The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-15


losses of the concern. He said that had they
of 100000 would be represented by the
material on hand. Other estimators hx the
soliciude was evinced by the members of the firm to
save couple of safes which contained very valuable
papers and the like In the fall OF the building now
the unsteady floor in the southwest corner was not
| strong enough to support the other.
! pied the upper stories of Nos. z5G and 46s Broad
wny. They had insured their stock some time since
s25 900 during the last few days 1t is said too that
they proposed leaving the building soon and had
already begun to pack their goods with that intent
ESTIMATED VALUE or THE STRUCTURE
Owing to the fluctuations in real estate the
value Of the building cannot very readily be
| fixed One of the Messrs Brooks. who
was present said he could not definitely
appraise it himself 1t is believed. however, that the
Produced was worth 100000 or 100000 The insur-
ance on it is believed to reach total OF about
| Mr.. Yearance, of the Safeguard Company. generally
distributed the insurance, and it is supposed to be
| divided between his own and number OF Broadway
HISTORY OF THE BURNED BUILDING.
In the year 1886 Brooks Brothers. the clothiers, de-
ton Of Grand strcet and Broadway which
was then business centre of the trade.
Work was begun toward the close OF the year
| toward completion rapidly as Was consistent with
| good workmanship and the facilities masons and
| builders had in those days. The structure was
strong one. calculated to last for years. and to
| those who had not anticipated tine strides OF
which would Se in the very centre Of the business
comm unity for an unlimited period Until the year
1869 the Brookscs transacted their largest business in
it and it was one of the best known clothing
houses in the city. In that year the
Arm concluded that alocation further up town would
building. removing to Fourteenth street and later
opening another house on the corner OF broadway
and Bond street.
ALTERATIONS IN THE BUILDING.
Then Scribuer occupied the building for time. but
it left untenanted before long and the Brookses
who st retained proprietorship OF it. determined
to alter it in order to better adapt it
for business purposes In order to do this they had
the building divided by partition. staircase
erected in the centre and it virtually turned into
double structure. large amount OF money
was expended in these alterations and others tending
to strengthen and bcautfy it, the aggregate of which
is estimated by some to have been $1Ol0Oo. Allen.
| Mclean Co. were the next tenants They abidcd
| there for while then their bank
rupey. After that the building was occupied by the
| present incumbents. 1t always regarded a
of the structures of its date. and the arrange
mcns to guard against fire were as complete US is
| usual i'll such cases.
How the fire originated no one has been
able to ascertain puff Of smoke from
| the fourth story was the first signal
which caught the eye of by passer. Then alarm
was rung. but hardly had the electric bell at tue
vibrations till two other alarms were
sounded in rapid s and Say
No to be known of the origin of the fire
by the inmates of the building than by those who
| number of night watchmen were employed
| in it. but such OF them as were seen last
of how the fire begun, or to what extent the va
rious firms would suffer. Mention was
Is sa Sa ShS R'sss
given of their having been called into play during the
! evening.
THE FIRE OF 1876
The terrible fire Of last night recalls still more
! terrible conhagration which swept over the
same district the evening of the 9Th of Fcbru.
airy, 1876 The fire in question broke out in the
building No. Al Broadway. adjoining the Continen
tai HOTEL and extended to Crosby and Grand streets
Half hour after the alarm sounded the flames
had gained such control that it feared the whole
block would he consumed Owing to the direction
| of the wind the fire northward along the roofs
until the Of Grand street reached con-
Stunning half the block and causing the destruction Of
millions worth Of property. All the buildings
constructed OF iron, and seemed to curl and twist
like so much card board under the intense heat ia
! which they were subjected. Strong iron pillars
| were bent and twisted until they were -wrencied
street or back into the seething flames behind
Twenty feet of wall suddenly bent outward
| and fell to the ground with thunderous crash A,
the time that the wall fell the entire iron
front tnmbled into Broadway. just before gullan,
band of renen had rushed TO the aid of OF
endangered engines and scarcely had they drawn il
to place of safety when the spot it had occupied
was covered with the debris of the fallen building
| CHECKED At GRAND STREET.
Like demon the fire gained new strength il
progressed and house after house fell till the flames
reached Grand street. the buildings seeming to crum
bic in their track. In just sixty minutes property
| 10 the value Of x4.0O,000 had been destroyed
The width Of Grand stree. stopped the further prog
of The fire. and thanks to the gallant efforts Of
the fire brigade, the fire was extingushed. One OF
the principal causes of the rapid advance IF the
confederation was the scarcity Of water, for the
| MIGRANTS proved unequal to supplying the power
| fnl engines brought into play. Unfortunately
| human life sacrificed before the confagration
| was conquered. Five members of Company No. 80
who had already narrowly escaped destruction. were
ordered to enter space made vacant by the fire
when the only remaining wall OF No. 4s4 fell bury
AN IMPROVED WATER SUPPLY.
The benefit derived from the Improvement of the
down town facilities for water supply were forcihy
illustrated by last nights battle with the flames. On
difficulty of procuringwatcr due to the smallness
the mains. Alderman Norris some years since
introduced measure IN the Common Council for the
in the streets, which would remedy this evil These
were place. in Crosby. Mercer. Church and New
streets and in Broadway from Fourteenth street the
| vicinity Of Chambers Last night the thirty-eigh,
engines which rallied to the fire drew from the mains
in Crosby street and Broadway at the time and
old rcmen declared that they had before seen
such perfect streams those which thrown
into the blazing building Had 1t not been for the
fortunate plenty Of water il is highly probable that the
fire would have speedily grown to tho proportions
conAagraton despite the pest efforts Of the Fire De-
| partment. Luckily. too. the weather was so mild
that not a particle of ice formed the streets
nor was the flow Of the water lessened by its
| existence in the hydrants. At tho burning
| of Barnum's Museum. Prince street. in this
same ncighborhooo in 1867 n great many hydrsnts
| were frozen that water could not be drawn from
them, and the weather severe that the whole
| Of the ruins was covered with thick armor Of ice
| magnificent spectacle.
BRUTALITY BEATEN