New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-13
HEAVY Loss By FIRE.
A LARcE DRY GOODS STORE nuRSEp On


A LARGE DRY GOODS STORE BURNED our.
SIMPSON. CRAWFORD srMPeoS's LARGE srooK
RUiNED--NARRoW ESCAPE or THE EMPf0YEs--
LOSSES. 100000; INSURANCE. $150000.
Four hundred employees and few customers
in tho large dfyRoods store Of simpson, Crawford d
Simpson, Sixth and Nineteenth-st, prepar-
Ing to Leave the building at o'clock last evening when
they wero startled by the CRY Of Are. young clerk
named Aaioney was engaged In lighting some gas Jets
which were usually kept burning at night In the front
windows Of the first oor when by accident be set e
fcstoou OF light drapery near him. In On irstnnt he
was surrounded by flames. He spranRfrom the window
shouting fire. and his cry taken up and repeated by
several women.
Mr.. Crawford ana other members Of the frm were In
the store ct the time and they took measures prevent
panic The women on the first floor were led out
through the front entrance before 1t made impassa
BILE by the flames. Several Of the statesmen who were
the last to out made their escape by breaking side
window which opened on Nneteenthst. On the second
door nearly 200 employees, mostly women and girls.
were for q time IN danger of their lives. They
made leave the building without waiting to their
hats and street clothing Some of them passed out by
staircase leading to Nineeenths and others climbed
down hre-escapes In the rear Of the building. family
on the top floor and worFmen IN the workshop OF
ID. A. Sknne on the third floor made their escape in
the same way. Every person escaped without in
jury.
The fre made Roadway with great rapidly on account
Of the highly oombustble materials which fed Two
alarms were sounded quickly. Captain Berghold.
OF the TweDty-nuth Precinct. was on the ground In
few minutes with platoon OF police TO keep order and
clear the block Of the crowds and Inspector Dks led
another platoon from the Sixteenth Precinct to assist In
the work. The bremen made short work with the
flames. exhnguishin9 them In half an hour They
Obliged. however, to drench the entire building with
water 30 as to ruin what the fire had passed over.
The store was one OF the largest In exthve devoted
TO the sale OF dryg0ods and fancy articles II had been
constructed nom row OF four story dwellings ut Nos
the first and second stories and substituting large plate
glass widows and doors supported by ornamental iron
work The hrm OF Simpson, Crawford d Simpson occu.
pied the basement and the first and second foors the
second floor being devoted the manufacture and sale
In part occupied by D. A Sknne gold and silver platter
On the top floor A. PernO manufacturer OF fancy mats
and rugs, lived with his family.
The loss by tile fire estimated at $500 0O0
William Crawford sold that the stock Of the firm was
worth at least 100000 and II nearly total loss
II was insured, he said, in several companies the
amount OF 81 900 $150,0O0. He could not tell In
what companies until he had made a examination of
his DOOks The lOsBes OF the other occupants of the
building by water alone and were estimated at
tor. was damaged TO the extent OF few thousand dol
lare. similar fire occurred IN the building about
q year ago-on March 10, 1879. The store then
owned by Richard Mears Co.. Mr.. Crawford being q
member or the firm. The lOss on that occasion was
nearly as great as at this time.
MILL BURNED AT HARRISBURG, PENN.
HARRISBURG. Penn, April 1.-THE Harris
burg Car Manufacturing Company's planning mill and
ten dwellings were destroyed he by re yesterday af.
Loss alb $4,000: about 81 600