The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-04-26
NEW YoRK's GREAT FIRE.

New YoBK, April l9.-Thc bigges
and fiercest fire New Workers have eve
witnessed in this generation swept tn
East bank Of North River clear ycster
day from Fifty-ninth street to wha
would be Sixty-f(th street, if tho stree
ran to the river there. 1t destroyed
more than million and half of pro
perty belonging to the New York Cen
trail Railroad, and at least half million
dollacs' worth Of stores of lard, -four ant
the like belonging to other persons, not.
ably N. X. Fairbanks. the great Chicago
lard merchant. 1t destroyed tho two
big elevators. A and b. ofthe Vanderbilt
system, big brick building stretching
from Fifty-ninth street to Sixtieth street
and occupied jointly by the Fairbanks
lard refinery and stores, and wiped out
the dock property Of the New York
Central System from Fifty-ninth to
past Sixty-fifth street. The total losses
will aggregate S3,000,000.
AT least one man was killed in his
headlong flight from the fro at tho first
outbreak. A number were Injured
Jumping from the windows during the tres
mendous conhagration but no account wa
kept of them. at least 100000 pco-
pie turned out to watch the brilliant
sight.
The fire broke out in the southwest
corner of Fairbanks refinery, where
the workmen were busy at the time
putting in u new lard cooling apparatus,
how now no one knows, and probably
no one ever will know. Soaked in grease
as the old building was aAamc in an in
slant. From the ground floor the fire
swept upward to the roof The men
at work in every story dropped their
tools and ran for life. The stair-holc
was glowing chimney Of FIRE. The
windows were the only way out. Men
flung themselves out by scores head
long, and behind them burst out the
flames. How many were there no ono
could toll. Those who cam, out were
picked up and cIrricd away by their
friends, shuddering to think that some
might have been left
The fire swept on through Fairbanks
refinery to tho old establishment of W.
j. Wilcox & Co, up on tho water front
between Fifty-ninth and Sixrieth Streets
occupying half OF tho building, 20Oz2OO
feet, that filed out the block.
But flames fed By molten lard buru
fercely and leap high. They leaped
above and around it and reached across
Sixticth Street and the slip Over there
stood the first and biggest enormous
grain elevators Of the New York Cen
trail Railroad Company
TIE tremendous heat from the Gre
across the street dried and warped the
wood work Of the big frame buildings,
1t sErivcllcd NJ like withcred leaves,
the states fell from the sides in n red no,
rain, then blue smoke arose from its
roof aud sides, wreath OF something
darker curled from one of the dormcr
windows, dull red ligh, showed be-
hind it, shout went up: There she
S3aGGslEe,p qpd then came burst from hnl :
u "'uuo"' o at ono" and th- h''
The Rossitor stores still stood dark
and with closed iron shutters, mt the
water thrown by fremp., siy zlcd and
bolied when it touch ed the br rpipr heat
within. -'N'Ds o'"'
,cGn," grand but awfJ sight. The
:. y and Rossiter stores still burn
"a Gcrccly and wickedly. The heat was
so fierce even at 200 feet that it was
thought prudent to clear the stock yards
altogether. The same prccaution was
taken with the sheep hoUse, a long three
story building that presented It's gable
end to the burning refinery. 1t would
not have stood for halt hour had no,
the wind blown from il. THUS it was
saved.
Elevator \ contained 100000 bush
els of grain, chiefly oats, worth probably
40 cents per. hushel. The greater part
of the small quautity in elevator Is was
. barley. The two elevators with Il ca
pao,y Of 100000 bushels had barely
100000 bushels in them, worth less than
100000.
The losses are as follows: RosSlter
stores and contents, 100000. VIII
cox & Co, store, sI50,OOO. Elevator
A, SSOO,OO0. Elevator B, S150,O60
Dock A, contents, 100000. Dock
A. S350,000. Wilcox building, 500,
600.