The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18
THIRD REvoRMRp PRES
BYrRRiAn CHURCH,
DIR 0RRGo.
THE ARxoRr BUILDING AND ITS OCCUPANTS


The building had frontage Of $50 feet on the south
side Of Twenty third street, six height,
reaching l25 feet in tho arr and mad depth Of ninety
feet The ground door was divided into six stores.
Nos. xl6 ana 218 were occupied showrooms
and for tho receiving and shipping Of the
stock OF the cabinet manufacturers who occupied
all OF the upper portion OF the building with the
ception Of that used by tho Eighth regiment as an
armory. Tho entire second floor was occupied by
Groes Co., manuacs and dealers IN furniture;
the third door was divided mp into company rooms
for the use Of the regiment The armory or drill
room OF the regiment engaged 125x6o feet
OF the fourth aud nith Hoors beginning at
the west side OF the building where the to
10 located The nth floor Of the armory formed
gsllsry, which overlooked the drill room That por-
tion OF the fourth floor not used by the regiment
occupied by Roux Co., furniture manutac-
turers, who wero recently burned out Of
their large building on Eighteenth street,
Seventh avenue. The remainder Of the
nflh floor was occupied by Deouch, Stratton
l. Co. The s,x,h story used BY George Davis who
10 tho agent OF the proparty and also engaged the
manufacture Of furniture. He succeeded Boiler Co.
thore In the business and It " said has carried
business for lngersol the original owner OF the
building Nos 200 and 222 the ground oor were
cuped for some time BY the Guild Of the Holy Spirit,
to be used as q private skating rink The funds
necessary to carry out this enterprise had SUBJ
scribod and work was In progress last week The
store No. ga, was occupied by tho Marhattan steam
laundry, OF which Mr.. Alger the head. and No. 226
was4he store Of Alexander n. Lesley, manufacturer
OF heaters and ranges The building we'll supplied
with costly wood working mach nery, and large quanti
ties oil partly manufactured stock stored every
floor There was fro used allowed IN the build
ing the steam for heating and working purposes being
supplied from two immonse boilers located In separ-
ate building on TWenty.second street The CON-
pany rooms Of the Eighth regiment were elegantly
fitted up, and the regiment, besides being deprived
OF erythng but their colors, which wore saved by
Thomas Murphy, tho armorer, sustain loss OF about
$4,000 THIS does not include the loss TO the State
Of 500 stand OF arms, valued at $0,5o0 600 uniforms
dress and fatigue which cost over $50, 0Oo aud
twenty thousand rounds OF cartridges There
seems 70 have been caution used against
fire, for there was located on the roof OF the
building q tank, about eight BY twelve feet and
nine feet dcep. which was kept nlled with and
was connected by iron pipes with hose attachments
ON each door. In addition . number Of are oxtin.
guishsrs were distributed through the building.
VALUABLE PROPERTY.
The building has Always boon looked upon as an
evidence OF tho lucrative nature OF the chair busI-
ness conducted under the patronage OF the old
Ring. When lDgersoll got into court and was In
danger Of losing his properly It was assigned to bis
father-inav, Mr. Oeleby The COS. OF erecting II Il
II said, over $500, 000 though recent appraise.
ment placed It's value at about $240, 900. 1t was
scarcely completed when the Eighth regiment moved
into their quarters there. which che owner OF the
building had succeeded in letting TO the city for the
modest sum of $36.000 year. The storm that swept
Tweed and his fellow punderers from power fol-
lowed and M Ingersoli was sont for sojourn sing
sinK By degrees the different sources OF plumber Of
Ring explored aud armory leases were found
TO among them. The nrst four years' rent
Of the armory which remained unpaid was settled on
q compromise ny the payment Of $4,000. From that
time 10 the present the question OF It's rental value
has been in dispute. the owner claiming $4,000
year and the city Offering but $1,000
THE ARxoRKRs STORY.
Thomas Murphy, armorer Of the Eighth regiment.
told the following story Of the are 10 HERALD re.
portsr:-I live the nth floor Of the building with
my wife and eve children. Tho apartments occupied
by ~ IN the northwest corner Of ths structure
and door leads from my kitchen 10 tho gallery
overlooking the drill room. Ny workroom Is SIT
ualed In the centre Of tho third noor. On the
same floor there were between eight thousand and
thousand cartridges; the fifth floor there were
about ten thousand more and two thousand pistol
cartridges was In my room alter tea with my fam
ily and the nrst notice received OF the Ore was tho
blowing open Of the door leading from my Kitchen 10
the Armory gallery The heat and smoke rushed in
10 last that mad but iittls time to
savo my family. got them out rs fast
as ] could. and, on reaching The street,
saw the first OF the flames. They werc coming from
the windows on the east end or the building called
couple Of nrsmen 10 aid and went back af,or The
regmsntaI coors. wanted TO save them II nothing
else, and ! did II, though 1t was a great ell
fort. Ny own little household property is
entirely gone, and l havsnt got u dollar Of
insurance on IT, There hsq not been any steam In
the building since iour o'clock on Saturday Afternoon
SO tho rs could not have been caused By heat IRON
the pipes" though Murphy did not wish to lay the
blame Of the IRE ON anyone is was evident hs had a
theory Of Ms ofiglR IN which he be.