The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-01

Confederation I'm Park Row. New York
Cttv-Thc Old Onlcc OF the "worId -
Newspaper Burned-Great Destrue.
zion of property and Loss OF Life.

York World. The flames spread rapidly
al ;rvolved the entire block M far as the
% Ty,aes o,l;ce The latter suffered some dam
a,,o lint the fire was extinguishcd before
do,ng serious harm to the Times. All the
o,hnr build;ncs i'm the block were practi-
cally destroyed.
,rring N escnpe by the window. She broke
,broneh canvas stretched to save her, and
I bar beod was crushed. IL Is supposed other
I lives wore lost The pecuniary loss is very
heavy In the block were a large number
81 Offices Of weekly and class newspapers
and periodicals, among which were the
/ Scientific American, New York Observer,
| T,,rf Eied and Farm, Scottish american
| Journal. ThOmpson'S BdnE-NOto and
Commercial Reporier, Forest and Stream,
and Italian, Spanish, Swedish, German,
and Portuguese weekly journals and num-
/ Der OF advertising agencies.
The buildings involved are 81, 81, and
80 Park Row. Among the occupants OF
the grOund-noOr are an extensive rubber
firm and wholesale machinery and hard
warehouse. The list Of losers is very large
( and the amounts heavy. Rumors are afloat
/ that fifteen lives have been lost, but only
one corpse has been found so ar.
.
TIE BUILDINGS DESTROYED
or damaged by fire comprised the entire tri-
angular block bounded by Park Row, Beck
man, and Nassau streets, and was one oil
the most crowded blocks in the city con-
/ sidering the space il covered. The upper
floors were occupied by various manufac-
/ turing industries and as cOmPosing-r0omS
OF many weekly newspapers, the majority
~ which employed women c0mposllors.
The fire originated in the old building re-
Gently occupied by the World newSpa-
per. IL was the property OF eN-Con-
gresham Orlando Potter. 1t was very
large. extending from Park Row to Nassau
street along Beekman, with entrances only
on Park Row and Nassau street. 1t was
full Of wooden partitions, corridors, and
crooked stairways. and has been for years
regarded by fremen with apprehension.
Recently an elevator had been put in OH
the NasSau-Strect side. and IN this elevator
shaft the fire originated, in the basement.
flew up the shaft, and filed the halls and
sfairways so quickly with flames and smoke
that escape by that means was cut of be-
fore the occupants OF the upper floors
suspected danger. Many people were
seen bv those i'm the streets below TO appear
at the windows OF the burning buildings.
with their hair and garments ablazc, but
soon disappeared. One man who gained
the roof and escaped hy way OF the Times
building shouted 10 the rescuerS that
scores Of people were
CUT OFF FROM ESCAPE.
Some jumped from windows and were
killed or terribly injured on pavcmcntS
below. One or two boys who jumped bad
falls broken by striking tclcgraph-wireS
and escaped serious injury; but one large,
heavy man, who lcaped from the third
story window on Nassau street, Struckanet-
work of wires, which nearly cut him
TO pieces rs lie crashed through them.
! The fire stopped at Che Times building.
I The heaviest losers i'm money are o. Il. Pot
/ Ter. owner Of the World building. and the
/ New York Betting and Packing Company:
| the latter tenant. They lose $4,000 on
,tock-insured for 100000. Nothing np-
preaching an accurate statement OF the cas-
ualties can yet be given, Is the bodies OF
the dead were quickly carried away to dill
fercnt places, and the wounded hurried to
the hospital, where some afterwards died.
Many deeds OF heroism were performed
by fircmen and citizens, and two colOred
bows excited enthusiasm i'm two different
localities by presence Of mind and bravery
which resulted in one case in saving i've
and another three wOrkmcn whose escape
seemed hopeless.
Police officials think that not more than
half dozen lives were lost. Many OF The
missing are turning up, and the people are
becoming cooler. Minor casualties among
the people WHO were able to 20 home are
numerous.
The police render the following a. their
estimate OF losses New York Betting and
Packing Company. 100000; Pettcnsill n
Co.. SCI, 600; New York ObSerrcr, $4,000;
Tart. Eicd AID Fdy1a. $1,000; Scottish
american. $4,000; Willy Wallock. sta
toner. $4,000: Marks. tailor, S2D,0OO;
Roderignez q Ponds. cigars, $1,000; Or
lando B. Potter, building, 100000; Eu-
Gene Kelly, building. $1,000: Morse build
ing. $1,000: Mash * Crooks restaurant.
s. 900; Times building. 5000. But this
list don't embrace half the losers, and in
the cases of some mentioned the amounts
are much below acknowledged losses.
FURTHER DETAILS.
The fire broke out about 10 O'Clock, on
the lower floor Of the building 30 Park
Row. corner OF Bcekman street, and burn
ed so rapidly that before any serious at
tennis 10 check il hid been made the
whole Beekman-Strect face was involved.
Three alarms were sounded and four gene
raj calls sent out, but the engines and lad
ders were slow in reaching the scene, be-
cause the light snow and frosted ground
rendered the going exceedingly difficult.
The fire burned fiercely, even after
large volumes Of water were directed
upon it, and at II o'clock, after
/ burning an hour, the southern walls
/ fell with n loud crash, filling the whole
/ lower part Of the city with black smoke
and cinders. Tie roof of the Times build
/ ing was on fire several times. The build
| ing ON the south side OF the Beekman-street
corner OF Park Row. until lately occupied
| by the Evening Nail. and now vacant, was
| badly damaged by fire and water. Several
people descended from the burning build
/ ing on the NaSsau-street side by means OF
the telegraph-pole.
EXCITING SCENES.
The scenes at the time when the occu-
pants OF the upper floors were making
/ their escape were often exciting and touch
ing. Men could he seen holding the hands
Of the women evidently encouraging them
TO calmness. Three women ran on the
roof and fell through n skylight OF one
Of the northern buildings, receiving
serious injuries. A bootblack on the
corner Of Beekman street and Park Row,
seeing some men entangled in the tele-
graph wires adjoining the burning prem
| ises. climbed a pole and cIt the wires, re-
/ leasing them from Il critical position. An
eXpress-wagon with heavy canvas cover
Ing drove up under the windows, and seye-
! raj men who were about to leap to the
ground were told by the driver to Jump on
the wagon, which they did, escaping any
/ serious hurt.