New-York tribune., 1890-06-13
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE ASTOR HOUSE ON FIRE
MORE DAMAGE BY WATER THAN BY THE
FLAMES
GUESTS MOVED OUT OF THEIR RooMs-HEAv1xn

GUESTS MOVED OUT OF THEIR RooMs-HEAv1Kn
LESS IN AN ADJOINING BUILDING.
The Astor House had narrow escape from de-
struction by fire yesterday. A few minutes after
o'clock in the afternoon flames were discovered
on the top floor Of building which adjoins the
hotel No. 12 vesey-st. The streets at that time
were filed with people. The officer on the Vesey-
st. post turned in alarm, and the noise Of the
engines as they ratified down the street toward
the hotel drew an enormous crowd. Before the
first engine reached the spot heavy smoke, which
seemed to rise from the Of the hotel. prompted
the cry +" The Astor House is on fre!' A moment
later volume of flame shot up through the
roof of the burning building and it added to the
excitement, as the fire seemed to come from the
hotel. In short time several thousand people
were standing in the streets watching the blaze.
In the hotel there was much excitement for Q
short time, and the guests in the rear part Of tho
building were asked to leave their rooms until
all danger over. In the Broadway side of the
house there was little excitement. as word soon
spread through the building that the hotel was
not on fire and that no one need feel alarmed
In the meantime the firemen had got to work,
and although the fire which they were fighting
was a stubborn one, it was put out. or Thoughts
to be, before it had done much damage.
Fire Chief McCabe, who was in charge, thought
that there was no further need Of most of the en-
zines which had responded to the second alarm,
so he ordered some of the companies back to their
enpine-houses The crowd by this time had be-
come tired of watching an ordinary fire and scat
tered. The dismissed companies had hardly reached
their respective headquarters when tongue OF
fame, followed by heavy black cloud OF smoke,
shot up from the roof of the hotel. One OF the
battalion chiefs, who saw it, rushed to the near
est box and sent in a third alarm. This time the
Astor House was really on fire. Back came the
engines, the Horses gallop. For time there
was the utmost excitement. The police reserves
from the staton-houscs near by hurried TO the
spot, and struggle with the people who were
over-anxious to see what was going on followed
Lines of hose were up through the hotel en-
trance in Vesey-st. to the upper floor. For
time however, it looked as though the flames
would get the best of the fremen and the build
ing be burned to the ground. The flames seemed
to increase in volume and the water-tower was
pushed down the street near the burning end OF
the hotel and was got in readiness for use. There
was, fortunately, no need for it, for the hremen,
after much water had been thrown, sent wel-di-
rected stream to the proper place, end the names
died out as rapidly as they had sprung into life
A few minutes more Of delay would undoubtedly
have had disastrous effect upon the old hotel.
The guests in the dining-room were sent 10 an
other part of the building when the hotel caugho
fire. The fire was communicated TO the Astor
House from the building which adions it through
the woodwork around the caves.
Immediately after it was discovered that tho
fire was so near the hotel +. T. Keith, his son and
Detective McWilliams hurried to the upper floor.
where they got the hotel fire apparatus in opera
ton. With this one stream they fought thc
flames for nearly half an hour and the ire had
inst gotten beyond their control when the pat.
talon chief in the street made his dscosety a emt
turned in the third alarm. Mr.. keltll $40 u,ho
the hotel had been damaged at least Slo,ovo py
the fire and water. Only one room was burneds
but the walls were badly smoked ana the WAFER
from a broken hose-pipe besides that which ha.
been thrown on TO the fire. soaked through 10 the
third floor running ceilings and carpets ana Dam.
aging furniture. The guests from only three
floors had TO move, but none OF their baggage was
The five-story building in which the hre
originated is of brick, with iron iron.s N .esey
ground floor by Isaac Sommers, wholesale nquor
dealer, whose damage, entirely by water, was
placed at $500 On the second hoor' running ~
through to Barcay-st., was the shop OF h. ID;
BENJAMIN. dealer in china, glassware ana chemlca,
apparatus; damage by water $1,000. The grounaa
floor in Barclay-st was occupied oy Eis,er ",
Nendelson malt extract and chemicals; damage
nv water 81 900. In Barclay-st. the third moor
is occupied by the Hub Publishing company
whose damage by fire and water is about p ;ovo:
The ton and fourth stories were occupied ny
Schlichting & Rendburg, manufacturers OF walking
sticks, canes, umbrellas etc: Their loss is Pue
AZ about S.. 0OO covered by insurance. The hrm
had moved to their present quarters from No. -
Ann-st., where they were burned out about four
months ago.
nosed to have started at about the middle OF the
top floor, the workshop Of the firm there, which
contained a quantity of iniammable material
The damage to the building will probably not
exceed So. 900 1t is said TO be FULLY. covered by
insurance The other adjoining buildings were
There seemed to be no lack of water in the
mains.