New-York tribune., 1881-10-11
Works. occupies tie bouse and that hs is IN Albany
attending the Democratic Convention.

WHAT THE~COMPANY's SERVANTS SAY.
TALKS WITH SUPERINTENDENT BoNNEY AND
oTnERs--rHE SUMBER OF HORSES BURNED
NOT KNOWN.
Superintendent Bonney walked bither ana
thither over the floor of the Madison Square
Garden about 10 p. m, issuing orders WIN
an expression of great concern on his face
He had little time TO talk, but he answered
the questions of TRIBUNE reporter willingly. de
said:
81 was at home when the fire began and didn't
know anything about it till i reached the place,
and then every thing was lost. We had 81 horses
/ SUPPOSE about 700 of them were
in the stable when the fire began. lhavent
the slightest idea how many were burned we had
just put in our winter supply of feed and nau Oh
the second floor 5000 bales of hay. 10000 bushels
of oats 1900 bushels of corn ana oOV
bales of straw. There about fifty cars on tne
ground floor good many of them were
taken out, but don't know how many. They
were worth something less than $500 each.
haven't had time to think yet what we shall
do tomorrow about running the cars, Az present
am only looking out for places IN when ,l te
put the horses In snSSIa poia million Of dollars
We built an L 20 it four years ago at q cost oi
$3.50, COO"
Samuel Whitley the company's veterinary
surgeon in the hospital when the fire broke out
aud worked as long possible IN bberating the
horses. Later at night he was AT me maals nS
been cut in the rescue. To a TRIBUNE reporter hs
said: ~,
fire broke out. 1t began not directly over
the hospital. but in tho loft near
Thirty -second-st at the LeIington-ave. end. The
floor was one on which cars used to De put a tneIe
and no fire or light of any kind Whatever was near
il. It mmst have been 1 nred a., oy na an
ont ard we had great deal of trouble. We saved
all of them in the hospital about $50, and at least
100 more from the basement but by that fiIpf
see more than an inch before your face, and we had
TO quit But we had worked our way forward 10
near the Fourth-ave end OF the stables ana men
were taking the horses ont there At least 800
horses were taken out the Leg Lsxinglon-aave. l ave-
and Thirty y-second-st. doors, and don't KNOW now
many out of the others. The horses after niue
while became frightened almost to death, ana we
had to club many Of them ont. We didn't attempt
to 90 anything more than turn them out OF doors.
C. NJ. Stokes, who represented The company ~ ths
stables said o TRIBUNE reporter that tho origin
of the fire was unknown, but that IN ms opinion ~
was due 10 the spontaneous combustion OF the corn
"Af fen minrites before ~ said he, "smoke was
seen TO issue from the windows the top oor, and
in q moment we realized that the building was
doomed. Immediately every man on the premises
was set at removing the stock. In short time, be-
fore the flames prevented entrance to the stables,
several hundred horses were hurried into the tnn-
track there, were pushed into the street."
How many horses and cars were lost y asked
the reporter.
"Well, it's hard to tell exactly, but there were
probably nearly 200 horses and sixty cars lcit IN
the building. The loss to the company will prob
ably be nearly OF quite $l $l,OOOoOO, Tor We had
lust put ia all the grain, hay and straw that We
would have used for seven mOnths.'
"What. will be done with the horses that are In
the tunnelP
al have just ordered that ell that can be put into
Madison-sgnare be sent there the Others VIII 40 TO
the stables of ,he companies that have offered us
their use. The running of the cars may be delayed
slightly tomorrow but after that they will proba-
bly, run on regular time'
Payton Hawes, "a conductor on the road, said j
came TO the depot few minutes before
o'clock 10 take out my car, when l saw
a little fire in the feed room. IL didft
amount TO much then, but in q few minutes saw
that the whole building would soon be in flames
| was ordered to go into the Office TO assist
IN removing some of the articles
from the snfe and desks, while others were
sent TO other places in the building TO do similar
work i remained in the Office until driven away
by the flames and soon after l reached the street
tie roof fell in don't know how the fire originated,
but was told that explosion occurred III one OF
the rooms adjoining the feed room"