The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-02
THE FIRE FIEND.
DESTRUCTIVE CONFEDERATION
IN NEW YORK.
BuiIdings i'm Park, or Printing
office Row., in Ashes.
Appalling scenes and Fearful
Loss of Life--Men and Women
Disappear I'm the Flames.
Partial List of the Sufferers.

NEW YORK, Jan. 3i.-A fire broke
out at 10 O'Clock this morning in a
building OH The corner of Park Row
and Beekman streets, recently occu-
pied by the New York World. The
flames spread rapidly, and involved
the entire block as far as the Times
office. The latter suffered some
damage, but the fire was extin-
guished before doing serious harm
to the Times. All the other build
ings in the block were partially de-
stroyed. 1t was known that one
woman was killed in trying to
escape by the window. She broke
through o canvas stretched to save
her, and her head was crushed. 1t
is supposed that other lives were
lost. The pecuniary loss is very
heavy. Ia the block were q large
number of offices of weekly and
class newspapers and periodicals.,
among which were the Scientific
American, New York Observer,
Turf, Field aud Farm, and the Scotch
American Journal, Thompson's
bank, Note and Commercial
Reporter, Forest and Stream, aud
Italian, Spanish, Swedish, German
and Portuguese Journals and num-
Der of advertising agencies. The
building involved is at 80, 81 and 80,
Park Row. Among the occupants
of the ground floor are all extensive
rubber firm and a wholesale ma
chinery and hardware house. The
list of the losers is very large and
amounts heavy. Rumors are afloat
that fifteen lives have been lost, but
only one corpse has been found so
far.
The buildings destroyed or dam
aged to-day by the fire, composed
the entire triangular block bounded
by Park Row, Beekman and Nassau
streets, and was one of the most
crowded blocks in the city, consid-
ering the space it covered. The up
per floors were occupied by various
manufacturing industries, and as
composing rooms of weekly news
papers, n majority of which em-
plOyed women cOmpositOrs. The
fire began in the old building re-
Gently occupied by the World. Ii
is the property of eX-COngressman
Orland Il. Potter. 1t was very
large, extending from Park Row to
Nassau street, along Beekman, with
entrances only OH Park Row and
Nassau street. 1t was full of wooden
partitions, corridors and crowded
slairways, and has for years been
regarded by iiremen with apprehen-
sion. Recently an elevator has been
put in on the Nassau street side and
in this elevator shaft the fire orig
mated, in the basement, flew up the
shaft, filling the halls and stairways
so quickly with flames that escape by
that means was out of the question,
before the occupants of this upper
floors suspected danger. Many peo-
pie were seen by those in the street
below to appear at the windows of
the burning building with-their hair
and garments ablaZe, but they soon
disappeared. One man who gained
the roof escaped by way of the
Times building. He shouted TO the
rescuers that scores of people were
cut off from escape. Some jumped
from the windows and were
killed or MORALLY injured
on the pavements below. One
or two boys who jumped from the
building had their legs broken by
Striking the telegraph wires, but
escaped death. A large, heavy man
who leaped from third-stOry win
dow on Nassau street, struck tho
net work of wires and was almost
cut to pieces as he crashed through
them. The fire was stopped at the
Times building. The heaviest
losers III money are o. B. Potter
owner OF the building, and the New
York Betting and Packing com
pany, the latter being ten.
ant. They lose $l50,OO0 OIL
their stock; insured for 100000
Nothing approaching any accurate
statement of casualties can yet bt
| given, as the bodies of the dead
were quickly carried away to differ.
ent places, and the wounded wer,
hurried to the hospitals, where some
afterwards died. Many deeds oil
herOism were performed by the fire
men and citizens, and two cOiOred
boys excited enthusiasm, in two
| different localities, by presence O.
mind and bravery, which resulted, il
one case, in-saving five, and another
three. workmen, whose escap,
seemed hopeless.
The polio eofficers think that NJ
more than half u dozen lives were
lost by to-day's fire. Many of th,
missing are turning up, and the PEG
pie are becoming cool. The minor
casualties among the people wht
were able 10 go home are numerous
The police render the following al
their estimate of the losses: Tb,
New York betting and packing com
pany, 100000; Pettingill 4 Co
$4,000; New York Observer, $40,
600; Turf. Field and Farm, $4,000
Scottish American, $4,000; Wallach
stationers, $4,000; Marks, tailor
$4,000; Roderiquez & Pords, cigars
$1,000; Orlando Potter, building
| $4,000; Eugene Kelley, building
$4,000; Evening Mail building
$4,000; Morse building, $4,000
Nash 4 Crook, restaurant, $4,000
Times building, $4,000. But this lis
don't embrace half the losses, anC
the cases of some mentioned
amounts are much below the &C
knowledged losses.