Morning journal and courier., 1882-02-01

Hotel building, until recently occupied by
 the Evening Mail publication offices on the
 basement ground and second floors, and now
 by hat store, liquor store and offices. The
 damage to this building is great from fire,
 smoke and water. The Mail offices were re-
 moved few weeks ago to the Express build ing when the consolidation of the two pa- pers was effected. The Express building is a few doors below contiguous to the new offices of the Daily News and the new build- ing occupied by the World. Separated from the rear of the Lovejoy building, in course of erection, was one to be occupied princi- pally by the Nassau bank. This is one of the most expensive of the new buildings in | course of erection in down town business circles, and the loss is many thousands of l dollars. The building was saved from con- plete destruction with difficulty, and the flames received less encouragement than they | would had the windows, wooden partitions and floors been completed. The Beekman street front is irretrievably damaged by smoke, flames and water. MT. Eugene Kel- ly, the owner, states this evening that he is unable even to estimate his loss. The dam age to the postoffice building is comparative ly slight and was caused principally by the flood of water poured upon the roof and sides by the postofice employees
 The possibilities of the confagration at one time could scarcely be estimated, as it was
  force of fremen and a combination of fortu- nate circumstances, that the new postoffice, the City Hall the Tribune building and a score of other prominent buildings would be burned. It so happened that the particular building where the fire originated was several stories less 1n height than the newer build ings surrounding it and thus the wind did not get fair sweep, although it blew at high rate and fierce snow storm was raging. The burned building has been regarded for long time as unsafe and few months ago the architect refused to add additional sto- ries, recommending that it be torn down and safer structure put up in it's stead. Orlando B. Potter, the owner, who is president of the Singer Sewing Machine company, states that his reIts were $7O, ,OOO per annum that the building was worth $20O,0O0, and was insured for perhaps three-quarters of it's value The site is valued at over half million dollars. One of the heaviest losers is the New York Betting and Packing company, whose stock was valued at $150,0O0 with an insurance of upwards of $100,0 The firm has occupied offices in the building over twenty-five years. They opened new offices few doors below within two hours from the time burned out. Their stock was an entire loss, the only thing saved being the books in actual use carried out by the clerks The other books in the safes it is hoped were not destroyed Willy Wallach, one of the larg- est Q6alorS tinu importers or SGaGlOQ6ry 1n the city, loses about $100,O0 insurance $62, 800 His entire stock was lost The Scientific American also suffered complete loss. Their insurance was about $20, 900 on the property in use, which does not include losses which are irretrievable in accumulated records, patents, models, drawings, etc. Messrs. Mum x Co.,, the owners, estimated the contingent loss to the firm and it's custo- mers at upwards of one million dollars. nurir1 ho afrn thav affaotoa ments for offices at Broadway and Warren street across City Hall Park from the site oc- cupied twenty years.
 The Turf, Field and Farm, owned and published by Messrs. Bruce, had offices in the World building, and suffered complete loss, estimated at 1850, GOO, including the best sport ing library in the country, being about 800 volumes of books which cannot be replaced, and the fourth volume of the American Stud book in manuscript form, but ready for pub lication. It will take at least one year to re- arrange the material for this volume. Mir. Bruce also lost the plates, pictures, etc., stored in the office. s. M. Pettengill & Co.,, l advertising agents, estimate their loss at $2O,O Other occupants of the building 1 were Messrs. Marks, taller; Gruhn, tailor :; | Jacob Staver, patent solicitor; Tibbals < Sons New York Observer, Scotchman' s Jour nal and Scottish American |; A. O.. Rodriguez, cigars the Press newspaper, Qoss $1, ,50O) :; Poland Spring Water agency; A. s. Clarke, broker J. c. Todd, Thompson's Bank Note Printing World, Patten & Ralphs, retailer :; Takagrafa Almgvist, patent lawyer :; Brown, current dealer A. J. Todd, lawyer, and others.
 Among the known losses to insurance com panies are the following: Lafayette $5, ,0OO, Emporium $2, 1000, Aetna of Hartford $1O,- GOO, Star $2, 900, Williamsburg City and,
 
 l German American $1O,O0O, Citizens, Hano- yer, North America of Pennsylvania, How l ard, National of Hartford, National of New York, Farragut & Magona $15,OOO each, | the Queen $2, 800, Royal $15,000 on rents and building, London, Liverpool and Globe 1 $5, ,OOO on building and $6, 900 on rents, I'm | perial Northern, $1O,000 on rents in build | ing. The above list is subject to corrections | as soon the occupants can get at their l books and the agents can look up the rec l ords.
 The particular point about which there is l amazing doubt at the present writing, twelve hours after the fire, is about the loss of life, | it being variously estimated from five to fifty, l as it issSfeared a number of working girls in I the printing office on the top floor were unable to escape. Among those known to be \ killed are Ellen Bull, colored aged | thirty-four, ianitress, who fell from the fifth l story window and died at the hospital and | two others, whose names are as yet unknown. 1 Several victims now in the hospital. Among the startling incidents of the fire may 1 be mentioned the following: Rev. E. D. C.. l Prime, of the Observer said that when the | cry of fire was shouted he seized bundle of | papers of personal value and assisted the 1 clerks to close the safes and then ran for life 1 down stairs with coats wrapped around his face. He could not get through that way and saw that his brother, Rev Dr. s. |. Prime, had succeeded in passing the critical point of the flames, and with MT. Stoddard | he ran back and sprang out of the front win l dow on the ledge of the window and holding l on by a sign board climbed along the ledge to 1 the Times building to window, thus escap- | ing. One man escaped by jumping from 8 window to mass of telegraph wires under meath, along which he crawled few feet to pole, down which he slid to the ground. ! Colonel Bruce, after trying to escape down 1 the stairway with his subscription books, | had to throw the books from the window and escape as Dr. Prime did. Pierre Wolf, | janitor, Is years, well known character, | said he thought the loss of life overestimated. 1 Anthony Comstock assisted the firemen who rescued woman standing on the sill of a window of the fourth story. She held on to a telephone wire with her left hand. She was hatIess and her clothing in disorder. She l famed herself with her right hand and wait I | shouted Fireman Rooney and score of me n | and boys rushed forward and dragged lad l der from hook and ladder company's wagon 1 that had just arrived. In an instant the lad der was placed beside the building. It only reached the third story. A cry of dishay went up from the crowd. Push up anoth- er," hundred voices yelled. Two fremen | ran up the ladder two steps at time "Can | you hold minute?' the leader asked the poor woman. "Yes, but for Gods sake hurry y?' was the hoarse reply. "Come on | Ben," said the fireman to his comrade
 'EDamn the ladder, we must save her," and up he went to the top. His hands just reached the woman's feet. The crowd held their breath in suspense, but the woman re
 mained cool. 'Hold on to the wire and ster on my shoulder said the fireman, guiding l her foot with his hand. The woman did as she was told, but as the brawny fellow went 1 to move step lower she seemed to swoon
 and had apparently lost her balance, wher
 the fireman on the step below caught her and
 she was hastily carried to the ground. Cheer
 after cheer went up from the crowd.
 The corner burned is one of the best news paper locations in the city, being the centra
 point of Newspaper row and contiguous tc
 the postoffce, telegraph offices, the New | York end of the Brooklyn bridge, elevated
 roads, etc. It is already reported that sev
 eral overtures have been made for the pur
 chase of the site and for the erection of
 new newspaper building. Among these of 1 I,o eo~ 4l,o