The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-25
BROOkLrN,s coNFEAeRATIOM
About $1,000 Lost In n I!Inseed OIL Min
mud one OF Wntson's stores.

The destruction by fire OF Fowler, Cramp-
ton 4 Company's Nassau linsccd oil mill in
Furman street. Brooklyn. on Friday night. was
followed 10y q flre yet more disastrous In ono OF
Watson's large stores. in the same street. about
125 yards nearer the Wall Street Ferry Tho
stores are divided into sections. designated by
the FIRST 1--WE letters Of the alphabet and in Sec
ton " I" fire was discovered soon after mid.
night. The building is 1--WE stories in height
with frontage Of Hfty feet. and extending 100
back to the river. Every inch Of space within
was stored with sugar in bags, lutte. hemp. and
wool. which Messrs. Bartlett 4 Greene tho les
sees Of the store, estimated to c worth s7jO.0OO.
The stores have brick walls OF great thickness
and massive iron shutters. Tho lcsscos had
been especially cautious in guarding against
IRE. and two mon were employed 10 patrol in
the front and rear Of tho building every night.
How tho fire effected nm entrance into this build
ed theory Is that some q the sparks from the
fro engines that were throwing water on the
nre in the oil mills caught in tho small ends Of
cotton and Jute that the suurrows (which swarm
about Columbia Heights had picked through
tiny crevices in the shutters There is no doubt
time before Il was discovered. for on opening
holes IN tho roof for tho hose pipes. smoke
poured out in dense clouds.
As soon rs the Fire Department was re6n-
forced by III rec engines from the Eastern Dis
trict. Chief Neyins ordered al the front shut
ters that could be reached TO be- opened. This
WIS no sooner done than the pent-up flames
burst out 'uriOusy, driving the hremen from
oil mills which made a. magnificent display
and attracted thousands OF spectators. who re-
NAMED near the sight until after midnight.
there was nothn brilliant about the FIRE In the
storehouse. The mass Of closely packed mer-
chandise burned slowly but surely. advancing
inch 10y inch. and tho ilromeD had 10 carry on
their stubborn fight under discouraging cir
cumstances. rs they made hardly any impress
sion on the flames that were eating into tho
solid bngs OF sugar and iute. Ten engines
deluged the building with water but yet the
smothered fire burnt on, sending ont dense
volumes Of smoke that had n sitting odor. and
penetrated into all the rooms OF the residences
on Columbia Heights, causing their occupants
to keep their doors and windows tight shut.
All OF yesterday the iremen remained at their
posts. and IL is thought that the fire will con-
time to burn for twenty four hours longer.
Messrs. Bartlett 4 Greene think that not more
than one third Of the $4,000 worth OF mer-
chandsc in the store will be saved II is owned
by between flfteen 10 twenty persons. and Is
partially insured. but the names OF the owners
could not be ascertaned
The linseed oil mills Of Fowler. CHAMPION 4
Co. we're totally destroyed. with the stock and
machinery. Most Of the big oil tanks were
melted. Fowler, CHAMPION Co.'S loss Is over
5000 900. and the assurances are rs follows: On
buildings in Furman street. GIG 800; on the
Columbia Heights buildings. tl3250: on
63 Furman street. 81 900; on the engine in
same building. $1,000: on the stock. $50 900 on
the machinery, sl9.l75. The entire insurance
is fl02.925 The total loss by both fires will LIS
close on three-quaTters OF q million. This IL
the most destructive cOnflngration that Brook
Ign has suffered in years.