The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-11
The Mani,attan.Market Fire.
NOW York Journ.l Of Commerce1

Il
The fire was first discovered shortly after
midnight Yesterday morning by Alfred NJ.
Ganun, the night. watchman. " II seemed
a long while before the engines came" said
the watchman. land | did what / could
meanwhile. When they did come the fire
was up through the roof, and the police
were there hammering on the doors"
Then followed the work OF destruction that
was ended in about three hours.
The wind was blowing from the north,
and the flames were blown across the mar
ket TO the block OF low buildings on the
south side Of Thirty-fourth street. These
were laid completely in ashes. They were
mostly frame sheds. and occupied by dealers
in feed and hay. On the corner OF Eleventh
avenue the Haymarke Hotel, small brick
building, was threatened, and the occupants
cleared out, but the fire passed over and
around il, leaving it almost untouched,
while destroying the larger structures be-
side and behind it. on this block the
argest individual losses were sustained
outside OF the loss Of the market building
itself.
The hay and grain OF the burning build
ings fed the flames and reused them into re-
newed fury. Burning brands were thrown
over and beyond the adj Joining lots on the
south into the yards OF the Hudson River
Railroad Company, where hundreds OF
loaded and empty freight cars were stand
ing on the tracks. Despite all efforts to pull
these out OF the way large number were
DESTROYED. The police reported that as many
as ninety had been consumed, but this es-
innate was vastly exaggerated. Hardly over
a score were in all probability burned with
their contents. Some were empty. In the
morning gangs OF men were busy clearing
the tracks, and hardly half dozen wrecked
cars were in sight. The iron rails In many
places were wrenched from the ties and
Dulped upward in manner that bore wit
ness to the fury OF the confiagration. The
loss of the railroad company will be heavy,
reaching probably, counting in the de-
stroyed buildings, the sum OF $4,000 or
more. This will make the loss outside OF
the market $150,000.
The loss on the market building itself is
nut at between S400, 900 and 100000, upon
which there is an insurance OF SlOO,OOO,
distributed among number OF companies
in smaller sums. 1t is probable that this Is
a low estimate, but that counting IN the
losses Of individual stall-keepefs the en-
tire loss In the market will be nearly $780,
600. bringing the grand total within hum
dred thousand Of an even Million The re.
port made by the police puts 1t at
a million and a half, but is cer-
tainIy greatly exaggerated. The insnr-
ance Of 100000 secured by the Market
Association Is nearly all that will be saved
from the general wreck. Few or no stand
owners bad their property insured. A
feeling prevailed that this would be waste
OF money, as stone and iron were the ma.
ierias exclusively used in lhe construction
OF the building aud It's roof. The light
woodwork that caught the fire and caused
the destruction was added subsequently as
the stands multiplied.
The great majority OF occupied stands
had been completely destroyed. and their
places could not even be found by those
who had owned them. Among those near
the eastern end Of the building the thieves