The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-28
A BROOKLYN BLAZE.
THE LOSS A MILLION DOLLARS.
rhe Ansonia Clock Company
Factory Entirely Destroyed-The
Fire Probably Caused by the
Explosion of fGas-Heavy In.
surance ON the Property
Not to be Rebuilt.

New York, Oct. 27.-The Ansonia clock
compSny's factory, at the corner of Seventh
avenue and Twelfth street, Brooklyn, to-
gether with large quantity of valuable ma.
chinery and stock, was totally DESTROYED by
hre at o'clock this morning. The fire is
believed to be of incendiary origin, as ii
started in the reading room in the corner of
the building where there was nothing Ct an in
hsmable nature. About one thousand hands
were thrown out of employment by the fire.
The loss will probably be one million dol.
lars. Tho Insurance is said to be- only a
couple OF buud'ed thousand dollars, per.
haps les'. TN" 'ac'ory WAS built there two
years "gn TO 'hanco the value of great
tract OF land owned by the proprietors. The
main building covered fifty city lots.
A number of private houses, occupied
chiefly by employees of the factory, were
badly damaged. Fiftt m engines worked on
the flames, but the fire was not
stayed until everything upon winch
1t could feed was DESTROYED. The
fire was immediately preceded by an
explosion, which is thought to have been
produced by gas. About o'clock this morn
ing the watchman, who was then ON his
rounds through the building, gave the alarm
imneulateiy. Before sufficient number of
engines to etfecthally battle with the flames
could reach the spot, the whole building,
which wasa hve-story structure, was enyel.
oped in fire, throwing out such intense
heat that the 6remen could not got near
enough to the burning pile to do good
service: The works had been in oper-
alton about fourteen months, and the build,
ng and machinery originally cost over half
million dollars. From time to time addi.
tionOl machinery has been added and inn
provements made until il is said the works
were the n ost complete in the country. The
superintendent says IL is not likely the facto.
ry will be rebuilt on the same site, but that
the company will build another factory es
soon as they can settle up their business. He
did not know the amount of insurance on
the property or in what companies they were
insured, but he could safely saw
that nearly every New York and
Brooklyn as well as some foreign companies
rad taken risks, The company manufactur.
ed their gas and had their own gas retort
Last night, it is said, before the workmon
left the gas got low and began TO flicker.
1t was impossible for the men to continue
work, SO they hastily left, leaving the gas
jets turned on. Some went out and the gas
still famed in from the gas rotor it is said,
and considerable gas escaped, which may
account for the small explosion which was
heard. Phelps, Dodge & Co., of this city are
extensively interested in the Ansonia COM
psny,
New York, Oct. 27..-A meeting of the
board of fire underwriters was hell this after
noon at No. lib Broadway, where majdxity
OF the insurance companies who were loosers
by the fire at tho manufactory of the Ansot.la a
clock company, were represented The ags
gregate amount ofinsuaance on the building,
stock and machinery was found to be 1896,
600, which was divided among ninety-Hve
companies. There are forty New York
companies involved and number of New
Orleans, Cincinnati and Boston companies.