The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-20
THE FLAMES SWEEP UP NORTH RIVER.
New Workers See the Biggest Fire
for Many Years.
The Loss Estimated Between Two
and Four Millions.
At Least One Man Killed and
Many Others Injured.

NEW YORK, April 19.-The biggest and
fiercest fire New Workers have witnessed in
this generation swept the east bank of the
North River clear today from 29th street to
what would be Goth street If the street ran
to the river there. 1t destroyed property
worth more than million and half belong
ing to the New York Central Railroad, and
at least a half million dollars worth Of
stores, lard, -four and the like, belonging to
other persons. notably N. X. Fairbanks, the
great Chicago lard merchant. Two big ele-
vators, A and B Of the Vanderbilt system,
the big brick building stretching from 59th
to Goth street, occupied jointly by the Fair
banks lard refinery and the Rossiter stores,
and the dock property Of the New York sys-
TEN from 59th street to past Goth street, were
wiped out. At least one man was killed in
the headlong flight from the fire at its first
outbreak. A number were injured by jump
ings. In the wild terror Of the confagration
no account was kept Of them. The police
have record Of the following casualties:
Henry Benning. single, 694 Tenth avenue,
jumping from a third story window.
John johnson, 517 West 42d street, work
man in the Fairbanks refinery, severely
wounded in the back by jumping from a
window.
Charles Brown, 6O3 West 4sd street, severe
injuries about the head same cause.
VIM. j. Noble, fireman Of Engine No. 2,
prostrated by heat.
Edward II. Tobin. fireman. prostrated by
heat.
Rumors we're flying around all the evening
that number Of w0rkmen were caught and
burned in the Fairbanks refinery. 1t is i'm
possible to verify them.
The fire started on the ground floor of the
Fairbanks refinery. The building was 200
feet square, stretching from 59th to Goth st.
to have originated at a spot where some
workmen were putting in new lard cooling
apparatus. The exact cause cannot be learn
ed. The building was old and soaked with
grease. The flames quickly enveloped the
whole structure and 150 employees found
escape by the stairway cut off. Nest of them
had to jump from the windows. The excite-
ment was very great, and the police with
difficulty kept back the crowd Of women,
many of whom had relatives in the building.
The building contained the Rossiter stores.
The blaze was most imposing sight and at
tracted the attention of people in Jersey
City and all along the Jersey shore and
thousands OF passengers on the ferry boats
crossing the river. The six story structure
was soon destroyed. The effort Of the fire.
the factory, belonging to the New York
Railroad Company were fruitless. These
great structures were soon ablaZe. All the
fire engines between 140th street and Harlem
were on the spot, but the elevators were so
situated they were difficult of access by the
hremen. Twenty-seven sunken tracks of the
New York Central railroad line Of stock
yard enclosure interviewed between the
burning factory and the elevator. The only
way the reach the building was Goth street
where the heat was too great for the fremen
to live in 1t. A company OF firemen got
m mi ~ q
six-inch water pipe was there, and with the
engines so far away they could do little ef-
fective work. Fire boats, working from the
river side, aided by number Of tugs belong
ing to the New. York Central, were able to
do more, but not to save the buildings. The
employees In the elevators kept the hose In
the building playing as long as they could
remain. The sheds Of the stock yards next
fed the flames as the confagration spread
rapidly nnrthward
When the walls of the factory fell, an i'm
mense quantity Of goods packed in Rossi-
ter's stores, fell into Goth street, blocking the
thoroughfare and preventing the firemen
from doing further work through that chan
mel. Never was there fire. in this city be-
fore at which the work Of the fire depart
ment counted for so little. 1t was impossi-
BILE to make headway against such Odds
Streams thrown from land and river seemed
ridiculous; The elevators were each about
325 feet by 125 feet, and had a capacity of
over 100000 bushels each, but were almost
empty, the value of their contents
being not over 100000. The buildings
cost respectively $3.50, 900 and S60c.O 200 when
built thirteen years ago, large part of the
cost being for the foundation which Is prob
ably not totally ruined. The New York
Central Railroad Company owned the fac
tory building In which the fire originated
and leased it to Mr.. Fairbanks. It was
worth about 100000. The losses on the
contents are not aseertained. Fairbanks
q nd ali &
Co.'s customers. comprising large number
Of merchants, $4,000. The owners of the
goods are probably fully insured. Rossiter
d Co. lose but little. Fairbanks is said to be
fully insured. The railroad company kept
their property well covered. After the fire
had swpt along the sheds to 66tn
street 1t stopped for want Of material.
The fire lasted from about 3 until 8 o'clock,
and was witnessed by vast throng. The
police estimated the crowd at over 100000
people.
The total loss is estimated from 100000
to S4,OO0000.