New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-03
A FIRE IN CENTRAL PARK.

and several servants took lamps and searched
through all of the rooms but found trace of any
thing burning. Satisfied that all was well.
Mr.. RadfOrd started home. and the employees went
to bed. A few moments after 5 o'clock yesterday
morning. Thomas Gaul, of the Central Park Police
force. discovered smoke issuing from the north wing
of the building, and while he was running to arouse
the inmates, sheet of flames burst from the win
dow0 of an apartment known as the smoking-room.
By this time one of the employees had been awaken
ed by the smoke. aud arousing the other inmates
-four or five in ALL The policeman ran to an alarm
box in Fifth-ave. and sounded q call. The
flames made SO rapid Roadway upon
the first floor Of the building that the
men in the second story were forced to escape by
jumping from the windows to the ground below
In about SIX minutes from the time the alarm was
sounded the first of the freengnes was upon the
ground. So rapidly had the fire made its way,
owing to the combustibe nature of the building,
that by this time the entire north end in flames.
The hremen were confronted with q serious diff
Guilty The nearest fre-pug was outside of
the Park, in Fifth-ave., at distance OF
TWENTY-FIVE lengths of hose from the burn
ing building A search was made for
the hydrants on the premises, but without success,
and then the fremen began choppng around in the
ice and snow by the roadside to find the surface
hydrants. When these were discovered, it was
found that the water was frozen.
Meanwhile additional alarms were sent ont; and
several more engines arrived, maKing ten in all, and
four hook aud ladder companies. Fires were built
over the mouths Of the hydrants, and IN about
twenty five minutes from the time the first engine
arrived the hoses attached aud streams Of wa
ter were thrown upon the building now
almost hone mSfs cf O Of hafs saTSc the hUe
building, which was very old frame structure, and
attention was directed to the BRICK building at
tached known as the Art Gallery, and containing
number of works of art belonging TO the Park Dc
partment. Already the flames had communicated 10
the roof oi this part, and the stars leading to
the second story, which contained most
of the art treasures. bad been burned away:
BY means Of an extension ladder the ircmen reached
tile windows, and We're able in part To Keep the
flames at bay. D hers CROPPED around in the blind
ing smoke in search OF such pieces of statuary as
could be carried TO place Of safety outside
SAVING "AULD LANG sYNE."
Some ono shouted Save Auld Lang Syne." and
ak or eight stawart men surrounded the statue but
it was so heavy that they only able to remove
It to a less peIious position. Fortytwo marble and
plaster busts and statues, OF them Of consider
able vaue, were carried out without much injury.
An effort was also made by Mr.. Ryan, one of the
hotel pt0prietOrs, who lives III One-hnndred-and-
twenty-seventh-st and who arrived on the scene
few minutes after the fire broke out, ana others. 10
save some Of the hotel property. But theY only snc-
ceeded IN taking out piano and IN pntting the sale
out of reach of the namcs. -.
Notwithstanding the early hour crowd was at-
tracted to the spot. The spectators standing IN
groups around the burning structure, ana the sur
face of tho snow illuminated by the glare Oi the
blazing timbers, with q background of trees and
shruhs combined TO make a fantastic picture. some
persons living in the neighbOrhOod viewed the scene
from their windUWB, and IL - uescrlOcu pJ thcH do
a brilliant spectacle.
The frame building continued to burn until it was
leveled TO the ground The roof Of the art gallery
fell down upon the floor of the second story, but the
burning tmbers were cXtinRulshed before lheV
could communicate the flames to the lower hOOr. or
greatly damage the statuary IN thus department
that was too heavy to be removed. The ruins con-
tnued TO shoulder all day and streams
until after nichtfall In the afternoon the
works of art that had been rescued were re-
moved to the Arsenal Building in the Park at sixty
fourthst. aud Fifthave Many men and boys ys-
tied the scene yesterday IN boats and numberle's
seighs passed by on the drive leading by the spot
Among those who on the ground IN the atler-
noon were Fire Commissioners VanI COtt and Cor
man. and Park Commissioner Ollihe:
IL was thought that the hre originated in the
first discovered. In this room there is large old
fashioned fireplace, in which wood fire was bnrni
ing IL is supposed that a spark fromthe fire lodged
IN a crevice in the floor and kinded into flame.
DAMAGE IN THE ART GALLERY.
Among the works Of art contained IN tho Art Gal
lery was the Crawford collection Of statuary once
Lelonging to Mrs. Crawford. OF these many were
saved. OF the pieces Of statuary which escaped
injury were a bust of Columbus, bust of Bishop
Hughes. a statue of David, a group called Adam
and Evc,n marble bust Of Lincoln, and busts Of
Michael Augel0 and Shakespeare. figure
of a dancing-grl called dancing jenny had
n fragment
figure "a Broken Tam BOURNE received no damage
save small piece Clipped from one OF the arms ana
! fragment from the run OF the tanbour-
me- which is held in one hand. An ear was broken
from tine figure Of a dog ~ piece entitled A
Hunting B0y"; figure called Cupid was not
harmed The " Genius of Mirth." the figure of Il
gir in the act of dancing, also lost toe group
called "1ruants." the figure of dying Indian girl
and the Babes in the Woods" were all taken out
intact. The figure Of q boy playing marules was
cracked at the elbow OF one arm ana
had a fragment broken from the base;
Several minor pieces were also taken out
unhurt. The large statue called Aud Lang
Syne had portion OF one arm and one loot broken
oh otherwise it received nttle damage. There
were 13 pieces of statuary, of which about haIt
were taken out many of those that remain In the
building, 1t is thought, received only slight III
or the other curostics in the building, model
of Central Park the portraits Of the old Volunteer
Fire Company, several models OF lfe-saving ships
and some Indian implements we're taken out before
receiving any injury. Tho skeleton Of a whale
mounted IN the basemen, sustained no damage
THE FINANCIAL LOSS.
One of the old employees Of tho Park Department
estimated the loss at about $4,000, which did not
include the objects in the Art Gallery He SAID that
the convent and chapel could not be rebuilt for less
than S6O.OOO He thought that the property of
Radford and RYAN was worth about 500, 900. When
Mr. StetsOn former occupant, iaIled the Park Dc
partmcnt seized his furniture and effects ana their
value WAS then estimated at S45OOO. All the prop
erty was turned over to the present propnetOrs,
who have since then expended several thousand
dollars IN reHttuQ the rOOfns. ne bdlu tuuG lno
nroprietors were fully insured. No estimate could
be made of the value of tho contents OF the artEal-
lery and the museum.
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.
The building was an old land. ark. and was well
known to those who have been accustomed to drive
through the Park. The hotel was situated on knoll
facing the west drive opposite one-hundred-and-
fourth-st The original building was erected about
FORTY years ago by the Sisters of Charity for con-
vent and school. At that time tue late AIonossnGP
Hnehee consulted with the sisters about establish