New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03
THREE MILLIONS IN ASHES.
HEAVY LOSSES BY A FIRE IN BUFFALO.
FLAMES SWEEPING AWAY WHOLE BLOCKS IN
TIE MIDST OF WIND sToRM-oNE FIRE.
NAN ORUsHbD UNDER WALL.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUHRl

A
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsRl
Buffalo. Feb "a loss estimated at So, 00o. 900.
brave fireman instantly killed, and seventeen
people injured. That is the record of q great
fire which visited Buffalo this morning, the most
disastrous in the citys history The flames started
in the fve-story building OF Root & Keating in
Wells-st. between Carroll and Exchange sts The
fourth floor was occupied by Jacob Shantzs but
ton factory. Waterman Scheu saw flames there
at o'clock and ran to give the alarm Long
before the engines arrived the fourth and fifth
floors were mass of flames The lower floors
were filed with oiled leather and burned Ike
tinder.
wind blowing thirty-fve miles an hour swept
the flames across CarrolLst. into the rear windows
Of the splendid iron and stone Jewett Block, which
faces on Seneca-st. The building was supposed
to be ire-proof and it obstinately sylthstood the
flames for awhile. but finally succumbed. Be
tween Jewett's building and Wells-st stood the
hardware and stove store of Swift & Stambach,
/. W. Reynoldss shoe-store. the Danbury Hat
Companys store, and on the corner the fine four
story candy mandatory Of Sbley g. HOLLYWOOD.
The wind drove the flames into the rear of all
these buildings, over the ruins of the old Wells
Street Chapel, and the greatest efforts of the fire
men could not save them.
TWO HOTELS LEFT IN RUINS.
On the other side of Wells-st stood the Broezel
House and the Arlington House, back to back,
the former facing Seneca-st. the latter facing
Exchange The guests in both wcre aroused, and
had little time to spare. The flames blew in, and
an hour later both hotels were in ruins. The
Broezel House was well-known and popular
hoStelry Some two years ago it was burned TO
the ground, together with the Slbley d HOLLYWOOD
building.
Meantime the fire had been working its way
westward on Carroll7st, and found foothold in the
great seven-story building next 10 Root & Keat-
jng's. IL was about 3:1s a. m. when the fire
began TO make headway in the west end of the
large six-story building in Carroll-st, west OF
Root G. Keadng's, and occupied by Bingham &
Vile, the Richmond Lithographing Company,
Moffat Brothers, leather manufacturers; Einsfeh
Sc Emig, boot and shoe manufacturers; Mcclure,
Bloeser & Eggert, boots and shoes, and j. Stroot-
man Dc Co., shoes. Tho upper three floors were
burned out completely and the lower four ruined
by water,
After the Broezel House became furnace the
liquor-store OF s. f. Egan and the saloon of
Albert Ey, to the east on Seneca-st., saccumbed
to the flames, which threatened TO destroy tho
whole block clear through TO Michigan-st-, but
this was fortunately averted and the spread in
this direction ended The American Express
Company's barns were Quilted. Going to the west
on Scnoca-st the fire did not stop at Jewetts
building, but that acted as q breaker, and only
tho building on the west, occupied by A. I. Kerr
e. Co, was gutted The whiskey, wines and
alcohol proved rich food for the fire and several
barrels exploded From these buildings the blaze
swept north across Seneca-st end the building OF
Robinson & Dick, confectionery manufacturers,
was soon In ruins &. p. Churchilps Sons
grooeTy-store as No. i20 Scneca-st was gutted.
The Chnrchills occupied the whole building, and
the fremen could only save IL from total destruc-
ton by pouring in huge streams Of water. William
j. Donaldsons hardware store at No. 122 Seneca
Sc. was ruined by water. II looked for a long
time as IL the store would go. The fire was.
brought 10 stop on Carroll-st., east
ward, at the hve-story brick building of Fowler
g. Sons carriage hardware and trimmings This
building, however, was guttcd.
SPREADING DESTRUCTION IN ALL DIRECTIONS
The flames swept north, south, east and west
The damage done on the south was borne by
the Arlington Hotel in EXchange-st, below Wells
NJ, and the ticket offices Of Choat & Walsh and
J. +. Sheehan. Choat & Walshs ticket office at
Wells and Exchange SITS. was burned to the
ground. Nothing was saved. The entire build
ing was level with the street at o'clock Shee-
hams ticket Office, adjoining, was also annihi-
lated. NJ Zimmcrman's saloon, Frank Weber's
saloon and restaurant, the Kirby House, the Brad
ford House. Beyer's saloon, and the Drovers'
Home were burned out
The people who lived in these places carried
their household effects TO the Central depot. AT
o'clock this morning the scene there was pitt
full one Men. women and children were gathered
around in groups in the depot guarding what
they had saved from the flames. Bedding, fur
niture and articles of every kind were piled
up in confusion.
The building occupied by the Buffalo Mattress
Company. on Exchang-st, Is completely sutted'
and was abandoned by the fremen. Grave fears
were for time entertained for the safety of the
union depot, In Exchangest,, opposite the burn
ing buildings. The principal losses by the fire
are figured as follows: