Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-20
The Most Destructive Fire That Has
Visited the Metropolis in
Many Years.
Fairbanks Refinery and Other Inaamma.
Bile Material Spread the Fire Be-
yond ALI Control.
Two Millions Dollars Worth Of Property
Utterly Destroyed in the Heart of the
City-Very Msagre Particulars
Of the Fatalities.

fiercest fire New York has witnessed in
this generation swept the east bank of the
North river clean today from Fifty-nlnth
street to what would be Sixty-ffth street
if that street ran to the river.
1t destroyed more than 81, 500. 900 of prop
erty belonging to the New York Central
railroad and 100000 worth Of lard. -four
and the like belonging to other persons,
notably n. K. Fairbank, the great Chicago
lard merchant. The flames destroyed the
two big elevators A and B of the Wander
bilt system, a big brick building stretching
from. Fifty-ninth street to Sixtieth street,
and occupied Jointly by the Fairbanks he
fnery and the Rossetor stores, and wiped
out the dock property of the New YORK
Central Railway system from Fifty
to past Sixty-ninth street.
At least one man was killed in his head
long fight from the fire at the first out
break A number were injured jumping
from the windows of burning buildings,
but in the wild turmoil no account was
kept of them The police have the follow
ing record of casualties:
Henry Bentling, 619 Tenth avenue, work
man in Fairbanks refinery, killed by
| jumping from a tn I'd story window. John
/ q
wise workman in Fairbanks, severely in
| jured by jumping from window. Charles
| Brown, COB West Forty-third street, severe
injuries about the head from the same
| cause
| w. J. Noble, fireman of engine No. 2,
Frustrated by heat while at work at the
foot of Fffty-ninth street; Edward ID.
| Tobin, fireman, Frustrated by heat.
| Rumors were rife all evening that a
number of workmen had been caught and
burned in Fairbanks refinery, but it is i'm
possible to ascertain the truth OF them.
At least 2500O0 people turned out to watch
the brilliant sight from beyond police
lines on Twelfth avenue. All west SIDES
streets were blocked and the elevated car
ried swarms up and down town TO swell
the crowds. The police reserves were
called out to preserve order. Every fire
engine above Fourteenth street was
called out to aid in the work,
but the fremen fought against
tremendous odds, first owing to
the resistless rush of flames and second be-
cause of conformation of che ground IN the
locality which is upon rugged slope from
higher ground to the Hudson river.
The fire broke out in the northeast cor
ner of the Fairbanks refinery. where
workmen were busy at the time setting up
a new cooling apparatus. The fire started,
no one knows how, and probably no one
old building was, it was aflame in an in
slant From the ground the fire swept
upward to the roof almost with the speed
of thought Men at work in every story
dropped their tools and ran to
save their lives. The stair cases
were glowing chimneys throwing out fire
through every floor. The windows pre-
sented the only means of escape. Pur-
sued close by flames men flung themselves
out by scores headlong 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, shuddering to think some
might have been left. Crying wives and
mothers crowded the police lines shout
ing for their husbands and sons and beg
ging for news of them They were turned
back and hidden to look in the throngs fol-
those they sought. They would. the po-
licemen hopefully said, probably find them
there.
The fire swept on. Fairbanks refinery,
the old establishment of the w. j. Wilcox
company, stands upon the water front be-
tween Fifty ninth and Sixty-fifth streets
occupying half a block 200 by 100 feet. The
refinery was on the south halt; the
Rosseter stores for general merchandise
on the north side. A strong brick wal
divided building in the middle Upor
this brick wall the firemen during hall
|
successful combdt. The flames beat
against it, heated it red hot
and the roof feel in upon
it but it stood like a rock
Anything save such fire it would have re
sisted, but the flames fed by melted anC
flowing lard burned fiercely and leapet
high They leaped above and around The
sturdy barrier and reached across Sixtieti
street, and the dock slip. Over there stood
the first and biggest of the enormous graiI
elevators of New York Central. 1t wa
elevator A, the construction of which cos
half million. 1t stood presenting il!
gable end tc the flames that were blown
towards it. Once that caught Their,
would be no saving elevator B, anC
no telling where the flames would
stop. for beyond were freight sheds in
mineral Between the elevators on the
water front and Twelfth avenue were tn,
first twenty-seven railroad tracks, which
no fire engine could cross, and next tn,
Union stock yards, a half mile of enclosur,
and pens equally infiammable. Even if 6
way could have been hewn through tn,
enclosures and tracks. the line of denmark
alton between the two was a stone wal
with sudden descent of five feet. The
tracks were that much lower than the
yard. There was no way tor al
engine to reach the elevators except alonG
SiXtieth street past the burning buildings
Chief Shay asked his men TO fight for life
to save the elevators. He knew even il
they did get their engines into the rail
road grounds they would be of little use
for there was only a six-inch water pipe
there and that was insufficient.
RFrCHAMS Pills cura bilious arc