Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-27

A Large Furniture Factory Burned,
Causing Losses OF Several Hundred
Thousand OOllmrx.

NEW YORK. May 21.-The vast furniture fac
tory OF II. Herman Bros, at Mangin and Tomp-
kins streets was discovered TO be on fire nj $50
O'Clock this morning. II is five-story brick
building, and occupies the whole block 'front.'
ing 200 feet on Delaney and i SO feet on the
other streets. IL was the old building occupied
saturated with OIL The whole building is sur
rounded by miserable tenement houses occu-
pied by the poorest classes in the city. The
hre was intensely hot, and nearly hundred
families We're driven from their homes They
rushed out I'm their night clothes aud were COM
PEELED 10 camp on the river side where they
AT O'Clock the whole building WAS in flames
and there was no hope of saving any OF the
property. and the nrcmen directed their efforts
TO making the miserable people as comfortable
as possible.
AT 4:3o a. m. alarms were sent .out for
extra engines, and IL looked though the
whole surrounding neighhorbood would be de-
stroyed. At O'Clock alarms were still being
sent out for extra engines. The reason the
flames spread So rapidly was on account Of the
OIL in the floors. The factory was filled with
furniture, and II is estimated that the loss viii
amount to more than Sl 100000. This Is the
busy season OF the year. and the loss will be
still heavier for the company for this reason.
work
The streets at $50 am were crowded with
people, and the greatest excitement prevailed
IN the neighborhood, as everybody I'm the sur
rounding tenement houses was moving furni-
ture and seeking Ia escape from the flames,
which were fast spreading i'm all directions
SuPt. Pinnop, of the factory, said IL was Inn
possible 10 say where the fire originated but it
was believed that il mad started in the engine
room.
Though the entire available force OF the fire
department was summoned. it was two hours
before the nameS were fairly under control.
The flames are burning fiercCly in the ruins vet
but all danger of their further spread has passed
The factory, five-stoIy brick building is a
total loss. Mr. Herman estimates his fpSS MT
about S250.Oo0. which is covered by insurance
IN u large number ot companies. The loss on
the building. that is owned by an estate. he
AT moan
cred To a large extent 10y Insurance. Five hun.
dred skilled worfImen were employed I'm the
tactory, and lose all their tools. the aggregate
value of which is about S2u,OoO, and on these
there are only scattered sums OF insurance.
The workmen Will be thrown out Of employ
ment 10y the fire. More or less damage was
done TO some adj jpinng buildings. The factory
was filled from CELLAR to roof with dry lumber,
that burned readily, giving out fierce heat
that made the work OF the firemen exceedingly
difficult and arduous 1t almost impossi-
BILE 10 pass within a block. The occupants Of
the TompkinS street tenementS fled in confu-
sion. and were marShaled in place OF safety
by the police, dragging with them what they
could of their property. The tcnemcnts caught
fire repeatedly, and were saved only by great
eNertion on the part OF the firemcn. About two
hours after the fire broke out "A wall OF
the burning factory fell on the dwelling house
No. 30 Tompkins street owned and occupied by
Richard HerdgeS, and smashed in the uDper
Another falling wall smashed the boiler shop
OF Philip Hoterhau>er. Ne. - Tompkins street,
and did $4,000 damage there. Seven houses
that adjOined the factory on Mangin street We're
more or less damaged. They are all dwelling
houses. The Singer Sewing Machine compauy
owned the building, which. with its machinery
Is valued at over s25o,ooo,
A Drunken Mans Fatal Freak
KILLED BY HIS son WHOM HE ORDERED To
SHOOT CUP FROM HIS HEAD.