Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-01


ruins All sorts of rumors of loss of life
| were flying about. The building where the
fire started has been standing for more than
forty years. the additions being of recent
date Mr. George v Hecker, the owner of
the mills, said that his nephew, John T.
Hecker, who is superintendent of the mills,
heard four bells, which means an alarm of
fire, and rushing up stairs discovered that
hole had been burnt in the middle of the
floor directly behind a brushing machine,
used to brush the dirt from the wheat. An
alarm was Immediately given, and the men in
the upper stories were compelled to flee for
their lives, only escaping by means of the
fire escape. The fire was fought, and the
great tank on top of the blu lding turned on
full force in an effort to Aood the structure
Unfortunately there was but little water In
the tank, and it was of no service The
loss to the Heckers is estimated at not less
than 100000, which Is fully covered by
insurance, but their insurance broker Is
out of town the companies and amounts can
not be ascertained A scare was given to the
great multitude of sight seers on Cherry
street about II 30. The boiler, which Is sit
uated on that side of the building, blew out
with great noise, but fortunately did no
damage beyond hurting few bricks against
the house on the opposite side of the street.
The Seaman Exchange, adjoining the mills
on Cherry street, caught fire, as did the Sea
mans Home directly opposite, and owing to
the terrible heat at this ire, gaze the tiremcn
very hard work to subdue it. Notwlthstand-
ing their efforts the buildings kept catching,
and the large force of tiremen on the roofs
were constantly kept busy in their struggle
to master the flames.
It was evident before the fire had been
burning half an hour that the adjoining
building could not be saved. TIE strong
wind from the southeast forced the flames TO
the Cherry street side, and they poured with
increasing fury from the roof and windows,
shooting out long forks over the low building
on the opposite side of the street. The fire
men were soon compelled to retreat before
the overpowering heat, and thus the low
structures on the west side of Cherry street
were left unprotected. They soon began to
smoke and finally were in flames IN spite OF
every effort to save them made by the fire.
men, who approached from the rear. The
stables of Hecker 81 Co., at No. 200 Cherry
street, and an adjoining tenement house,
three stories hi III, at No. POP, were the first
to go. In the stables were over seventy live
horses, which were all rescued by the fire
men but not without great difficulty, as the
animals were frantic with fear at the heat
and smoke which filled the build
ings. Most of the horses belong to
Hecker & Co., but about twenty five were
owned by firms in the neighborhood. The
people in the tenement houses moved out the
greater part of their furniture at the first
alarm of fire. and had removed their effects
to a place of safety. The building was soon
burned to the ground, On the corner of
Cherry and Pike streets was three story
frame building. known as the Croton House,
kept by A. Schroeder, and this was the next
to CO. Meanwhile the three story brick
building adjoining the burning mill at No.
1913 Cherry street, and occupied by Sanger,
Beers & Fisher as spice and coffee mill, had
caught fire. The building extends through
to Water street, and the flames were first
tod iuf ha MIN
forts were made to save it. but without avail,
and the firemen were soon driven from the
position which they had taken on a neighbor-
| ing building.
At Nos 1877 to 189 Cherry is the large
building of the New York Seamen's associa
| ton, including the Sailors Exchange, and,
| on the first floor, the East Side Savings bank.
It was feared at first that this would also take
| fire, as the caves and cornices of the roof
| were already smoking. The bank officers
| valuables which could not be entrusted to
| the safes and vault It was only after almost
| superhuman efforts that the firemen succeed
| ed in preventing the catastrophe which was
imminent, and they could not, probably,
have saved the building had not the
joining fallen, and thus relieved the
| other walls of the intense heat to which they
had been subjected. Directly opposite were
| the storage warehouses of Davis u Benson,
! old NO. l92 CQ6fry street, ana tue ohliOFS
| Home The former building is of brick, five
| stories in height, and when the alarm of fire
| was gwen the windows on the Cherry street
| side were all closed with iron shutters
| These, however, when the fire was at its
| height were heated to such degree that the
| smoke from the burning woodwork within
| was seen issuing from the cracks in the shut
| ters. At half-past 1 o'clock it was reported
| that the building was alire inside, but the
| truth Of the rumor could not be ascertained,
| as the firemen had great difficulty in effecting
| an entrance They we're unable to approach
| the building from the front at all.
| The fire burned over an area of thirty one
| city lots, destroying twenty buildings A high
| wind carried sparks great distance, creatii g
| much alarm. number of fremen were
| Frustrated by the heat, but as far as ascer-
| tanned no lives were lost. The total loss Is
| about $500, 900, insurance 100000
| Mr.. George B. Hecker, the head of the
firm, in speaking to q reporter about the fire,
| said:
The clerks in the counting room shut up
the books and papers in the freproof vault,
and the chief engineer of the mill deserves
| great credit for his work, as he went into the
furnace room, drew the Are from the boilers,
| opened the safety valves and remained there
until Just a moment before the walls fell,
barely escaping with his life. The buildings
occupied space about $50 feet square front
ing on Cherry, Water and Pike streets. In
the centre of this fiat was the mill proper,
about eighty feet square and nine stories
high, while on the Cherry street side the
buildings were eight stories high, and on
Water street four stories. l caunot tell what
| our loss will be, but VIC were insured from
$3.50, 900 to $500, 0OO distributed among the
companies in this city in sums varying from
81, 500 to $4,000. I think this sum will
| fully cover our loss, our stock was very
high, owing to heavy orders, and we were
running out the -four as fast as we could
make it. 1t will probably cost $3.50, te
, put up new buildings, and it is probable thai
, this " ill be done at once. In the meantime
there will be no detention of business as oul
upper mills at Cherry, Rutgers and Water
Streets which double the capacity O.
those burned, will be at once put to work.