, 1881-12-25
Loss Of Property Estimated at
Fully Three Millions Of
Dollars. -:
Immigrant Traffic Westward Discussed
by Various Agents Of Steam :;
RI: Z ship Lines. -. ~, SKI
General Belief that the Pennsylvania
" Road Is Trying. to Get the
q: q. Lions Share. n .. +. =
FIRES,
l. !, AN EXTENSIVE. WAREHOUSE, !:

1
I able magnitude occurred here tonight ut the
| corner Of South and De Peyster. The build:
ing, a grant one, was occupied by. Covert,
| Acker Il Co. as free and bonded ware.
house. and fronted fifty feet OH South street
It was filled with tea, silks, tobaccos, wines,
whisky, rattan, and other goods, principally
such MS come from East Indian markets, and
| in this mass Of combustibie matter the fire
smoldered and gained headway, until the ar
| rival of hook-and- ladder truck, for all hour.
After entrance was effected no flames. were
| visible, and the vast volumes of smoke
seriously fnterfered with the working Of the
tiremen. In a short time eleven steam fire
engines were on the ground playing on the
fire, assisted by five lines. Of hose from two
tire-boats located in the East River near Pier
Is, and seven hook-and-tadder trucks and
water-towers: Despite the =: H.. ~ :
VAST QUANTITIES OF WATER THROWN. INTO
- =" :. THE BUILDING, ~. -
the flames rapidly gained such Roadway that
within an hour the entire contents in tho
warehouse were destroyed, and the fire COM
municated to the main store Of Covert,
Acker s.: Co., in : Quo portion OF which
there was stored on one floor: upwards
of S500,0Qo worth Of leaf: tobacco. One Of the
arms Of this building extends 125 feet to
Maiden Lane. In addition to the tobacco,
there is also large quantity of cigars in this
part Of the building, and III the upper stories
considerable general merchandise. e r
~. ~ AT MIDNIGHT ::. .. 1, -
the firemen seemed to have gained control OF
the fire in the grant building, but there ware
strong apprehensions Of its breaking out ii
the more remote portions, Of the warehouse,
and this fear was realized shortly afterward
by the flames bursting out Of: the upper
stories on De Puyster street; This was fol-
lowed by severe explosions, caused by the
bursting of casks Of liquor, which blew away
almost entirely the first and second stories.
All hope Of saving the; building was then
given up, and the attention of the depart
ment was directed more; particularly to the
adjoining property. Tie burning liquor in
ttnsifed the great heat, and spread the flames
with great rapidity:: At this hour Il 80 4.
nl.) the conf1agration is raging. It is be-
ieyed that. the loss on property already de-
stroyed in the grant building will amount
to upwards of s. 0oo, ,ooo.S :: ~. 49,
49,, AT A QUARTER 70 2 O'CLOCK :. :>.'+!'
the fire was spreading rapidly, and it
seemed impossible to save the lower build
ings at South street and Maiden Lane, which
were surrounded on two sides by the burn
ing warehouses. The addition extending to
Maiden Lane was soon entirely at the
saving it was abandoned. There were
grave fears expressed about the supply Of
water falling, as there were two other fires in
the city; Coal, too, was short, and tlremen
were set to work picking up Jumps that lay
about In the street. George r, Patterson.
Secretary of the Clinton Fire Insurance