St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-31
Nearly Two Million Dollars Of
Property in New York De-
stroyed by Fire.
Four Immense Business
Blocks Are Wiped Out by
the Fire Demon.
Several Persons Killed by an
Accident on the Lake
Shore Road.
A Second Train Plunges on
Top Of the Wreck and Made
the Disaster Worse.

NEW 1ORh, jail. OU.-DIOduWdy WIS
visited, at 5:45 O'clock this morning, by
the most fierce and disastrous fire that
has occurred in the great thorOughfarei
for fifteen years. In one and half
hours, despite the sending out Of gen.
eral call for fire apparatus, four i'm
menSe business houses were destroyed
and others seriously damaged. The
About half an hour after the fire was
discovered an explosion occurred by
which Assistant Foreman Michael Reilly
of Hook and Ladder No. was fatally
injured, and several others more
or less hurt. The fire was
discovered at 5:45 o'clock by an
officer of the Eighth precinct in the
basement of the building, $40 and 551
Broadway, occupied by Henry Rogers.
The officer Immediately sent out an
alarm, which was followed by second
and third, and finally the general
alarm called the engines stationed south
of Fourteenth street. The streets in the
vicinity of the fire were soon swarmlhg
with engines and trucks. Chief Shay
with his assistants at once took COM
mand and directed the various fire cap
tainS and companies in their attack on
the flames, which made rapid progress,
eating their way to the roof within
few minutes and driving the firemen
onto the adjoining buildings. They saw
that
THE STRUCTURE WAS DOOMED
and Immediately turned their attention
to the surrounding property. At 7:15,
just an hour and half after the first
engine arrived, the building was totally
gutted and the flames were mounting
high above the roof. Next flames were
seen to issue from 553 Broadway. They
first made their appearance on the fifth
uteS afterwards terrific explosion Oc-
Cured, followed by shower of bricks
and iron, which fell into the street.
Assistant Foreman Riley was caught
under the bulk of the falling debris and
fatally hurt. Chief Shay had narrow
escape. A piece of iron weighing at
least $50 pounds fell at his feet. Several
chiefs of battaliOnS, who were standing
near him also narrowly escaped the
flying missiles. A number of firemen
received tritling injuries. The ex-
plosiOn sent the sparks high in the air
and they fell in showers Oh the adjoin-
ing property, while the flames burned
fiercer than before. Soon No. 547 began
to burn. At s o'clock this building was
A MASS OF FLAMES
from cellar to roof and the upper floors
of No. 545 were burning, but the flames
had been checked at No. 553 and in the
rear of the burning buildings which are
numbered 116, 11S, 120, 122 and 124 Mer-
Ger street. The flames were kept from
spreading to the buildings on the oppo-
site side of the street. The interior of
the double building No. $40 and 551
Broadway was like a glowing furnace
and the iron front had bulged badly.
The firemen were ordered to stand
clear. A few moments afterwards the
entire front came down with a crash.
From this time on the firemen slowly
but surely gained headway on the
flames, and at s, o'clock the fire was
fully under control. The Evening
World estimates the loss at between
S4,000.000 and S6,000,000. AT r. &. Dun
d Co.'s mercantile agency the losses on
stock of the following firms are estima-
ted as follows:
r. Isaacs & Co., Japanese goods, carried
very valuable stock, worth between $4,000
and 100000.
Mitchell & Picard, stock of S25, 900.
Jerkowski d. Ernst. $4,000.
Stern, Falk Co., clothing, carried a stock
of $15O,O0O.
Robertson & Kaufman. stock of S15OOOO.
Charles A. Yost q Co., clothing, loss $780,
900.
Malcolmson & Co., clothing, stock esti-
mated at S150,O0O.
Stiner. Kuhn & Co., S75 900:
II. Bacharach d Co., artificial flowers, car
ried stock of S25O,OOO.
The losses of these firms are estimated to
range all the way from $23, 900 to $1OO, 900:
Louis MetZger, importer; j. S. Sternham,
McBirney & Co.. NJ. Kaempter, Wet, Son &
Co., H. B. & E. Stern, j. d. Gottschalk and F.
Brander e. Co.
Fireman Reilly died at noon from his
injuries.
LATER.
The latest estimate of the losses sus-
tanned both by fire and water place the
figures at 81, 100000, with insurance run
ming up into the millions.
ANOTHER FIRE
While the big fire was in progress an
other broke out in Charles Pieser's mat
treSs factory, No. 16 Pell street, creating
panic among the tenements in the
neighborhood, but it was confined to the
building where it started. Loss, $50, 900;
insured.