Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-04-25
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
'Ncrrly 81, 100000 Worth OF Proper
~ Destroyed at New York.

The largest and fiercest fire Witness
cd In New York for years swept the
east Bank of North River clear April
10th, from Fifty-ninth street TO what
would be Sixty-iifth street II that street
ran TO the river. 1t destroyed more
than million and u half dollars worth
OF property belonging to the Now York
Central Railroad Company and at least
half n million dollars worth OF lard,
-four and tho like, belonging to other
persons, notably N. X. Fairbank. tho
great Chicago lard merchant. Tho
names destroyed two big elevators OF
the Vanderbilt system, the big brick
building 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 York Central Railroad from
fifty-ninth to past Sixty-tifth street.
Henry Benning, u workman In the
Fairbank Refinery, was killodb jump
ing from third story window. Many
others were Injured by jumping, but In
tho great confusion attending the con-
llagra,ion the names and extent OF the
injuries of but very few were obtained.
Rumors were rife all evening that u
number OF workmon had been caught
and burned In tho Refinery, but II has
been impossible 10 verify them, The
fire broke out In tho southeast
corner Of tho Fairbank Refinery, but
how, nobody knows, Soaked in grease
as tho old building was, II was In
flames In an instant. Tho men at
work In every story dropped their
tools and ran TO save their lives. Tho
staircasos were columns Of flames and
the windows presented the only means
Of escape. Pursued close by fire, tho
mon flung themselves out hcadlong,
and how many there were nobody could
tell. Many who camo out were picked
up and carried away by friends. The
fire had soon swept throughout the
length Of the building and shot over
towards the big grain elevators OF tho
New York Central Railroad.
Between tho place where the engines
were stationed and tho elevators were
twenty-seven railroad tracks which no
fire engine could cross and next tho
union stock yards, u half milo Of broad
enclosure. and pens equally impossible.
There was no way for the fire engines
to reach tho elevators except along
Slxtioth street past the burning build
ings and that street after two engines
had fought their way past was blocked
by falling walls. Furthermore, near
the elevators was only one small wa
ter-pipe. The fire. boats were sent for
and several OF them soon began work
in the heroic struggle to save the ole-
vators but IL was In vain. The tre-
mendous heat from the fire across the
street dried and warped the wood work
OF the big frame builoing under It's
corrugated iron shooting and shortly
the elevator "a" was on fire and burn
ing ilercely. Soon after tho walls OF
the Rossitor stores fell, releasing tons
on tons OF burning merchandise that
rolled in blazing heaps in every direct
ion. This increased the heat and flames
and the efforts OF the fremen seemed
TO be entirely useless. About this
timo the stock yards pens wcro clear
cd out. At seven o'clock elevator "B'
caught fire and the scene had then In
tho growing darkness lurid effects
that made spectacle OF awful grand
our. The second elevator was entire
ly consumed also, and Ut l / o'clock
when the fire was gotteni under con-
troll, half u milo Of ruins sent out u
furnace heat. An estimate OF tsS loss
es is as follows; The Rossiter stores
contents, 5000, 900; the Wilcox compa-
ny, stock, $3.50, 900; elevator Assoc
900; elevator ''B" $3.50, 900; dock I'D"
Contents 5000, 900; dock "A" $50, 600;
the Wilcox building. 1920, 900; total
$3, $3.50 900. The loss TO the property
OF tho Now York Central Company Is
covered by insurance. Tho Wilcox
Company's stock was insured for $780,
900.