New-York tribune., 1890-01-02
PRICE THREE CENTS.
FIRST BIG FIRE OF THE YEAR.
LOSS NEARLY A QUARTER OF MILLION
STOCKS OF FOUR OTHER FIRMS DAMAGED.

LOSS NEARLY QUARTER OF MILLION
STOCKS OF FOUR OTHER FIRMS DAMAGED.
The Liberty Silk Works. in the upper part Of
the ive-story building Nos. 6l5 to 623 West
Fifty -second-St, were burned out yesterday and
! the Fire Department had TO work hard for two
hours to the rest of the building Property
worth about S225000 was destroyed.
When Superintendent Nightingale of the silk
works, went 10 the building at 80 a. m. he
noticed smoke issuing from basement window
near the entrance at the eastern end. About
400 persons were employed in the building on
Tuesday, but they were spending the holiday
at their homes, and the only whom yfrl
Nightingale expected to see about the place were
Watchman Smith and Engineer Fechtler Smiths
duty was TO watch the silk works, on the fourth
and fifth floors. Ills daughter had carried his
breakfast TO him and was watching him eat it
when the Superintendent knocked at the street
door. Charles Fechtler the engineer, ran out Of
the basement minute after Air. Nightingale
arrived.
Where is that smoke coming from?" inquired
the superintendent.
Fechthcr looked at the smoke and ran back
into the basement where the fire was, while Mr.
Nightingale called loudly TO Watchman Smith
to come down and open the door AS Smith and
the elevator shaft. at the same end of the build
ing II was lucky for the girl and her father that
they had been called down when they were. for
the halls were full of smoke, and the two had a
narrow escape from sufocatiOn. The watchman
sent out an alarm, and when the hrcmen who
arrived first saw that the top story Of the big
building was ablaze, they summoned reinforce
ments
4 dozen engines were at work, but the
frenen encountered ,luch difficulty at the out
set in getting the water the fire. The flames
h-l started in the bOerroOm. in the basement. or
III a dyeroom adjoining, and had gone up the
elevator shaft to the top story, where they came
upon a lot Of oil, which was slowed in small
room near the shaft After spreading along the
top floor. the fire began to work its way down.
ward. The fourth story blazing before the
lremens work seemed 10 have any effect, and
there was danger that the fire would extend from
the elevator shaft directly TO the lower floors. Ia
the basement the flames got under control so
quickly that the damage 10 that part Of the
building not great.
In tine excitement following the discovery OF
the fire, Superintendent Nightingale had lost sight
of Engineer Fechtler, who was not
seen about the building after the
iremen arrived. 1t was feared for a time
that the engineer had been burned up. but as
his body was not found in the basement IT was
thought that he had gone home Possibly the
iiIe was the result of his carelessness, ana he
wished 10 keep out of the way OF an investigation
The ire was under control soon after noon
BY that time the fourth and fifth stories had Deen
gutted. and the flames had wrought considerable
destruction in the third story. The building
is owned by Jacob New, and was erected Tour
years ago at cost of 100000. 1t is insured
for its full value. The cost of repairs viii
probably be not less than $4,000. Van Lew
4 De Forest proprietoTs Of Of the Li6ery SILK
Sl5O0 600 by the hames, Mr.. Nightingale said.
Their property was insured hi in oonS number 6eI Of Ss
obtained Yesterday They employed about $50
men and women, and ran IS5 power Il looms; ms,
ribbons on the third floor, lost about 10000.
They had twenty-five looms, and employed abous
eighty persons in the building. Stuntz q Boil
lcntin rug and carpet makers on the second floor,
lost about $4,000 by smoke and water. The
first floor was occupied by j. a j. Morrison.
manufacturers of plaster ornaments. and the Eaton
Manufacturing Company. coal compounds. whose
combined loss by water and smoke was about
$1,000.