The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-27
BALES OF BLAZING COTTON.
JOHN S. RICH4RDS'S STATE STREET
WAREHOUSE IN FLAMES.
Dcpartment-The brilliant Spectacle In
Hattery rnrk-'rhe Losses Esttmnted ut
eI5O,OOO-Mostly Covered by Insurance.

A Fire that Taxed the Resources OF the Fire
Dcpnrtment-The brilliant Spectacle In
Hnttery rnrk-'fhe Losses Esttmnted at
s15O,OOO-Mostiy Covered by Insurance.
One Of the ncrcest and most dangerous
fires which in a long time past have threatened
the downtown districts OF New York broke out
last evening in the large cotton warehouse OF
John s. Richards. 10 State street. The building
is OF brick. ive stories high. with iron shutters
and runs through the whole distance from
Bridge street TO Pearl. fronting on Battery
Park. with n width OF nearly two hundred feet,
and depth of more than half as much. In the
structure last evening were stored 4500 bales OF
cotton. 800 .bales OF hops. and 800 OF cork
The cotton was valued at $50 per bale. making
total OF $780, 900 worth OF that staple alone
There was also a quantity Of spirits. making
the total value OF tho contents over 100000
The cotton WAS principally stored in the three
upper stories.
At $3.50 o'clock Patrolman Woodbridge saw
smoke issuing from the corner window Of the
third story on Bridge street. He at once ran to
the FIRE alarm box in front Of the Washington
Hotel and gave the alarm. BY the time the first
engine arrived thick smoke was pouring
through the barred windows on Bridge street.
and flames could be seen issuing from the roof
and cornice Three more engines quickly took
up their position on Bridge and State streets.
Two hook and ladder companies followed.
Line after line Of hose was dragged up the
sides OF the block and carried over the parapet
walls until the roof Of No. Is was reached.
Here the men fell to work with axes. crowbars.
and other tools. A half dozen holes were cut
in the roof OF the burning building. and the
streams from four different engines in Bowling
Green and State street directed downward into
the flames. Such a torrent Of water would have
ordinary confederation but
~ thoroughly had the flames penetrated the
great piles OF cotton below. and so hcrcely did
Il lAze, that the streams seemed TO have but
little eject. Second and third alarms were sent
out and all the engines that could be made
available were soon at work.
Meanwhile the scene at Battery Park had in
the lower end Of Broadway to tho South Ferry
was darkened by the thick black smoke OF tho
iuronged the west side OF the park fronting the
blazing building. Rnd thousands more gathered
IN the narrow streets leading to Il from
filed tn" spaces between the iron arches OF
the elevated railroad. and wandered through
police and fremen. All the reserves from the
New and Churcn street stations were on. duty.
aud even then the number was found TO be in
sufficient. Inside the lines fronting on State
street the Fire Patrol worked with might and
be reached. Ssventy-ilve bales. which were in
process Of storage We're rolled out, loaded on
trucks; and DRAGGED away from the reach Of
upon the last load. and the cotton blazing up.
the drivers had To cut the traces OF the horses to
Most OF the windows we're still barred but sew
eral had been forced open. and through these
Se g s b bSSa TS.er was % ns
window on the fourth story gave way and a
Erea! mass of white flame was disclosed. A
steady stream oil water was poured in upon this
for quarter OF AN hour without appearing to
diminish its volume. Higher up on the fifth
floor the bnzing cotton could be seen burning
in great bales piled high on each other. Sheets
OF flame shot up from the roof. over which the
torrents of water from the Battery Park on the
west and the adjoining roof on the east crossed
each other. and fell in great masses OF spray
SO fierce wus tho heat that the men at the
hose in the first line had to smear their faces
with oil. Even then the hair eyebrows. and
whiskers ~ many were badly singed and their
a pretty mottled coach dog belonging to one
OF the engine companies found its way through
the five dark floors below and frisked over the
tarred gravel as ioyiully as though 1t were in
The wind which for the first two hours had
been blowing from the northwest, endangering
the rest Of the block and choking the workers
on the roof, now hauled TO the, northward and
northeast. The effact was to drive the fire in
the southern corner; where the concentrated
streams from all sides could be poured on IL.
By 9 O'Clock the FIRE was well under control.
Three OF tho twenty engines had ceased
working. strong force remained on the roof
all night aud the walls on the west and south
sides gere kept drenched In water. 1t is
the neighborhood Of sl5O.0OO, two-thirds OF
which, II not more. is covered by insurance.
Considerable cotton on the floor was not burned,
and Is only damaged by water. The names OF
the owners, as far as ascertaned Ia as follows
William Black & Co.. 1000 bales: Grathmey
4 Co.. 500 Hopkins. Dwight q Co.. 200;
furnri Brothers. 100: u. G. Watts. l40;
Fatman 4 Co.. 900; Ware. Murphy 4 Co.. !. 800.
Itis not known whether the last consignmentwa was
stored in the burning building or in another
warehouse OF Mr.. Richardss on Morton street.
The names of insurance companies involved
could not he ascertained. The loss on the
building. which belongs to John Steward. Jr..
Is estimated ut $50 600
Number IS State street was burned in 1865.
when an iron window fell upon one OF the fire.
men and killed him instantly Others were in
lured by falling walls and toppling brick work.
How the fire originated this time has not been
ascertained.