The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-04-21
A GREAT FIRE.
The Loss Nearly Four Millions, the New
York Central Railroad Being

The Loss Nearly Four Millions, the New
York Central Railroad Being
II Sufferer.
New YORK. April 20.-The largest and
tiercest fire witnessed here for years
swept the east bank of North river today
from 59th street to what would be 65th
destroyed more than million dollars
worth of property belonging to the New
York Central railroad company, and half
a million dollars worth of lard, flour and
the like belonging to other persons, not
ably N. X. Fairbank. the great Chicago
lard merchant. The flames destroyed
two big elevators of the Vanderbilt sys-
tenn. big brick building stretching from
59th to Goth street, and occupied jointly
by the Fairbank lard refinery and the
Rossitter stores and wiped out the dock
property Of the New York Central rail
road from 59th to past 65th street. Hen
ry Benning, a workman in the Fairbank
refinery, was killed by jumping from a
third story window. Many others were
injured by jumping, but in the great con-
fusion attending the contlagration the
names and extent of the injuries of but
very few were obtained. Rumors were
rife all the evening that number of
| workmen had been caught and burned
in the refinery, but it has been impossi-
BILE to verify them.
| The fire broke out in the northeast
corner of the Fairbank refinery. How,
nobody knows. Soaked in grease, the
/ old building was in flames in an instant.
The men at work in every story dropped
their tools and ran to save their lives.
The staircases were columns of flames
and the windows presented the
| only means Of escape. Pur-
sued close by the fire, the men flung them
selves out headlong and how many there
were no one could tell. Many who came
out We're picked up and carried away by
their friends. The fire had soon swept
through the length of the building and
shot over towards the big grain elevators
of the New York Central railroad
Between the place where the engines
We're stationed and the elevators we're
twentyseven railroad tracks which no fire
engine could cross, and next the Union
stockyards, a half mile of broad enclosure
and pens equally impossible. There was
no way for the fire engine to reach the ele-
vators except along Sixteenth street, past
| the burning building,and that street, after
two engines had fought their way past
was blockaded by falling walls. Further
more, near the elevators was only one
small water pipe. Fire boats were sent for
and several of them soon began work in
the heroic struggle to save elevators, but
it was in vain. The tremendous heat
from across the street dried and warp
cd the wood work Of the big frame build
ing its corrugated iron sheet and in a
short time elevator GA was on fire and
burning fiercely.
Soon after the walls Of the Rossiter
stores fell, releasing tons and tons Of
burning merchandise that rolled in blaz-
ing heaps in every direction. This in
creased the heat and flames, and the ef-
forts Of the tireD,en seemed entirely use
less About this time the stockyard pens
were cleared out. At Z o'clock elevator
B caught fire, and the scene had then, in
the growing darkness, lurid effect
which made the spectacle one Of awful
grandeur.
The second elevator was entirely con
sumed also At II o'clock tonight, when
the fire was gotten under control, the
half mile of ruins sent out a furnace
heat. The estimate losses are as follows:
The Rossinter stores, contents, 100000;
the Wilcox company, stock, $45o,ooO; ele-
vator A, $SOO,OOO; elevator B, *75O,O00;
dock D, contents, 100000; dock A, $780,
900; the Wilcox building, $220,0OO; total,
1890, 900. The loss to the property OF
, the New York Central company is cover
ed by insurance. The Wilcox company's
; stock was insured for 100000.