by the time the engines got to work. which they did
with thoir usual promptitude once they were the
ground the shutters the east side the build
As~1 .Al
OF the 1re was at its height The arrival OF engine
aitef engine intensified the general excitement which
regned in the neighborhood, and in ton minutes after
the 6rst had been attached 10 the nearest by
draut, the Seventh and Eighth avenues and every
block rs far up as Twenty-fith street aud as
far down rs Twentieth street, contributed its
quota to swell crowd which finally was numbered
by thousands. Every housetop that could command
\ view Of the aro was black With human beings and
rs the flames gained Roadway, which was with
lightning like rapdity. the excitement Of the resi-
dents OF the adjoining streets became and
uncomfortable, SO much so that many people on the
north side OF Twenty-second went to work TO
remove their furniture. The building was so high
compared with those which surrounded It that the
nremen had the greatest dculty reaching the top
stories with water: In tact they at time were able
TO mako stream reach the sixth story.
SWIFT DESTRUCTION.
II was now about halC-psst seven o'clock. The Ore
had been burning but fifteen minutes and yet In that
brief space OF time It had not only crept into the
top stories the Twenty street side the full
length OF the building but had found It's way through
to the Twenty-third street side, finally breaking out
under the roof cornce with roar that drowned tho
sounds in the street below, which was all
confusion, excitement and dismay. II was
terrible sight, and the residents on tho opposite
side OF the street apparently panic cKen ana
several women whom the hremen could not prevail
upon to 60 into their houses had TO DO taken
away half faintIng with terror. As the flames forced
their way along the coping the front OF the building
still keeping to the east sde from every window on
that side there darted huge tongue Of nro
that carried every thing before IT, The iron shutters
red NOT swung to and ro and the streams OF water
dashed against them sent back Kissing OF defiance
10 tho hrcmcn who had By this tmo got foothold on
she Presbyterian Chufon nearest Seventh avenue.
and were vainy endeavoring to keep tho flames from
che sacred sdince
A SUBLIME PICTURE
At this time tho scene was magnificent one Tho
Bky literally dotted with sparks OF re that looked
like SO many gently moving stars, and and then
meteor like, burning ember flashed through tho air
dashing itself into thousand sparks OF nre on the
pavement beneath The IRE, by twenty. i've min
way-s headway that was evidently rresisti-
Bile. From every window on Twenty third street
she flames shot forth red and garing with apparently
not shadow OF smoke, and from the strcet the lower
hoer Of the large building looked like great furnace
the outlines Of posts and walls and rooms being
brought out with u dstinctness though traced on
canvas under a calcium light To add 10 the terror
Of the scene, a. the flames spread to the
sremity of the building from the coping on the TOD
noor and met by other flames equally as fierce from
below, there oame every once In q while amid
the roar OF tho hre loud and several times
repeated report as OF muskstry, the shots being all
commipglsd as though IN q skirmisn. This was sup
posed to be the explosion Of the cartridges many
thousands Of which, II was anerward learned, were
stored IN the building The flames by eight O'Clock
had completely Quilted the interior OF the building
and the nremen, whose numbers had been increased
by alarms sent out for stance from Fire HeadQua
ters, turned their attention to the safety Of the
eburchss either side OF the great furnace and OF
bhe houses on Twcny-:hrd ana Twepty-second
Btreets.
THE cHuRcH ENvELorED
Little BY little the intense heat had made she
wooden coping Of the slate covered church roof an
inviting place for She flames, every now and then
bright blue light shot up from the roof showing
plainly that the edGos was doomed. stream alter
nream was poured upon the steepls aud the roof;
nrsmsn cIambcrsd up their long ladders. ana taking
their stations behind projecting portion the
roof whero they could nnd shelter from the great
heat sndeavored 10 keep the flames back and to
leluge the outside oil the church to give the fire
sss Of hold. Butt was all TO purpose. Step by
btsp they were forced back until they had TO make
sher way over 70 the roof Of the adjoining house. No.
~ West Tventy-third street. IL was we'll they did
So for another moment spent In their futile WORK
Houd have probably been fatal to many OF them.
With crash tho eansrly wall Of the armory topplsd
pvcr crushing tho roof oil the church 90 though IL had
been an egg she'll Meanwhile the houses on