The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-31
ANOTHER BROADWdY FIRE
In n Dangerous Place, hut Happily Discov-
erred nerore II hnd Spread.


Another dangerous fire, and ono that, for
the time being. threatened TO prove q repetition
OF the Worth and Grand street connagrations.
occurred at 4s3 and 4S5 Broadway lnet evening.
The building Ia largo llve-siory brick. with
iron front, fronting fty feet on Broadway. and
running 200 feet back to Mercer street The
first floor IL occupied by William u. Lyon a.
Co.. dealers in notions and fancy goods. They
have a stock of about t250.000. Tho second and
part Of the nth floor woro occupied by Hccht
Brothers. importers OF fancy goods. who had n
stock OF about 1900. 900. Marx Hold & Co.. i'm
portcrs Of feathers and flowers. occupied tho
third. fourth. and the remaining portion OF tho
NTH floor. Their stock is valued at $780, 000
The fro was first signaod by tho automatic
alarm Mt 1928. About the same time smoke was
seen issuing from tho finh floor windows in
Mercer street. Tho first onginc on the ground
was No. 90 A second and third alarm followed
and In less than fifteen minutes clevpn engines
and several hook and ladder companies were
on Tho scene. Chief King Of the Third Bat
TALON directed the operations Of the nrcmcn
who worked with admirable energy and disci.
plinc. Ladders were raised both on the BrOnd-
way and Mercer strcnt Sides nud lines of hose
were directed up tho stairways. a party of
1remrn got on tho roof md cut through
the ceiling Immediately over tho flames. thus
allowing streams Of water 20 bo concentrated
from three different directions. How the ilre
caught 10 Nlill n mystery. Tho mon belonging
70 Engine No. 20 say that when they reached
the NTH nOOr tho fro wns burning ilercely in
tue rear ,part Of the room which II Jointly o"cn-
pied by llecht Brothers md Marx Held 4 Co.
There was stove Ia the middle of the apart
mcnt. hut il was surround Il by sheet iron. and
out when he left itatG T. NJ There was also n
stove with fire burning in IL in tho front room.
but that like the other, ,wus amply, protected by
shoot iron scrorns Hccht Brothers took nn
inventory Of stock three weeks ago. and had n
re-suryey OF the store 10y tho tnsurnnco men.
hut owing TO the known safety OF the building.
ana tho character OF tho occupants. tho rates
were placed at a m9doritc figure.
Mr. Held and Mr.. liecht were both on tho
ground early. To sun reporter thoy said that
every possible precaution had boon taken by
thcm against such an occurr nee. " Our insur-
for the detriment to our trn lc. This Is our
busy ,senson. and we can i afford the stoppage
IIrcht Brothers had about $40 001 ~ stock on
III burned floor and Marx Hold CO. in tho
embrace nfty different companies. including
the Liverpool, London and Gluhc. the Imperial.
the Queen; and most OF ihn leading home COM
pnnics IT, losses Hro well DISTRIBUTED. There
will probably he a large amount OF salvage ns
most 81 the stock on tho burned floor is only
Firsnien Ehwnrd GaTn,y and Edward M,o.
han Of Engine % were injured 10y falling piHs-
tor. They wore on duty on the top nour. hold.
AT the cnIung. Both mon had their eyes fixed on
Inc spot where the water struck. suddenly tho
FtilllE lNlls ~tflklnf ll'lT Oliufneu iHGf%. lNey
were taken To tho BYE lnlrmary in Second ave-
nuc. and found to De- seriously injured Gaif-
ney will lose both his eyes. few weeks ago
his wife and one of his children died
The site OF tho building burned was formerly
occupied 10y tho old Wallack's Theatre, tho
elder Wuilack having left N In 1858 on the COM
pleton ot tn building ut Thirteenth street and
broadway Under the Wailack management
the theatre attained wid' celebrity. In 1t
many II the stage iRVoritrs Of u later day first
gained their hold on III" favor Of the puhlic.
Among them nre Mrs. Hney Dion Boucicault.
Agnes Robertson. Matilda Heron. anl many
others. Before the theatre WINS torn down
ten years ago TO make room for the
present structure, II was occupied by
The German Opera Troupe managed 10y Barney
Williams. and by other man ngements Kept pop
ular. II was during Williams's time that at "A
matinee pcrformanc" the announcement of the
acquittnl Of Andr,w johnson wns made from
u" stage Under n succeeding management au
attempt on tho part Of Suvril O'Hrinn 10 rye
an attachment for debt on the hou-' wns re-
sisted by some uf the actors. In the ight which
deuuty Sleri0-