New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-09
THE HAVEMEYERS' LOSS.
BURNING OF THEIR SUGAR REFINERY.

stroyed by fire last night Little, II anything Is
known Of the origin of the flames, although vagGo
rumors Of all kinds told and repeated by per-
who witnessed the destruction of the property
The loss Is estimated at million and haI'
and If anyone is at fault for 50 heavy destruction
it could not be learned last night. The building
where the fire occurred is known as the refinery.
1t extends from South-Third-st. to South-Fourth-s
and from the river front 10 Frs-st The dimensions
are $50 feet front. 200 feet deep and 20
feet IN height. II was not an imposing
structure, being built without ornamentation OF
common hard brick. which had become black with
age
Theodore A. IIavemcycT senior member OF the
firm was in the building nearly all the afternoon
Some engaged. according to custom on
Sundays, in finishing work left over from Saturday
Nj. Havemeyer inspected some parts Of the building
aud saw that the labor was being properly done. He
looked at lls watch at al D. m, told one OF the
clerks that he was going home. and then started
over the ferry to his house in This city. Exactly
ten minutes after he left the refinery one Of the
worl1men rushed breathlcSsly into the Office and
said that the building was on fire. lie explained
hastily that he had tried 20 cXtiucush the ames but
that they had got beyond his control Men were
then gathered from al parts of tho building and an
effort was made 10 check the fire. At that time flames
were only seen in one room the first tloor known
as the " filing room' The dimensions of the room
arc sixty fecr by thirty feet and II IL provided with
shafts or shoots where the sugar II filed INTO re-
ccptaclcs. When the men reached the scene taey
tried 20 use the fire apparatus attached 20 the build
ing but 1t was found ont of ordcr. In various ways
they struggled to smother the flames but in q
very few INMATES all the workmcn were driven
from the place by the dense smoke which filled
the room.
The great danger of the fire was then observed
and an attempt was made TO save some Of the prop
crfy. Several men were put at work IN the Office
collecting the valuable papers belonging to the
firm. Most of those were secured and taken to one
of the other buildings in the nciglborhood. The
combination of one safe was either forgotten in the
hurry or was unknown to those AT work In the office,
and the papers in that were left. Other men worked
III the rear of the binding removing barrels Of sugar
to the storchouse opposite. About 80 barrels were
taken out when the men were compelled 70 retreat
from the smoke. That was ali the proper saved.
As soon as the fire was discovered an alarm was
sounded for the Fire Department, and at the same
time telegram was sent to Mr.. Havemeycr, telling
him that the building which he had lust left was
in flames Fifteen fire engines, three reboa5, and
four trucks responded. Although they arrived
promptly the FIRE had become master of the build
ing From the "flliDggoOm' the flames quickly
spread to an adjoining room which IS separated by
a door. In this room wera a great many pans used
for boiling hard sugar The room was filed with
raw SUGAR which served az inhammable material
to feed the fire. Another room, where coffee sugar
was placed in barrels, next attacked and 1t fed
the flames with an oily substance that burned like
Kerosene. So, when the fremen wero fairly Mt work
the whole first floor of the refinery was filed with
flames which were partially snothcradby the thick
tin 1f "a
more infammlblc nature was stored in the
floors above the first, so that when tie fire once
gained headway It was beyond human skill TO
check its progress I'm that building. Eighteen
streams of water were poured or, but no perccpti-
bile change could be noticed in the steady travel
of the flames from floor to 1oor The
fire found a nue in the hatchwav and soon com
the many windows on all sides until the whole
structure was a sheet of flames. The water from
the engi stirred up the burning sugar and added
10 the fury of the blaze Thick, yellow smoke rose
high in the air, and rolled with the wind over this
city and Brooklyn
FLAMES THROUGH THE roc.
The scene of the fire from the river presented
spectacle worth looking at. A heavy fog hung over
the rivers so that pilots could not boatsength
ahead The smoke mingled with the fog, produced
a curious atmosphere, Of dark le&den color.
Through tins cloud could be seen the flames when
they became particularly bright, and tho outline of
the building all aglow. When the smoke rose and
temuorarily chOled down the flames. the river be-
came wrapped III total darkness uEuI the hre once
Bl one viewing the fire from the river front about
an hour after il had started the wall next to the
water was seen TO t0pp!c over loud crash was
then heard, followed by dull, rumbng noise. The
river was for an instant IN total darkness, but II
was soon lit up again as bright sheet of flames
-Lot i'm the air about one hundred feet The wooden
beams between the floors were burned to charcoal.
In a few minutes after the first wall fell the roof
f,trpl
worked brayey with their streams or water but to
little al vantage.
BROOKLYN and New-Y0rk and lined oil the streets
i'm the vicinity of the burning building. Police
men were stationed at all the corners TO keep the
crowd from pressing too closely to the building
The danger from the falling walls great, and
fears we're entertained that persons in the crowd or
some of the workmen would he injured For a long
time the front and side walls remained standing,
with no support, while the mass of fire was almost
wholly confined to the first floor, where all the
burning materials had fallen IG was nearly :
o'clock when tho front wall clack ked in the centre
and fell A red glare instantly llt up the SKY, ana
some persons afterward said that they were able
TO read a newspaper ten blocks away even IN the
A FIREMAN INJURED
The other two walls fell by pieces until the whole
building was down except the southeast corner.
Firemen were at work at this side of the refinery
when the wall suddenly gave way. Fireman Hagen,
of company No. T. was engaged there when the
wall fell and he was unable to escape in time to
ovoid injury. He Was thrown under the wall and
when picked up he was found to be seriously hurt
in the side An ambulance was sent ior and be was
rnmnvej To the police station, and then 10 the
hospital Itis not thought that ms injuries will re-
suit fatally.
THE CHAR HoUsEI IN DANGER
The firm of Havemeycr " Elders owns four
blocks of property facing the river. Directly oppo-
site the burned building Is large structure twelve
stories in height 1t was built last year, and is
known as the "char house, the place where tine
Offering is done This scparated from the refinery
bv First-st, but the two buildings were connected