New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-01

man-st. wall OF the burning structure WI. s
about Il a. m with deafening crash: fortlohs, oi
the walls in PaYk-row and Nassau-st. feii apout ne
same time. The walls of the Post once Were 81 lloS
that they steamed and almost hissed Al ine , Trcs
on the Park-row side were closed, and the heaVy
iron shutters were fastened. As preeautloh IVY
body was kept out OF the rooms anu ~ ra o
that side except on the lower floor, where 'heie
w" 1I: TiSSa 1r M Il was evident that the remen
would be able to keep the flames from spreadlng
further The occupants OF 1he MAI bu'iui"s N"'
fled from their rooms during the excitement.
WHAT WAS DONE IN THE TINES" BUILDING
Tenants of The Times Building had packed mp
books papers and other valuable articles and car
ried them to THE TRIBUNE cOunting-ro0m and other
places for safety. Among thing carried out were
the contents of desks and drawers contain
ing papers and packages of types:
As soon as the roof and the Beekman-st wall OF
the burning building fell, the wall of Ire Iues
Building was seen 10 be uninjured The flames were
imprisoned within more narrow limits ana ceaseu
To threaten The Mail Building Gradually the me
Tor of The World structure melted away III lnc
flames, and at nothing remained except
portions of the Park-row and Nassau-st.
walls and heaps of burning debris The flames III
the ruins still burned fiercelv and the remaining
walls still threatened the bremen as they moNeu III
the mercess storm.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin of the fire has not been determined.
Some of those who escaped through the stairway
say that they saw flames first on the second floor
leaping through the elevator shaft. There Is a fue
close by the elevator and it thought that the ie
NAV have originated from some defect in it, The
engine room adjOlns the b"ttOm OF ,levaor shatt
and some believe that the fire mus have started
there. II was TumOred. without much apparent
foundation however, that the engineer had Otner
duties TO at end to besides his engine. When called
away 1t was said that he would build his ires ana
not return to watch them for long time. Fire Mar
shal Sheldon, who was Mt tbs nre, intends 10 begin
an investigation in a few days.
Despite the cold and the cutting wind the pro-
gress of destruction was watched by thousands OF
people Crowds gathered IN Park row, III Nassail-
ST. aud in the City Hall Park and pressed eagerly
toward the burning building. Against tins tide OF
humanity the police at first were poWefcsS ana I9r
brief time the firemen were impeded at their work.
Captain lyman of the Fourth Precinct, was soon on
hand with as strong force OF policemen as he could
cleared for the tremcn. Captain Leary, OF inc city
Halt police, went to Captain 1ynan.s assistance as
soon as he learned OF the fire. When the third
alarm was sounded Inspector Murray went 10 the
after ordering out from other precincts
The INSPECTOR soon had 100 men at his disposal ana
he establsleI lire lines IN alldlrcctons The police
had difficult task to perform. They stood IN the
storm for hours constantly, engaged ID keebing
the crowds III check. Cly Hall Park ana the + 81
Office Building were occupied from IL a. m ntll
evening by interested spectators, many OF whom
were unprOtccted by umbrellas. There was little
to see as the afternoon wore OH, except the police
and tle firemen. but the ruins were watched with
absorbing interest The ncwsbOys darted about,
CRYING the extra editions of the evening papers and
making harvest from the anxious thIOng.
The lines which meet al the POSt Otice
Building were blocked all day. The cars were stop,
ped as soon as the ircmen arrived in Park-rOw, and
the street was blocked later by means of wire
stretched across it. The ears of the Beecker-st.,
ThIr,-avc.. FOurth-ave. Avenue and Avenue ID
lines were not able 10 pass through Park-row at
late hour last night.
CROWDS UNTIL AFTER DARK.
The crowds of persons anxious to SEQ the fire
braved the terrible Storm sush and the cold until
after dark. About 3 o'clock storm of sleet with
brisk east wind made it very disagreeable out of
doors. but the crowd did not lessen, and persons
anxious to get along the north side & OF Par: Par,
and pass through the City Hall Park TO cs-
cape il. The police were very watchiul TO keep
unauthorized persons from entering tnelr cord3h. on
Times Building, or TO 90 10 Nash & Srook resaur-
ant were III many instances not allowed to do so
The fire continued to burn more or less
during the afternoon, although two or
three, streams OF water were were tp kept con-
fastene / a chain to the middle of the wall on the
Nassau-st side to tear it down. They put the cham
through window IN the Morse Building, and q
toward Beekman-st fell with crash. striking
the lower part of the Morse Building. Chef OF
Battalion Gicquel was standing at the entrance OF
the Morse Building at the tine ana narrowly
fSS'Dy% fis Whole %5'H vail All % on the Nassau sidS
ing, The windows and doors in the basement of
this were Knocked in but the solid character of the
structure prevented it from sustaining much dam
ace The frcmen then went to work 10 demOlsh
the wall standing against the, end of The Times
Buildmg They took long wedge-shape pieces of
wood and drove them III between the two walls.
thus starting out the one belonging to the
necessary Dt@ S''N to pull down all iho
walls before beginning the work of hunting for the
remains Of those lost III the fire. The search Will
begin this morning, by which time the debris will
have sufficiently cooled to allow of removal.
OPENING NEW OFFICES
Although practically nothing saved from
the fire. number of the firms
doing business in the building at once
opened offices elsewhere. Willy Wallach
tablished himself temporarily in the Stationers'
Board of Trade rooms in the Bennett
Building. The New-York Betting and Pack
ing Company secured a temporary office
ot No. % Park-row. The Turf Field and Farm has
a composing room in Barclay-st., where 1t tempo.
rarily established headquarters: A good many OF
the iO4 firms IN the burned building found tempo
rary abiding place, RS, before evening, ,,oood n,
the publishers of that paper at $1,000. with no H.
surance. The lre-wall erected about two years ago
saved h1e ppgT pdTbS GI roen 70 allow tbe passage
of streams of water into the burning building. The
sashes in the upper part OF tho Morse building were
part of it, but few thousand dollars will cover the
The old Mail Building. at Park-row and
Beekm lI-st. caught fire, has been stated, three
or four times. The water which the tiremen were
able to throw it would not have saved the struc-
turc had not the south wall of the old ytord Bulf-
ing fallen in at an early period in the fire. thus
gr1 atty lessening the heat: As it was the damage
by the fire aud water will eanse a loss of about
S3 600 or $4,000. The building is owned by the
iInggins estate. The Vanderbilt Building, at Mas
san and Beekman-sts. was also slightly damaged.
The total loss caused by the fire will amount to
something under $1.000000, and the insurance to
$350,000. -
WORK OF THE CORONER.
Coroner Herman, who was on duty yesterday
morning arrived at the scene Of the catastrophe
about 1925 o'clock Ellen Bull had just fallen and
was living in the counting room of The Times; she