Daily Republican., 1889-04-20
A $4,OOO,OOO FIRE.
SEVERAL locks IN NEW
YORK BURNED.
A Lard Refinery, Two Grain Elevators
and Railroad Docks Gone-One
Man Killed and -Four
Badly Injured.

New YORK, April 19.-At 4 o'clock
this afternoon fire started In a lard re-
flnery on Fiity-ninth street which proved
the most destructive the city has known
for years, and when-near midnight-the
FIRE was over, between 81, 900 600 and S.
600, 900 worth of property had been de-
stroyed, one life had been lost and several
workmen were suffering from injuries.
Soaked in grease as the old building
was, II was afame in an instant. From
the ground floor the flames swept upward
to the roof with the speed of race horse.
The men at work in every story dropped
their tools and ran for their lives. The
stair hole was aglow and the chimney
spewing out fire. The windows were the
only way out. They flung themselves out
by scores, headloDg, and behind them
burst out the flames. How many were
there no one could tell. Those who came
out were picked up and carried away by
their friends.
The heat was SO fierce, even at dis
lance of 200 feet, that it was thought
p'ovident to clear the stock yards alto
gether. The same precaution was taken
with the sheep house, long three-story
building that presented its gable end to
the burning refinery. Itwould not have
stood for halEhour had not the wind
blown from It. Thus 1t was saved.
The property destroyed included the
two largest grain elevators in the State,
an immense lard refinery, two covered
piers stored with produce, and a chain of
smsler buildings of iron, brick and
wood, facing the river side of the Union
Stock Yards, which occupy eleven acres
in the territory bounded by Tenth avenue,
Forty-ninth street, the Hudson river and
Sixty SIKH street.
The lack OF available water In the dis
trict added to the difficulties of the FIRE
department, and with the infiammable
character Of the buildings and their con-
tents made the contest so hard that the
fire was never really under control. Only
the isolation of the buildings prevented a
coDflagration along the river front for an
indefinite length.
There was report about II O'Clock
that several lives had been lost in the
lard refinery, but It was not confirmed, i,
and 1t is not believed, although there is q
fear that when all is known 1t will be
found that more than the one life has
been lost In the flames.
The great fire lighted up the city for
miles around, and every passenger across
the big bridge for several hours was
treated to sight which is seldom
equalled.
1t destroyed more than a million and a
half OF property belonging TO the New
York Central Railroad, and at leeat hall
million dollars worth of stores o.
-four and the like, belonging to othel
persons, notably N. X. Fairbanks, the
great Chicago lard merchant; destroyed
the two big elevators, A and B, of the
Vanderbilt system, big brick building
stretching from Fifty-ninth, clear to
Sixtleth, and occupied Jointly by the Fair
banks Lard Refinery and the Rossiter
stores, and wiped out the dock property
of the New York Central System from
Fiity-ninth to past Sixty-fifth street. At
least one man was killed In his headlonp
flight from the fire at the first outbreak.
number were injured In jumping from
windows of the burning building, but In
the wild terror of the tremendous con-
flagratlon no account was kept of them,
While looking at the fire from a window
of the house of 547 West Fifty-sevenlh
street, Mary Murray, an aged woman,
lost her balance and fell to the pavement,
20 feet below, ard her skull was fractured.
She was taken TO the Roosevelt Hospital.
At least q quarter Of a million people
turned out TO watch the brilliant sight
hou DSJouu tuo pOllce lines on Twelfth
avenue. ALI the west side streets were
blocked, and the elevated trains carried
swafms up and down town to swell the
crowds. The police reserves were called
out to preserve order. Every fire engine
above FourteeLth street was called out in
the work of extinction, but the flremen
fought against tremendous odds.
Elevator A contained 100000 bushels
OF grain, chiefly oats, worth probably 40
cents bushel. The greater part OF the
small quantity in Elevator was barley.
The two elevators, with a capacity Of
1000, 600 bushels, had nearly $50, 900 In
them, worth less than 800, 900.
Elevator A was worth $3.50, 900. 1t was
built thirteen years ago. B was worth
5000, 600.
The New York Central also owned the
building at the foot of Fiity-nint street
In which the fire broke out. 1t was
leased to Fairbanks a year ago. 1t was
six stories high, 200 by 300, and built of
brick. A hundred thousand dollars may
cover the loss upon that.
An account gives losses as follows:
The Rossiter stores, contents, 5000, 900;
the Wilcox Company, stock, $3.50. 600:
Elevator A, $500, 900; Elevator B, $780,
900; Dock ID, contents, 1900, 600; Dock A,
t35, OOO; the Wilcox building, S29O, goo.
.