The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-17
ILIMES IN FULTON MARKET
The Southwest Corner burned Oa-A Demand
for n New Building.

At o'clock yesterday morning, just as
butchers had put tho finishing touches on their
stalls preparatory to receiving the carly mar
kctcrs. tho roof OF the Front street side was dis
covered to be in blaze The alarm Of fire cre-
atcd panic throughout the building, and the
tenants rushed exctedy into the street with
such Of their wares MS they could carry. Three
alarms that went out in quick succession sum-
moned many engines. but it was some time be-
fore tho flames that fed ncrcely on the tinder-
like roof could be quenchcd One hundred and
lity feet Of the roof on Fulton street and an
equal portion on Front street was destroyed.
Tho city's loss on the building is about $4,000.
dozen tenants lose sums varying from 800 to
81 900 each.
Ono OF tho leading stall proprletors in the
market convcrslng about the fire.. said. earn
esty:
What we need here Ia n new market build
ing. or at least such modification of the present
shed that 1t will bo made decent and conven-
lent place to do business in. As 1t now II. all
the large business of the butchers. retail fish
dealers. vegetable and poultry men. Is done
practically On the second floor Eycrythlng has
to be carried in AMI out on mems backs or in
baskets. That is in itself great Inconvenience
and expense But. worse still we ere under
mined 10y a network OF ch"ap enting saloons.
gin shops. peanut vendors stalls. ~. All those
places, or very nenriy all. have large ranges or
stoves. or open ilrt +, the pes and ilues from
which are laid along the beams undcr us. maxi
Ing tho noOrs hot nnd uunt Tor the Keeping
OF our goods upon them. poisoning our
Atmos phcre with coal gas and threatening US
every moment with a general confngration.
We have had four fires hero during the past
twelve months. One very threatening iire
started under Blnckiord's hig fsh STALL about
nine months ago from the Hue OF range be,
meath It, which WINS laid AGAINST hoani. and
had charred the benm until 1t was like finder.
Another time the Il mes came up. from the
same cause. under fnzpatricb's oyster stall
ana on "A third occasion ltulc further beyond.
very near whore the fire started to-day We do
not know. when We leave here at night. that we
| Will ilnd anything but ashes in plncc of All our
possessions in the market on the succeeding
morning. and. in fact, the chances are very hig
| that that is the way everything here will 20
| some night. Y>t the business done here is really
| OF sufficient magnitude To cntlto II To some
| consideration from the authorities, AMI TO some
provisions Tor its security. On these sixteen
city lois covered by Fulton Market. worth cer-
| tainly not more than 100000. the annual busi-
| ness done at retail to the general convenience
| 81 citiN,ns. amounts to- neary,rit not quite.
| four anda half million dollars, The meat BUS, &,
| which is done by Mr.W .Oumnn. whose stall was
| fred by the tluc below him this morning. Then
the retail fish trade whi IN is mainly nthe hands
| Of MIR. T. G.. BlHcktord. reaches fully $500 900 4;
the poultry. 81 900 900 the vegetables, tGuO.OOO
| aud the fruits. 100000. The revenue derived
| by tho city from this market has been as
| high IA $50 900 per annum and even since
the successive reductions Of stall fees by Comp
| trollers Green and Kelly still amounts 10 about
1
| the city upon fair terms. We would be willing
| To put up. at our own cost. a new market which
would be- credit TO the city. in place Of this
| one. which IL simply n disgrace"
MIR. W. Ottmann said: endorse fully all
| the gentleman has said OF our Inconvenience
and dangers here This building Is a disgrace
to the city. and we, who have large interests
| here, would be glad TO put up new one II we
could be- insured possession upon Just terms.
III the city VIII give us ground lease for TWEEN.
ty-hve years. with privilege OF r"newal we will
put up market that New York may be proud
OF. or course mean that We shall continue TO
pay rents. We do not ask that anything be- given
us except security. | occupy eleven stalls, two
| OF which | hold under the original purchase
the city in 1922. when tho market was estab-
| lished. My stalls and their improvements have
| cost me about 5000 and pay 81 400 per an
mum stall fees. In epenk ing AS do know that
| speak for all my fellow Htallhulders. We can
not put too strongly the expression OF our sense
| Of danger and discomfort as We now are. or our
| anxiety To have some reform Effected
| Mr.. Eugene u. Blackford corroborated Mr..
| Ottman and the preceding speaker. He said
| Il would very cheeriully cooperate. TO my full
| proportion. in the WORK OF substituting IA line
| new market building for this one II IN true
| that the heat from below makes this market en-
| trrly unit for the keeping Of flsh. meat and
| vegetables. and that 1t il n constant source OF
| danger. | occupy nine stalls. which. with my
| improvements. have cost me- sl7 600 Let them
| give US "A fair clunceand We Will give New York
| such a fish and meat market rs there Is not
| elsewhere in the world. We are willing TO sub
| mt TO anything the Comptroller and Commits
| sioncrs OF the Sinking Fund may deem proper
| 10 get a decent and res spectacle market, and We
| feel that not only we but tho citi2ens OF New
| York generally are Interested in that attain