The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-20
PRICE TWO CENTS.
FIRE IN THE METROPOLITAN.
MIRRORS THAT COST TWEED THOU-
SANDS CRACKED WITH HEAT.


FLAMES Hursting Through the Ceiling or what
was once william AIbIo's Concert Hail
and In Later Days n Famous Dining Room.
Adjoining Niblo's Theatre on the south is
| high two-story and basement structure often
mistaken by strangers passing along Crosby
street for a part OF the theatre itself. 1t Is
bounded on tho south by the extremity OF that
part OF tho Metropolitan Hotel that extends
along Prince street. from Broadway to Crosby
street. and It extends from Crosby street 110
| feet to tho open court OF the hotel. The base
ment Of this structure is part Of the hotel
kitchen. The fret story Is the hotel billiard
room, and the upper story. 33 feet In height
from floor to ceiling was claimed to be tho
handsomost dining room In the world. Previ-
Gus to 1859 Il was known as "Niblos Saloon"
1t was used for concerts. suppors. and lectures.
It was a part OF tho hotel and theatre property.
and in that year Mr.. A. T. Stewart converted II
into n dining room. This was its use when
Mr.. William NJ. Tweed leased the hotel. He put
into II nine mirrors OF French plate glass. Tho
| two at each end were 20 feet high by II
| feet wide. and those on the sides were as wide.
but not quito 80 high. The tops OF the side
mirrors were semi-circular This one item OF
expense In fitting up the room was t33 900. In
addition no introduced three colored glass
| domo-shaped skyights from each OF which
hung chandelier OF pendant prlsms. Besides
these there we're two other large chandeliers
and six side lights also ornamented with glass
pendants. The ceiling was frescoed at great
| cost. Since that time the frescoinR has been
removed Yesterday morning there stood in
rows. The room is co feet wide II was lighted
at each end by tall windows overlooking the
Every table was set with handsome silver SER
vice Intended for the use OF four persons, Four
| wide strips, OF rich carpetinR, each 110 feet
| long, extended the entire length OF the room
between the five rows OF tables.
| "A day or two ago Superintendent Adams or
the hotel employed a colored man to clean out
| the kitchen chimneys. but he had not yet begun
| party wall on the south OF the dining room. A
great deal OF grease falls into the fire In the pro-
cess OF cooking, and part Of II is carried up the
| chimney unconsumed in the form OF fatty va
por. This snturatcs the SCOT in the chimney
and makes II very infiammable At about o
| ans noticed a sooty smell while inspecting the
kitchen. He made an examination. but as the
| by the dropping OF SCOT down the chimney. At
7oclock be was told that u similar smell was
room on the south. lIe then gave orders that
| the chambermaids should carefully but quietly
house. again the sooty odor ceased. and as
| the chambermnids reported no signs OF fire.
Sr a% 2o was @ 6 "sa d OSS
| eaten by O'Clock, and by ga O'Clock only about
ad9zen remained In the room. Suddenly ono
| OF the colored panea OF glass in the central sky
| light cracked. and n large piece fell down
| among tho pendants OF the chandelier. Head
! OF flame streaming down through tho hole In
the broken pane and 2 CLEAN q Are through
| seemed rs II the breaking OF tho glass had let
in the air. and then fire had blazed up. Almoet
and break the pieces falling ii down H on the chan
dener and making great noise, Then the ths
volumes OF black smoke began 70 pour down
through the fractured skylight. The guests ran
hastily out Of the room. but refrained from Civ;
| lOnH
Superintendent Adams attributes, in great
degree. tho escape OF the hotel from the caiami-
" OF panic among its guests. They seemed
to realize that there was no great danger. except
tfje.sh otT Ncy1rtn6@ts. iHe lTSws sBbreHa Rap.
idly from room TO room. and all the guests pre-
pared for hosty removnlif necessary Some
removed from the hot, at once
80 rapidly that. although an attempt was made
TO gather up tho slverware from the tables by
eighteen or twenty waiters then at hand, the at
tempt hnd 10 DO given up Instead, force OF
about thirty walters. who had boen collected in
the mean time. were instructed TO make dashes
into the room and bring out the tables. n this
way f.ty-eight tables were removed with very
little damage. They had hardly bcen removed
crash on the floor. destroying several n the
chandeliers. Engine Company No. 20 OF aarion
street the first TO respondto the alarm. ran up
the wide staircascs with their hose, but found
they could do little from tho inside. Engine
from Mercer street, which were next TO arrive.
attacked tho fre, the ono from Crosby street
through IN the hal WINDOWS ,6 81 the dinPE room
broken with axes second aud third alarm
followed tho first. and the streets were soon
stages were obliged to turn up into Mercer
street and the Blocker street line OF cars were
stopped by the distractions In Crosby street A
large force OF police gathered In and about tho
hotel TO prevent possible panic by their pres
ence. The billiard tables in the room below
were covered with rubber cloths TO preserve
them from the water and from the falling OF
The nro was very difficult TO get at but by 10
O'Clock II was under control. Between the CELL
ing and , the ROOF there was an open space spa about
been emouldering In the woodwork here for
many hours, probably since the evening before
the hotel dinner. The theory OF tho hremen is
that tho hoat had gradually crumbled tho NOR:
= had thus found egress through an inter-
stlce at first to char and iinGlIy to ig-
the calling and the roof; and that the fire
burned very slowly for want of fresh air. until
glass S in "d the sdS Of the eysR Which
, dome. This gave the hall, Sonsqmcd, and
flame. The ROOT and ceiling were destroyed,
b 9' sax @ Sa sw %Ss S PS @a
FREQ play at the east and west ends Of the build
= street while on tho north and south it was
, separated from the theatre and from the hotel
is said TO have injured the upholstery Of some
Of tho adjoining rooms in the hotel -Four out
| OF inc nine mirrors were utsloyeu, ellnei Dy
; tho cracking OF the gnss by heat or by tho
! melting OF tho amAlgam ON the back OF the
: glass. Mr. Henry Hilton fears that the loss to
! the A. T, Stewart estate will not bo less than
$50 0O0 but he says that within thirty days the
dining room will be looking finer than ever.
In the mean time dinner will be served in what
| Is known as the tea room. or ladies' ordinary.
| The Stewart estate does not insure its property.
Socialists In Mass Meeting,
: A mass meeting OF Socialists was held lAsi
' | night un pRXa front he Brooklyu
City Hail. TO denounce the Government for making
and enforcing lAw limiting adny's work to eight hours
= There was a transparency held aloit, side o
which uore was the legend, Down with White saV
..-L- -lL.-E ~. IL