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


New YoRK, April l9.-Tbe biggest
and fercest fire New Workers have ever
witnessed in this generation swept the
East bank Of North River clear yester-
day from Fifty-ninth street to what
would be Sixty-6fth street, if the street
ran TO the river there. 1t DESTROYED
more than million aud half of pro-
perty belonging to the New York Cen
trail Railroad, and at least half million
dollacs' worth of stores of lard, -four and
the like belonging to other persons, not
ably N. Il. Fairbanks, the great Chicago
lard merchant. 1t destroyed the two
big elevators. A and b. ofthc 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 fire at tho first
outbreak. "A number were injured
Jumping from the windows during the tres
mendous conflagration but no account wa
Kept OF them. at least 100000 peo-
pie turned out to watch the brilliant
sight.
The fire broke out in the southwes.
corner of Fairbanks refinery, where
the workmen were busy at the time
putting in new lard cooling apparatus,
how now no one knows, and probably
no one ever will know. Soaked in grease
as the old building was ahame 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-hole
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 thero no QUO
could toll. Those who cam, out were
picked up and carried away by their
friends, shudderiug 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 the water front
between Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Streets
occupying half Of tho building, 2OOx2OO
feet, that filled out the block.
But flames fed by molten lard burn
iercely and leap high. They leaped
above and around it and reached across
Sixtieth Street and the slip Over there
stood the first and biggest enormous
grain elevators Of the New York Cen
tral Railroad Company.
Tie tremendous heat from the fire
across the street dried and warped the
wood work of the big frame buildings.
1t shrivclled u2 like withered leaves,
the states fell from the sides in red hot
rain, then blue smoke arose from its
roof aud sides, a wreath Of something
darker curled from one of the dormer
windows, duh red ligh. showed be-
hind it, shout went up: There she
sGfs aszsn ew9a sSso came burst from ha
The Rossitor stores still stood dark
and with closed iron shutters, mt the
water thrown by fremoa al, zIed and
boiled when it touchje the br rnipg beat
within. e N'"'
refine" ""' grand bu: awful sight. The
, y and Rossiter stores still burn
"a licrcely and wickedly. The heat was
SO fierce even at 200 feet that it was
thought prudent to clear the stock yards
altogether The same precaution was
taken with the sheep house, long three
story building that presented its gable
end to the burning refinery. 1t would
not have stood for halt hour had not
the wind blown from it. Thus it was
saved.
Elevator A contained 1000 bush
els Of grain, chiefly oats, worth probably
40 cents per. bushel. The greater part
of the small quantity in elevator B was
barley. The two elevators with ca
pacity of 100000 bushels had barely
900 bushels in them, worth less than
100000.
The losses are as follows: Rossiter
stores and contents, 100000. VIII
cox & Co, store, s45O,O0O. Elevator
A, 100000. Elevator 3, $3.50, ,060.
Dock A, contents, 100000. Dock
A. s350,0O0. Wilcox building, 1920,
600.
A BEGGAR WITH $38,500 SLOWED
Nj ~