New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-03
THE DoTTFRTYG POTTER.

OF that sOlC or Iulllg w i'lSt " i'is
--------------------
TIE POTTERING POTTER.
Mr.. O. b. Potter's attention was directed on
Wednesday night to the origin of the dlsas'
irons fire which had caused so serious loss
Of life and menaccd the destruction of valu-
able property surrounding his own. lie was
asked if he had formed any theory as to the
cause. "No,n was his response. " III Is salu
that it was caused by defective fiue. Inc
fine referred to was used for twenty years,
"and never gave any alarm; and 1t never en-
"tered mv head that anything could be wrong
"with it,"
Now il bapnens that the flue referred to as
the cause of the fire had only been used two
months and had caused a smouI iering fire
which had been perceptble to an efficient nose
for twenty-fOur hours before the final catas-
trophe. John Dempsey the engineer OF the
binding, has testified before the Fire Marshal
that the chimney fue in the cross-wall near
the NaSsau-st side was not used Tor the
furnace from December l until Monday last
1t had been stopped mp because the draft was
not good. and double flue about twenty-five
feet beyond it had been used i'll its place
There was probably draft enough then, as
the engineer made no further complaints. On
Monday Mr. Potter ordered him to stop up the
new fue and to use the old one. A fire had
been discovered at 8 o'clock on the fourth
floor in the vicinity Of the flue. We have the
engineers word for 1t that the change III the
furnace fucs was made that afternoon
Whether it was or was not done, Mr.. Potter
is guilty of prevarication, as wiltul as
it is stupid in using the language previously
quoted. The fue referred to as the cause OF
the fire was not the old but the new one.
Now what are the facts about this mysteri-
GUS fire which was discovered by the tenants
twenty-four hours before the building was de-
stroyed MIR. Alfred Z. Beach, who had an
Office on the third floor, states that beam
was found at that time projecting into the
chimney-nue and actually blazing. The
flames were extnguished, and Mr. Potter sub
sequently assured several tenants that he had
examined all the floors and found everything
safe. The oder Of burning wood was notice
able during the remainder Of the day, and
the owners attention was repeatedly called
to it. At half-past 3 o'clock the smell
of fire was so strong in the hallway that Nh
Beach again consulted Mr.. Potter, and they
went togct her from top to bottom, finding the
walls on every floor very hot III the vicinity
of the flue-the new one in the centre OF the
building-but not discovering any actual fire,
although the smell of slowly burning wood
was everywhere. Mr. Beach finally remarked: :
"Phere is trouble somewhere, although we
cannot see it" and advised Mr.. Potter TO have
the Fire Department put coil of hose
in the building and keep watch all
night. Mr.. Potter did not act upon
the suggestion. lie said he was con-
fident that there were no beams in contact
with the fuc. The next morning at half-past
Q o'clock Mr.. Beach again found the wood
work opposite the hue very hot and noticed
the same smell of burning wood in the hall
ways. Within half al hour the flames burst
out from basement to roof on the line Of the
flue over which Mr. Potter had been pottering
for twenty-four hours.
Now we think that nothing can be palmer
than the origin of the fire. The furnace tues
may have been shifted late on Monday after
noon but the flames were left to shoulder all
night and to burst into an unmanageable bon
fire the next morning. For twcntyfour
hours warning had been given Of the
impending destruction Of this danger
Gus storehouse of highly combustible mate
rial The tenants had importmed the owner to
take the necessary precautions to secure their
lives and property. Yet nothing was done.
The smouldering fire was not put ont; the hose
was not brought in; the watch was not kept
To this day Mr. Potter does not know what
was the matter. At any rate, he does not suS-
pect that a nue which had been used for
twenty years could have caused the disaster!
1t has never "enterod his head that anything
could he wrong withit'!
In the same way it has never "cntcrcd Mr.
Pottcr's head" that there could be anything
wrong with the structure which is now in
ruins 1t was not iire-proof, to be sure, for it
was built twenty-five years ago; but it had
never been limited to him by official or tenant
that anybody would be in danger from
a Sudden outbreak Of fire. He promises
to rebuild on the old site struc-
ture that will be absolutely safe and
as nearly tire-proof as possible. Well,
is he doing as much at Astor-place and Bread
way2 Is that structure, which certainly looks
cheap absolutely safe and "as nearly fire.
proof as possible"Y we ask these pointed
questions because Mr. Potter ranks as an
ardent civil service rclormcr, and in his dcvo-
ton to theoretical politics and tentative re-
forms may be Overworking himself and thus
neelecting the requirements of practical archi-
lecture
TIE CHAMBER or COMMERCE on BANK