New-York tribune., 1881-12-25
HEAVY LOSSES BY FIRE.
PROPERTY WORTH OVER A MILLION STORED WITH
COVERT, ACKER 4 CO., IN MAIDEN LANE, BURNED

|
! The United States bonded warehouse of Covert,
Ackcr x Company, at No. 73 south-st. No. 33
! Dcpeyster-st. and No. 162 Maiden-ane was burned
/ last night, involving loss that estimated at
o'clock this morning at million dollars or more.
| The lire was discovered about o'clock by the
| policeman on duty near by, who saw smoke coming
| out between the iron shutters. He sounded
alarm from the box at MaiIen-lane and Front-st.
| Two engines responded promptly, and stream of
! water was thrown from South-st. and another from
Dcpcy5ter-st. The iremen did not think then that
the conIiaGation would be large one and knowing
that there other fires burning in different parts
of the city, did what they could with the small force
az hand. Half an hour after the first stream
thrown it was evident that there
much work to do Flames had begun to dart ont of
some Of the windows, reminding of stage
| fires while huge volumes of smoke poured continu
ally from other windows on the front and the side
| Of the building.
he situation haG become dangerous. Another
alarm was rung while private messages were
sent to different stations. To this second call three
| engines and two trucks from the Broadway
/ fire. The iireboat Havermeyer was also summoned.
Soon fifteen streams sent against the burn
| ing building But the more water that poured
| on the fercer the fire seemed to burn The iircmen
were forced back by the heat Still they fought
at midnight thirty streams were in use. More
would have been of poor service as the flames had
burned through the roof, lighting up the shipping,
and threatening the building at Maiden-lane and
South-st.
SHAPE OF THE BUILDING.
TIE warehouse that was burning was
built Of granite and iron and was rated
as fire proof 1t was shaped like tho letter T, the
stern fronting south-st. and the top or back
running through from Depeystcr-st. 10
Malden-lanc. stored in it were bales
of raw sllk boxes of tea, bags OF coffee,
aud East India goods of many different kinds some
imported by Covert. Acker & Co.. and some stored
by them for many other merchants in the city.
John II. Norwood importer of tea, occupied an
Office in the from building. In the rear Francis G.
Griswold had another bonded warehouse in which
il was supposed by the fremcu that large
quantity of highwiues stored. No.
~ South-st was that part of the warehouse
where Covert. Ackcr & Co. held in bond the finer
grades of tobacco.
After the fire had burned for nearly
three hours during which time 1t con-
tinuaIly made Roadway despite the efforts of the
fir department, it was that this part would
also be- burned The insurance patrol and those fire
man who could be- SCARED carried from the building
many bales of tobacco. which they piled up upon
IN" sidewalk at safe distance, where custom
I
the iargc Office, took charge OF them. After
the ire had worked its way down from
the socond-'tory to tle ground-floor IN Southst an
explosion took place. This for q moment caused
retreat among the hremcn. but they raj
lied immediately and again went forward
Hardly had they done so when another
men again rctreatcd but rs no more alarming SOUNDS
were heard they went forward once more ana ~
bacco warehouse. The explosions We're thought
To b barrels OF wine stored in the corner build
sion and crushed the foot OF }. Meehan, OF
Engine Company Na. -. He was sen. home IN
carriage Another fireman of the same company
was overcome 10y the dense smoke ~ th" beginning
of the fire. lie was carried some distance away
from the place. untIl the fresh alr revived him 80
that he again went 10 work HIS name was J'
hOuahan.
TIE CAUSE or THE FLAMES UNKNOWN
No reasonable theory was advanced last night rs
90 the origin of the tire Al accounts agreed that II
began in the second Story Of the Sorth-,t wings
probably Immediately over the office OF Mr.. More
wood Some Of the hrcmcn thought II
mlyhf have been caused ny, Ul' neat
al stove or furnace tharriug some Oi ih' Wood"ork
mo oh wind IL wa said. might have penetrated
the building aS 20 make "a driII causing INC
flames to break out. , ,,
IN There were rumors that the warehouse had "a
remarkably large and valuable STOCK OF gnoI'
m store worth nom 9'Ou'ooV 10 F-'V"O,'VV.
An cmpiovc of au insurance 'IiuvdnS
ryprrs.ed the opinion that the loss Toud D." Ger
taiulv one million. a.. the goods always IN store
there were of the most cNpcuslSr KIND lie Sald
,Lot "a, nltunt, los. would fall upon the lnsurauc"
companies ~ merchant VINO hth goonS III V"hu
always carried a full insurance. ,r,, 49,
john X. MOreWool was seen ny IRib' ~ -. I',
pnrrr late last night at ID, apartment at No. LII
broadway. He asserted thaJ ms loss "ouI
| be- trnng-ony hs office inrnllnG% aiI aiI
the same would be the cas-" win MI ,"llN"oI'
lie -aid tha Covert, Ackrr ~ Go. had property
stored with them belonging 70 various Iad,ls IN
Fast luuin goods in this city, whose loss would DC
exceedingly large.
ruE GENERAL ALARM
Toward O'Clock a general alarm was sent oul
for all the aid possible to De ElVoh
| The fire had spread and obtained loolihs
in the five story brick ware house next to the
| granite one and owned by the Same firm.
| The drcmcn worked IN water knc'-deep
i'm the basement, the smoke was 700
dense above for them to enter the hrsL moor - Un
Engine 81, that was hlsj on lhc sroun"' t''c
eng 1ccr was in two feet of water
The iron shutters of the briclwarehou,e soon De,
came red hot, and the hrr ourst out WIN Iehu"ru
fell carving several ladders WIN H.. III
was feared of the uen were under ie ruins ~
first None was found there, however. part OF
fine roof of the granite building lell next ana a
rumor was started hat three men ol EhRlhe NO. \
went with it, II was Impossible 10 earn Po'''F'y
then whether anyone was hurt or not 9. -
AZ a quarter uast / the hie wasspr'aGlhR TaPuig'
and II seemed impossible to save th9 lower pIlu-
ings at South-sr and Madcn-lane, when "ero sur
ruun1rd ON two sidos by tho burning warehouses
Ihr addition extending to Maiden-lano wa soon
entirely at the mercy OF the haIhes', ana
nil hone OF saving 1t waS abandoned.
There we're graye fears expressed about the supply
ofwater falling as there were two other hrcs in tIe
city Coal too was short and hreInen were seI 10
work picking up Jumps that lay ABOUT III the Sueet'
LATE ESTIMATE MADE OF THE LOSSES.
Gc,ryc T. Patterson, secretary of the CLINTON
Fire Insurance Company. said, about O'Clock this
morning. that lac estimated the loss at
fully S3,OOOOOO, on account oil the
extraordinarily valuable articles stored
IN the building, such rs India shaws, raw silk and
wine. At that tine the fire was burning
most furiously on the haldeh-iahe slIo