Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-24
HALF OEFL4NEs.
YORK HAS Il FIRE THAT As
royISHES THE GOTHAMITES.

r.uses q Damage OF over Three Millions
.,polIars-six Blocks ON the West SIDE
laid in Ruins. Last Night-Elevators
purned-The Total Losses. aofTs
NEW YoaK, April 19.-The largest and
s.rcest fire Witnessed here for years, swept
.Ss east bank of the North river, to-day,
tom seth street to what would be 18th
",,et, il that street ran to the, river.
T. destroyed more than a million and
half Of property belonging to the
~, York Central Railroad Company, and
At least half a million dollars worth OF
lard. -four and the like, belonging to other
Dsrsons, notablyN N. X. Fairbank, the great
chicago lard merchant. @IaNg7 .
The flames destroyed two big elevators OF
the Vanderbilt system, a big brick building
stretcbing from Fifty-ninth to Sixtieth
street, and occupied jointly by the Fair
bank lard refinery and the Rossiter stores,
and wiped out the dock property OF the
New FORK Central railroad from Fifty ninth
to sixty.itth streets.
Henry Benning. a workman in the Fair
bank refinery, was killed by jumping from
the third story window. Many others were
injured by jumping out in the great con.
fusion attending the confagration. The
names and extent OF injuries OF but very
few we're obtained. Rumors were rife all
the evening that a number Of workmen bad
been caught and burned in the refinery, but
it has been impossible to verify them.
WHERE THE FIRE BEGAN.
The fire broke out in the southwest cor
nsr Of the Fairbank refinery, but how,
nobody knows. Soaked in grease, the old
buldinC was in flames in an instant. The
men at work in every story dropped their
tools and ran to save their lives. The |
stAir cases were columns OF flames and the
windows presented the only means of
escape. Pursued closely by the fire, the
men flung themselves out headlong, and
how many there were nobody could tell.
Many who came out were picked up and
carried away by friends.
The fire had DON swept throughout the
length OF the building and shot over
towards the big grain elevators Of the
New York Central railroad. Between the
Mace where the engines were stationed and
The elevators, we're twenty-seven railroad
tracks, which no fire engine could cross, ]
And next were the Union Stock Yards, a 9
half mile OF broad enclosure and pens |.
EQUALLY MPAssABLE. h1- :
There was no way for a fire engine to
reach the elevator except along Sixteenth 9
street, past the burning buildings, and that
street, after two engines had fought their 9
way past, was blockaded by falling walls.
furthermore, near the elevators was only G
one small water pipe. Il
The fre-boats were sent for, and several b
Of them soon began work in the heroic
struggle to save the elevators, but it was il
IN vain. The tremendous heat from across II
the street dried and warped the woodwork
Of the big frame buildings under it's cor a
ruRated iron sheathing, and in q short time b
A was on fire and burning fiercely.
Soon after the walls OF the Rossiter stores v
ELL, releasing tons and tons OF burning
that lib
ROLLED in BLAZING HEAPS q
q every direction. This increased the heat n
md flames, and the efforts of the iiremen ID
to be entirely useless.
At about this time tho stockyard pens IL
cleared cut. ~ 80 IN,
At Z o'clock elevator b caught fire, and :
The scene had then, in the growing dark. 20
1855, a lurid effect that made the spectacle o.
u awful grandeur. The second elevator
vas entirely consumed, also. L.,
At II o'clock tonight, when the FIRE was q
often under control, half a mile of ruin =,
sDt out a funace heat, and the estimate OF
Osses is as follows: "a,
The Rossiter stores contents, $4,000 =
The Wilcox company stock, $450,000. y,
Elevator A, 100000.
Elevator B, $750,OO0. +
Dock d, contents, $780, 600. r
Dock A., $35, 900.
The Wilcox building, 1895 900. la,
Total, So, 355, 900. %,
The loss OF property Of the New York h
Railroad Company is covered by l.
insurance. Wilcox Company's stock was II,
insured for 500. 000. ~.