New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-03
FIRE ON IHE WEST SIDE.
FURNITURE FACTORY BURNED.

A FURNITURE FACTORY BURNED.
SUPPOSED WORK OF AN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
WITH STRIKING woRKMEN - Loss ABOUT
100000.
fire which Is believed to have been started by
an lncendiary was discovered about 9o'clock last
night in the ve-story furniture factory OF George
c. Flint 81 Co., at Nos. 154 and 156 West Nine
teenth-st. The building was closed mp about
o'clock by the porter. No watchman was employed.
The flames started in the basement at the front
side Of the building in a heap of shaviDgs
and loose boards. The engine-room was In the rear
of the structure. The workmen in the employ of
the firm had been engaged in strike for fort
night, and it was believed that some one of the
strikers had thrown a lighted match through the
front grating to the heap of shavings in the base
ment.
The flames spread through the building with great
rapidity shooting mp to the top story through an
elevator shaft Three alarms of fire were sent out
promptly but by the time that the firemen got TO
work the entire structure filed with the flames
and all hope of saving IL had to be abandoned. Inc
work of saving the adjoining buildings was at
tempted, and after a hard fight OF nearly two hours
the firemen obtained control Of the flames. The
walls of the factory still remained standing but the
interior had been burned ont The machinery In the
building had been ruined and the stock destroyed
The tenement building adjoining the factory had
not been injured by fire but tho occupants had been
driven ont by the police and their furniture mad
been damaged somewhat by water.
II. c. Glindsmann, superintendent Of the factory,
was at the scene of the re and gave the following
account of the trouble with the workneni
workman named Shaefer spoiled q piece OF work
through carelessness two weeks ago and was dls-
charged by our foreman Pennicke The other work
men demanded that the man should be taken back
and the foreman discharged. The only reason
that could be discovered for this demand
was that the discharged workman belonged to the
Cabinetmakers' Guild The company very properly
refused to comply with the demand, and the sixty
cabinetmakers employed IN the building at the
time refused to work until their claim had been
recognized We had to call in the police to protect
the property from the strikers, who continued to
hang about the building and utter threats. Yester-
day we succeeded in getting about twenty cabinet
makers to work. They we're new men and did not
belong to the Guild. The presence OF these men
made the strikers very Indignant and threats OF re-
venge were made pretty freely during the day"
Last night several men had been noticed by the
neighLors about the building after the porter had
gone away. The building had a frontage OF fifty
feet and extended back nearly 100 feet. George T..
Flint 81 Co. occupied all except the top iioor which
was used by the National ACCORDION Company. The
losses were estimated as follows George Z. Flint
& Co.. stock $4,000, machinery $4,000. build.
ing $4,000; the National ACCORDION Company
$4,000; total. 100000. The losses were partly
covered by insurance.