New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
HEAVY DAMAGE BY WATER
THE CENTURY COMPANY'S LOSS.

LARGE INsURANCrs on THE FIRE IN UNION sQoAhh
THE PRINCIPAL LOSERS.
Losses amounting to about quarter OF million
OF dollars were caused by tie fire In " Inc 'eh'ut!
Building early yesterday morning. The building is
The highest structure on the north side Of Union
Square and 1t extends through tho block to Nos
1916 East E.chtcenthst. 1t IS six stories high
I'm Eghtccnths, and there is an extra story AT the
south end which has been occupied by Janltor vii
son and his family Below the fifth floor, which
arc the offices and editorial Of L" The Century
Comrany each story Is large ROOM undivided by
partitions except those for the Railways and elevator
shafts.
The flames were discovered few minutes before
m, in George W. Alexanders bookbindery. in the
sixth story Large stacks OF printed paper filled up
neatly one-ffth OF the floor space and furnished
abundant fuel for big fire. In fcw minutes the
famoS had burst through the roof and shooting
up fifty feet above IT, while breeze from the west
carried dense clouds OF smoke over the Everett
House next door and past the windows Of the
Beviderc and Florence apartment houses and OF the
Clarendon IIeel. There was much excitement IL
these buildings, particularly in the Everett House,
from which few of the 100 guests departed in haste
Henry Wilson, the janitor of the Century building
made haste get his family out Of their ROOMS over
the burning bookbndcry. lie fell and broke his leg
in escaping, but his family got out safely Policemen
sent him TO the New York Iospital.
Fircmcn were called by three alarms to battle with
the flames but it was not until the water tower
could be got work that streams Of water could 10
poured on the flames in the sixth story. Lines Of
hose were dragged up to the rooms OF the Century
Company on the fifth floor and the frcmcn made a
gallant stand there prevent the flames from de-
scending into the lower stories Members OF the
Insurance Patrol also went up far The fifth
story, spreading rubber blankets over the goods on
each floor and thus saving property worth many
thousands of dollars from being ruined by water.
The fire lighted up a large part of the city
and attracted largo crowds. while the flames continued
TO rise above the roof of the lofty building.
The frcmcn did not get the flames under control
until daybrcak By that time most OF the roof on The
Eighcenthst end of the building had been destroyed
and the bookbindcry had been thoroughly burned
Out. The rooms of Janor Wilson. Oven the book
bindcIy the Union Square end Of tho building, had
been wrecked. Large holes had been burned through
the ceilings of the Century Company's offices in the
fifth story. Il. W. elders had been blackencd
by the flames and the Office furniture had been ruined
Desks had been damaged and books and papers had
been destroyed in several other editorial rooms The
worst damage I'm that Story, however, had been done
by water, which soaked the carpets, decorative hang
ngs, framed pictures and some of the books ana maya
zines in the rooms. below the fifth story the losses
Dy water heavy. The hTcnlun had been Obliged
holes through the HOOPS 10 keep the plastcnne
iron being forced from the ceilings oy ne force q
The loss I'm George W. AleXanderS boOkbndcry
was believed to be about 10000 although o Mr.
Most of the STOCK In the place belonged to publishing
firms who have made practice OF sending printed
paper in bulk and having books bound as RAPIDLY as
Iho editions wanted in the trade. Among the
tho losers by the fire, Mr.. McNandcrs manager said
yesterday, CharcS l.. Webster d Co., George H.
Lockwood, G. ". Dillingham;, Dodd, Mead q Co.,
Putnam & sons, Clara Maynard, T. T. Treat and and
their stock in the bookbindcry fully insured
President Roswell smith Of The n% aenlITy' b LoP
were in safes or in the DC Nnne press building IN La