The Portland daily press., 1888-03-02
THE THREE SKIES.
A million Dollars Lost by New York
Fire.
Waves of Flame Sweep Through
Nearly an Entire Square,
And are subdued Only After Three
Hours Hard Work.

New YORK, March LA fire broke out at
12.40 this noon in the POTTER and Stymus
building at the corner of 42d street and Lex
ington avenue, and swept almost the entire
block, bounded by Lexington and Third ay-
enues, and 42d and 41st streets The loss Is
estimated at million dollars. The Potter
and Stymus building covered the entire
frontage on Lexington avenue between 41st
and AZ street $50 feet, and extended back
toward Third avenue 300 feet on each street.
1t was seven stories, Of brick and brown
stone, owned by Potter & Stymus, furniture
manufacturers. The company occupied all
the building ON the Lexington avenue front
excepting the first floor, which was occupied
by w. H. Ertell, manufacturer OF furniture
and decorations. A large wing was occupied
by Powell, Wenigman & Smith, cigar manu-
facturers.
The fire broke out in the northwest corner
of the POTTER q Stymus building, and ran
through the building almost like an electric
fash. 1t burst into the cigar factory where
$50 men were eating luncheon, and the men
dashed down the broad stairs, barely escap-
ing from the flames that almost instantly
seized the entire building. The moment the
firemen arrived the "Three Skies" alarm was
sent out, bringing to the scene 2i engine COM
panies, hook and ladder companies and a
water tower. About $50 policemen soon ar
rived and were kept busy keeping back the
crowd.
Twenty-eight minutes from the time the
fire was discovered, the wall Of the Pattier
d Stymus building fell in. The wind swept
the flames east toward Third avenue. Three
houses, occupied as stores on the first floors,
and as dwellings above, lay between the Pot
tier & Stymus building and the corner
house on Third Avenue. They were soon
blazing, while the terrified inmates fed with
what little clothing and valuables they could
clutch. AS they ran the same fate befel the
houses on 41st street, between the burning
building and Third Avenue. The fremen
could do nothing to save the buildings from
burning, and confined their efforts to pre-
venting the spread of the flames. They sue
ceeded in saving the row Of houses on Third
Avenue, forming the fourth and only remain
ing side Of the square.
The houses on 41st street, facing the burn
ing building, were threatened with destruc--
tion. Window panes were cracked, and
wooden door and window frames 5lazed up,
but the streams extinguished them and pre-
served the houses. The wooden girders of
the elevated road branch on AID street, was
almost entirely burned away, and section
of the road 25 feet long, was crushed by
falling wall.
The flames from the girders conducted the
fire to the Vanderbilt hotel on the northeast
corner corner of AID street and Lexington
Avenue, and the front of the hotel was soon
in blaze. The hotel was saved,
but drenched and rendered uninhabitable.
Three adjoining brown stone fats caught fire
in a similar manner but were saved. On the
west side Of Lexington avenue, between 41st
street and 42d street, is the Manhattan Stor-
age Warehouse, containing hundreds OF thou
sands of dollars worth of yaluables. The
walls cracked and blistered with the heat and
emitted clouds of steam as the water from
dozens of hose pipes was poured on. The
immense flag pole on the top OF the storehouss
caught fire and blazed above it until the fire
mems axes chopped it down and 1t fell to the
street with crash.
On the northwest corner OF AID street and
Lexington avenue is the hospital for the rup-
tured and crippled. in which were 100 or
more crippled children. This building was
saved.
Assistant Foreman Samuel Reed, of Engine
2, was struck on the right shoulder and his
collar bone broken. Patrolman Malone was
struck ON the face by burning brand and
badly burned and bruised. After three hours
hard fighting the great fire was under control