Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-28
FIRE RECORD.

Destructive Blaze-The Ans0nia Clock
 Works DestrOyed-A Million Dollars
 Loss-Twelve Hundred Thrown Out or
 Employment.
 NEw YORK, Oct. 27.-At about o'clock this morning there was an explosion of gas, it is said, in the Ansonia Watch and Clock works situated on Seventh avenue, Brooklyn The factory, which was four-story brick structure, covered the block on Seventh avenue, between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets, and half the block between Seventh and Eighth avenues. The watchman at the time of the explosion was going through the building to see that everything was safe, and had reached the fourth floor. The explosion was not loud or sharp, but like that of escap- ing gas which might be ignited in room but immediately following this a fire broke out The watchman made his way out as quickly as possible, shouting "Fire! Fire! !" and sent out the alarm. There are only few dwellings in the neighborhood and at that hour in the morning the occupants of these dwellings were sleeping soundly. They were aroused, however, by the loud cries of the watchman, and by the time they made their way to the street the flames were bursting out of the windows of the works. The hundreds of windows on all sides of the structure were like so many f1ues for the fire and tongues of flame shot from them, stretch ing far above the building and lighting up the entire southern section of the city very brilliantly There are no engines in the i'm mediate neighborhood of the works, and con- sequently the fire had made considerable pro- hofo ba first alarm brought three engines, but before they got streams on the burning building another alarm was sent out Shortly after the alarm 8 third was sent out. and as the rehec- tion of the fire struck the cupola of the City Hall the bell-ringer sent out fourth alarm, which brought the engines from Williamsburg; but their services were not of much avail, for the heat became so intense in the neighbor- hood of the burning building that they could not get near enough to put any effective streams on it, so it burned until there was nothing left but part of the bIackened walls and huge pile of burning embers. The little wheels, delicate works and cases of thousands of partly finished watches, and the works of thousands of clocks were all melted
 
 Opposite the factory, on Twelfth street, were four two-story and basement brick dwellings,, which were occupied by some of the men employed by the company. The numbers of the dwellings are 419, 421, 423 and 425. The occupants of these dwellings, it appears, were unable to save any of their goods, for the buildings were quickly de- stroyed. c. Marcella and William Roberts, who occupied No. 419, lost $500 worth of furniture. No. 421 was occupied by P. Bramwood, who lost $60O. No. 423 was occupied by Mrs. Schapps as boarding house. She lost all her furniture. MT. P. J. Whalen, who occupied No. 425, lost $1, 500 worth of furniture. Philip Ayers, who occu- pied No. 427, lost $1 300 on his stock and fix lures of his liquor store. He also owned the building which he occupied, and his loss is estimated at $3, 800. The destruction of the works will fall with considerable hardship upon the twelve hundred persons who were employed in the place, and who are so sud r denly deprived of the means of support upon which they depended. There were about six hundred men at work in the factory, and the remainder were women, girls and boys. The company's loss, the principal own CTS being, it is said, Phelps, Dodge & Co.,, is nearly a million of dollars. The works have been in operation about fourteen months, and the building and machinery originally cost more than half million dollars. From time to time
 
 improvements made until, it is said, the works were the most complete in the country. Some of the machinery, new in- ventions, will be difficult to replace, MT. Davis, the superintendent of the works, says that it is not likely that the factory will be erected on the same site, but the company will put up another factory soon as they can settle up their business. He did not know the amount of insurance or in what companies they were insured, but he could say safely that nearly every New York and Brooklyn as well as some foreign companies had taken risks. He knew noth- ing in regard to the origin of the fire, but there were many stories as to its cause. The company manufacture their own gas. Last night, it is said, before the workmen left, the gas got low and began to flicker. It was inn possible for the men to continue their work, so they hastily left, leaving the gas jets turned on. Some went out. The gas still flowed in from the gas retort, it is said, and the gas escaped, which may account for the explosion which the watchman heard. The company, 1t is said, estimate their loss at million dollars, but they are not insured for more than half of this sum. A meeting was held this afternoon by the board of underwriters, at which a majority Of the insurance companies which are losers by the fire at the manufactory of the Anso- mia Clock company were represented The aggre gate amount insurance on the build ing, stock aud machinery was found to be $395 ,OO0, which divided up among ninety-five companies. The policies vary l from &, 300 to $1O,O0O, and it is said that $1O, ,ooo There are forty New York compa- nies involved and large number of New | Orleans Cincinnati and Boston companies.