The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-18
Another Destructive ConAagration
Last Night.
NEARLY TWO MILLIONS LOol
The Entire DRY Goods District at One
Time in Danger
A THRILLING SPECTACLE
Firemen and Engines Impeded by
the Deep Snow.

At about ten minutes to eight o'clock last night the
building situated at Nos GO and GA Worth street
discovered to be on fire. Smoke and flames
ticed issuing from the third floor, which
pied by Messrs. Neuss & Huen dry goods mer-
chants. Following fast alarm engines Nos. 81,
Z, ~ and II appeared on the In spite
of their best efforts. however. the fire
tinued to gain ground. and two other alarms
were sounded in rapid succession. The fire at
first confined to the building Nos. 62 and GA, which
runs through the block from Worth to Thomas
street but rapid it's progress that within
twenty minutes it had eaten its way downward and
upward. threatening to involve the neighboring
buildings in destruction. In answer to the three
alarms ten engines appeared on the ground and set
to work vigorously to control the flames.
but the fire gained rapidly and communicated
to the buildings east and west by the roofs although
they were separated from the burning buildings by
fire-proof walls rising to the height of some four
feet above the roofs Fortunately there was very
little wind but that little, blowing from the north,
carried the fire in the direction Of Thomas street,
endangerng the safety Of the entire block.
DANGER ADJACENT BLOCKS.
Although some sixteen streams were turned on the
burning buildings it was feared that the fire would
be carried across Thomas street and communicated
to the block lying to the southwark In order to
prevent this extension of the confagration the fire.
men worked vigorously and taking up their positions
of vantage poured streams of water from the upper
stories and roofs Of the buildings i'll Thomas street.
with the result of combining the fire to the block in
which it originated, although at times it seemed
if their efforts in this direction would prove unavail
ing. owing to the of sparks and ignted embers
which were carried southwark by the wind. Tortu-
nately their efforts seconded by the mass Of
snow lying on the roofs, which guaranteed the ad-
jacent buildings from the effects of the burning
embers.
SERIES OF CONGREGATIONS
The frequency of fires in the commercial centres
was freely commented on by the crowd attracted by
the confagration. On Tuesday night there
terrible fire, resulting in the loss Of millions of dol
lars worth and at least valuable life, and
Thursday night fire involving heavy loss occurred
in Bank street. So far can be learned these fires
the result of carelessness for which the owners
Of the property will inevitably be held responsible
The fire last night which involved loss of something
like S2O0OOO0 is attributed to overheated stove
1t seems to be the habit of downtown mercantile
houses to bank the fire in their stoves night
system fraught with danger to the community at
large and to which most of the fires occurring after
business hours must be attributed. In the present
it there janitor. and. therefore, NO
proper supervision of the stoves which were left
burning from the time the buildings closed about six
o'clock p NJ, until the hour when the alarm of fire
was given
RAPID PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
Not more than fifteen minutes elapsed from the
time the alarm was sounded until the first four en-
gines appeared the scene. yet such was the COM
bustble nature Of the goods in the building that
within half hour the fire had obtained complete
mastery over the building and all hopes Of saving it
abandoned. The fremen then turned their at
-
intensity Of the flames that their efforts
to stop the spread of the coniagration
proved unsuccessful. Before nine O'Clock the
building Nos 90 and CA Worth street had become a
mass Of flame. and resemblcd nothing so much as a
huge furnace. from which mass of fame shot up
tapping cornices and environing walls with fierce
energy that BODIED i'll for its neghbors In vain the
devoted remen stood in the fierce glare. like ebon
statues. wrapped in their black wsterproofs and
helmets, and poured constant stream of silver water
on the flames, which danced with fierce JOY as if
making light of human efforts TO arrest their progress
On their destructive way they went with hiss and a
roar. belchng forth from time to time dark clouds Of
smoke. il in boast of their power of destruc
ton.
FEARFUL DESTRUCTION
At haf-pa nine Nos. 90 and GA Worth street were
completely gutted floor after floor had fallen in and
the huge iron front. with it's massive pillars, stood
out clear and skcetonlike in the internal light The
zine cornice hung ragged from the upper story, and
and anon detached itself in strips, falling to the
ground like half burned paper In the mean
time the terrible heat bent the massive
iron front. which bellied forth and seemed as if
ready to fall at the slightest breath of wind. At this
time the fire had spread from No. "a to No. S. in the
upper stories and fears began to be entertained for
the safety of the block. Fortunately, however each
A. r~--
and solid fire wall that stoutly opposed the lateral
spread of the fire, which else lad GER
tainly won its way to Broadway on the
east and Church street on the west. From
the first apprehcnsions had been entertained
for the safety of Clahin Il Co.'s immense store,
which occupies the western side of Church street
the burning block. and the best energies OF the
Fire Department bent TO stave off catastrophe
that would have involved the loss of additional mill.
ions worth of property
NOTHING STAND on.
Toward ten o'clock the onlookers were startled by
an explosion which occurred the fourth floor of
No Ga Worth street. and after the upper portion
Of the FIRE wall down with crash which caused
temporary stampede. it feared that the whole
front was about to tumble down. These fears.
luckily. proved unfoundcd, and the work of com.
batting the flames was resumed with renewed vigor
The constant falling of portions of the
iron work, however. warned those about
the building that the danger Of catas-
trophc similar 10 that which had caused
poor Reiys death in the early part of the week was
ever present. and sharp lookout was kept on the
warped and ruinous of iron work which seemed
ready to fall at any moment.
A VALUABLE HINT.
One Of the defects Of iron buildings against
which the Department Of Buildings should
at tako prompt and decisive measures
was evident TO obscrvant onlookcrs. II was
the total absence Of any stay which might tend to
hold in place the skeletonlookng iron fronts which
simply held in place by their lateral conncc
lions. The necessity of some stay brace which
would prevent the mass of iron falling into the
street obvious and would have allowed the Arr
men to work with confidence that. under the pres.
cnt circumstances. they could not entertain.