Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-17
YESTERDAY,S RIG FIRE.

Three Hundred Thousand Dollars
 Worth of Property Destroyed-The
 Fire at Sperry E Barnes'-LOss over
 3OO,OOO-Insured for $3OS, ,5OO-One
 of the Largest Fires in Many Years
 in This City-Brave Work by the
 Ffremen-A Dense Pau of Smoke
 Scenes and Incidents at the COnfia-
 grafton.
 The fire at Sperry & Barnes pork packing establishment, Long Wharf, yesterday, was one of the most disastrous that has occurred in the city in years. The alarm was struck at 4:45, the firms private box being pulled. In a very few minutes general alarm-1O strokes-was given and the whole strength of the fire department was soon engaged in a fierce but unequal battle with the flames, which spread with ravenous rapidity owing to scarcity of water and the lard, tallow, fat and other infammable substances on the premises. The whole city was astir earlier than usual, and thousands of people poured down State street to the scene of the conha- grafton from all avenues leading to the same. The police soon had rope barrier stretched across the street to keep back the crowd from overhowing the street in the immediate vicinity of the fire. MT. Barnes, of the firm.
 
 the alarm. An enterprising cab driver on the lookout for business drove rapidly to MT. Barnes house and caught him already to call cab. MT. Sperry, the senior partner, was appraised by telephone and soon was driven to the scene. MT. Joseph Porter of the firm was also soon at the scene. The fire was now blazing furiously and great volumes of dense black smoke poured upward or crept along sideways. All the steamers were kept busy at work until or 5 o'clock in the afternoon and 8 part of the de- partment was on duty until a late hour last night. At four o'clock the work of the department was concentrated upon the portion of the premises where the fire still ragged. This was in the building on the south next the ice house. Here was vortex of fire from which 8 great body of steam float ed upward, obscuring all sight of the fierce flames raging beneath, even from the delega ton of smoke-begrimed firemen who stood upon the lofty adjoining building and poured the abyss of fire and steam below. Over 1,500 tierces of lard of 325 pounds each were burning in this last stronghold of the fire. These 1,500 tierces were worth over $37 ,000. A few spectators who had mounted to the roof of the build oOS4iS SOAO"3 access to the top of the building was soon barred by Sergeant Bishop of the police force, who debarred further entrance to out siders.
 The fire yesterday was thought by some to be not as large as the other great fire at Sperry & Barnes, but it was in fact larger, the premises of the concern being greatly larger than then. The previous great fire occurred nine years ago the 26th of last November. The present buildings of the firm occupy frontage of $50 feet, ,and the land on which they stand is about 250 feet in depth, all this area being densely packed with buildings, many of these three four stories in height. The fire began in the storehouse on the northern end and swept clear along till it reached the southern most buildings where it was stopped. The large ice house, holding when full 10000 tons of ice, was one of the barriers to the further progress of the flames, although the ''upper works'' and one side of the building were much damaged. The damage done could not in the hurry and excitement of yesterday be closely estimated, but MT. Sperry, of the firm, thought it would con siderably exceed the insurance. The firm were insured for $308, 800 in the following com Danies: