The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-04-25
FIERCE AND FATAL.
New York Visited by the Most Dis
0str0us Fire Witnessed for
a Generation.


this generation swept the east bank Of the
North river clear to-day from Fiftg-ninth
street to what would be SiXty-sIxth street, ii
that street ran to the river. 1t destroyed
more than 81 ,50O,OO worth of property
belonging to the New York Central railroad,
apd at least 100000 worth of lard, -four
and the like belonging to other per-
sons, notably N. X. Fairbanks, the
great Chicago lard merchant The flames
destroyed the two big elevators, A and B, of
the Vanderbilt system, big brick building
stretching from Fifty ninth street to Sixtieth
street, and occupied jointly by the Farbank
Lard refinery and the Rossiter stores, and
wiped out the dock property of the New
York Central railroad system from Fifty
ninth street to past Sixtieth street At least
one man was killed In his headlong flight
from the fire at the first outbreak. A number
were injured jumping from windows of the
burning building, but in the wild terror of
the connagratton, no account was kept of
them. The police have u record of the fol-
lowing casualties:
Henry Benning, single, a workmrn in Fair
banks refinery. killed by jumping from three
story window.
John Johnson. likewise a workman n Fair
banks, severely injured on the back by jumping
from window.
Charles Brown, severe injuries about the head,
from the same cause
William J. Noble, fireman of engine No. 2,
prostrated by he heat while at work at the foot
of Fifty-ninth street.
Edward H. Tobin, fireman. likewise Frustrated
by the heat.
RUMoRs OF CASUALTIES.
Rumors were rife all the evening that
number of workmen had been caught and
burned in the Fairt anks refinery, but it has
been thus far impossible to ascertain the
truth of them. A. least quarter of mill
ion people turned out to watch the brilliant
sight from beyond the police lines on Twelfth
avenue All the Westside streets are blocked
and the elevated trains carried swarms up
and down town to swell the crowds.
The police reserves were called
out to preserve order. Every
fire engine above Fourteenth street was
called out in the wolk of extinction, but the
tiremen fought against tremendous odds,
owing to the resIstless rush of the flames,
and because of the conformation OF the
ground in the locality, which is upon a
rugged slope from higher ground to the
Hudson river. The fire BROKE out in
the southeast corner of the Fairbanks re-
tinery, where workmen were busy at the time,
setting up lard-cOolin g apparatus, when
the fire started-how, no one knows, prob
ably no one ever will know. Soaked in grease
as the old building was it v as aflame in an
instant From the ground floor the fire
swept upward to the roof, almost with the
speed of thought. The men at work in
every story dropped their tools and ran to
save their lives. The staircases formed a
glowing chimney, throwing out fire through
every floor. The windows presented the
only means Of escape
PURSUED CLOSE BY FLAMES,
men flung themselves out by scores head
long and behind them burst out the flames
How many were there no one could tell.
Those who came out were picked up and
carried away by their friends Crying wives
and mothers crowded the police lines shout
ing for their husbands and sons or begging
for news of them. The Fair
banks rehner the old establishment
of the F. J. Wilcox company, stands upon
the water front between Fifty-ninth and Six
tieth Streets occupying half of building
20Ox2OO feet, that filled out the block. The
refinery was in the south half, the Rossiter
stores for general merchandise on the north
side A strong brick wall divided the build
ing in the middle. Upon this brick wall,
during half-hour of desperate effort,
the hremen based their hope of sue
cessful combat. The flames beat against it,
heated 1T red hot; other brick walls and the
roof fell in upon it, but it stood like rock.
Anything save such fire it would have re-
sisted, but flames fed by melted and flowing
lard burn tiercely, and leap high. They
leaped above and around the sturdy barrier,
and reached across Sixtieth street and the
dock slip Over rthere stood the fist and the
biggest of the
ENORMOUS GRAIN ELEVATORS
of the New York Central railroad. 1t was
Elevator A, the construction of which cost
$500, 900. 1t stood presenting its gable end
to the flames that were blown toward it.
Once that caught fire there w would be no saw
and no telling where the fire
would stop, for beyond were freight
sheds innumerab,e. Between the ele-
yators on the water front and Twelfth
avenue were first twenty-seven railroad
tracks. which no fire engine could cross, and
next, the Union stock yards, halt-lnile OF
broad enclosure and pens, equally impass.
able. Even if way could have been hewn
through the enclosures and the tracks the
line of demsrcation between the two was
five feet The tracks were that much lower
than the yard There was no way for a fire
engine to reach the elevators, except along
gixtieth street, past the burning building,
and that was then almost impossible, and
soon was blocked entirely. Chief Shay saw
it and led his men to fight for very life to
save the elevators. He knew that even if
they did get their fire engines into the rail-
! 10 fhoxp ho oE tIa for
there was only a small six-inch water pipe
there, and that was pitiably insufficient He
TELEGRAPHED FOR THE FIRE BOATS,
for the charity commissioners TWO boats,
and for the police boat patrol. The patrol
was, as usual, laid up because out of repair,
but the others responded. They came down
with four or five tugs belonging to the rail
road company, and put their pumps at work
to throw water on the threatened buildings
Soon every hose was playing from
some window in the roof, the pump
ing works in the engine house
were working to their utmost and a select
company of tiremen directed operations Il
was all in vain. The tremendous heat from
the fire across the street dried and warped
the woodwork of the big frame building.
Though 1t was sheatheQ with corrugated
iron and protected by slate. 1t shrivellcd ul
like withered leaves, the slate fell from it's
sides in red-hot rain, a thin blue film ot
smoke rose from its roof and sides, then q
tiny wreath of something darker eurled from
que of the dormer windows, dull red light
showed behind it. A shout went up, %rhere
she goes" and then came burst from half q
dozen windows at once, and the building
was on fire. The covering of safe and iron
rolled off fn great cracking erpsts, the
flames shot upward for hundreds of feet
and burning pieces of material slid and flew
In all directions with vicious force. The
Rossiter stores still stood dark and with
closed iron shutters. But the water thrown
by the firemen sizzled and boiled when il
touched them, betrayipg the burning heal
within. The northwest corner of the wal
swayed a moment, then it
FELL WITH A LAUNDERING CRASH
The falling wall released hunareds of tons
of stores that rolled out in heap and filled