New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-09
PRICE FOUR CENTS.

house between South Fourth and South Fifth.
cts. Some OF the trucks belonging 10 the firm were
employed In moving barrels Of sugar 10 one Of the
other houses. Only few barrels, however, were
removed when the work was stopped.
There are two private houses on a corner diagon-
ally opposite tho burned building. These were
thought to he III danger at one time and the occ1-
Pants were ordered 10 pack their goods and move
Dorm. They we're not damaged. however
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE NOT KNOWN.
Many of the workmen asked last night for q
probable cause Of the fire. but they were unable TO
assign auy reason for IL. Mr. Haveweyer,could not
learn anything about il. There were 1000 men
employed In the refinery alone, and the destruction
of that building will cause a suspension Of the busi.
sess The loss on the refinery will amount to about
amillion and half the machinery alone costing
three quarters Of n million. The building was IN.
sured for about 5000 900, IL was said by sOme-all
the insurance that could be obtained on a
tinery. The book keeper said that IT was impossible
TO give q list Of the companies but
added that all the principal companies In this
country and some foreign companies had risks
the refinery. He thought that policies had been
taken out in about one hundred companies, but that
none had n risk of over $4,000 on the bu1ing.
The capacity Of the refinery, was about 1000 bar
rels a day The estimated value of the building
and stock owned by the firm in the neghborhOod OF
the fire Is six millions.
The firm has undergone some changes since it was
org nzed. II is at present composed of the follow
ing members: Theodore \. Hayemcyer Frederick
G. liayemeyer Henry o. Hayemeyer and Charles
II, SEMI.
WHAT MR.. HAvFMEYER SAYS
Theodore 4. Hayemeyer had just reached his
home, in tins city, when he received a dispatch
saying that the refinery was on fire.
He had mado arrangements to 20 ont
to his farm at Mahwah. y. j.. but started az once
for the refinery. With blackcncd face aud wet
clothing he paused in his inspection tour after the
fire was under control, 10 talk e. IRrBUNE re-
porter about probable losses and insurance. Hts
face wore look OF sadness for 0the.s than himself
who were thrown out of employment, and he ex-
pressed great sympathy for the workmcn.
Really, cannot form any definite estimate Of
the losses he said; "but think they Will foot up
between II 100000 and Sl,50O,0O0. This was our
refinery, and init was all our principal machinery In
Guiding engines boilers the cariers, tiger pans
etc. Iclnnot tell You what the insurance ls, but
don't think IT will cover orr losses; What regret
mos Is that tho ire VIII fall hard upon about
Thousand employees who will be thrown out Of work,
the los, OF the refinery absolutely stops the busi-
ne>s. am N hopes that there will be 10 delay in
adjusting orr losses. in which case we shall
begin 70 clear away tho ruins and put up
another building soon AZ possible: Then, nearly,
II not ALL the men VIII be given work Immediately,
Our building on the east SIDE Of flrsi-st' Is q
new structure, aud IS not, think, damaged TO any
serious extent our warehouse between south
Fourth and h-Itth-sts. was nearly tull ot re-
fined sugars really for shipment, and n few truck
loads were moved away. Some water was thrown
on the building out trust that none Of The sugar
John James, living at No. 1O7 South-Fourth-st,
who has been engineer in the employ of the Have
about the building trying 10 save the books ana
other valuable articles. lie sald:
was sitting in my office on the second nCqr.
above the main office IN the southeast corner of The
refinery. | was writing up my books and vas in my
shirt sleeves. had also taken oil my gold wa ch
and the things cut of my pockets includ NJ about
S2OO In money. and laid them IN the drawer OF my
desk. | was suddenly startled by clodd or
Smoke, and rushing cut of the office into tho next
room. | saw flames. | at once opened the pipe con-
ncctions to the hose and started TO open other
connections, but WAS driven back by the sud-
den and intense heat and smoke. | ran toward ny
Office and was again driven back by th" smoke Be
fore could got to the stairway, and the Lord only
knows how | reached there. | was near
" suffocated, but i got ont of tho
building finally, and as emerged in the street, tho
building was apparently envelOped III flames which
shot several hundred feet Upward, with roaring
back by the fhe ! think should have had all or
the hose connections opened before rhe tT0 engines
got there; but with the headway that the fire
seemed to have, IL is doubtful IL they could
have done much good cannot tell
how the fire originated as there cOmbnsti.
bies in that part Of the building where 1t started
Charles Iuite one Of the wOrhnon saidi " The iire
broke ont ia the first floor, near the northeast cor
ner. Every effort made TO keep II from COM
muGicating to the other apartments, but The naAes
swept around through the ro0ms On the hrst Ioor
so rapidly that nothing could be done. Two large
baskets of papers were taken out Of the office end
stored in OF the adjoining buildings. one of tho
safe, could not be opened. About 200 barrels Of
sugar were saved from the refinery before the flames
spread. Ihave no idea how the hre started IL vas
GiSCbFtltu Dl IL NdOiuAduj bNI lAC hhV"' HN'H'"s
about the cause Of it,
Edward Homan another employe. said g When
we first saw the flames rushed into the room
where the tire was but were unable 10 hight The
flames. The smoke soon became 80 dense that we
were all driven ont. There IS bell which sounds
an alarm. but the rope had been burned and
would not work. To me the fire is a mystery
The burned building was originally a warehouse
and was purchased by Havemeyer Il Elder ip
1887. The firm began 10 make alterations in 1860,
and before it finished In 1852 was almost
absolutely rebuilt. It Is Thought that suoh DIS
astrous tire could not have occurred upon week
Iatr