Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-18
FIRES IN NEW YORK.

An E1ght-Story Building at Greene
 and Bleecker Streets Destroyed
 A Million Dollar Loss-Fire in
 Leonard Street.
 NEW YORK, March 17.-Shortly after 5
 o'clock this evening fire started in the
 eight-story building at Greene and Bleeck- CT streets, occupied by Alfred Benjamin & Co.,, wholesale clothiers, and in two hours the great structure was mass of ruins. The loss on building and stock ii estimated at about s1, ,000, GOO. There were $50 em- ployes at work in the building when the fire broke out and great excitement en- sued. One hundred girls were at work on the top floor. When they saw the smoke pouring in volumes from the shaft there was panic. Several of them screamed "fre" and the next minute the hundred were scrambling over each other toward the stairway screaming and pushing. They reached the street in safety. The em- | ployes on the floors had received the warn | ing and rushed out of the building. The | fremen were greatly retarded in their work by the dense smoke which issued | from the cellar and it was some time be fore actual seat of fire could be located. There were numerous shafts and air-pipes in the building. These acted as fues and when the flames finally broke out they spread with such rapidity that the entire building was soon enveloped in fire. Six alarms had been sent out and score of streams were turned on the burning building but to no purpose. Flames shot through the roof fully fifty feet high and | out of every window on the Green street side. There was stiff breeze from the southeast which famed the flames into fury. The flames reached the cornice work at the edge of the roof and a ivid blue flame, caused by some chemical in the composition of the cornice, encircled the building. At $50 the roof tum- bled into the fiery furnace with crash, which sent myriads of sparks flying in every direction. Five min utes later the side of the building above the third story fell into Greene street. It was scarcely minute after the Greene street wall when the Bleecker street front also fell with the noise of firm of Alfred Benjamin & Co. says there was more than $500, ,000 worth of stock and samples in the building when the fire broke out The building was worth $500,- GOO. Both stock ard building are total loss. No cause can be assigned for the fire.
 A six-story building adjoining occupied by A. H. Rosenstein, dealer in ostrich feathers, seven-story building occupied by Hammerslough, Saks & Co.,, clothiers, and E. V. Connett & Co.,, hatters and narrow si1-story building occupied partly by Sylvester Sevacher & Co.,, manufactur- CTS of hats s,caps and furs, were also burned The loss on these buildings and their ten ants is about $500 OOO
 Fire was discovered in the six-story building, Nos. 29 and 30 Leonard street, occupied by H. B. Clafin & Go. as stor- age warehouse, about o'clock tonight. The fire was confined to the second and third floors in the rear part of the build ing. About $350, ,000 worth of goods were stored in the building, all of which is The loss is estimated at about s50,000. Fully covered by insurance.
 Assaulted in Her own House.
 BOSTON, March 17.-It has been made public that on Thursday last the wife of w. A. Bassett, cigar dealer, who lives in a suite in Hotel Sumner, on Carver street, was badly assaulted in her apartments by a man who rang the bell. When she opened the door the man pushed her back, placed a handkerchief saturated with chloroform to her nose, then gagged her with hand kerchief which had been tied in three knots His sole object seemed to be rob bery, but he did not succeed in securing any valuables, as he evidently became frightened and made nasty retreat The police have been working on the case, but the first public announcement was made to-day in an advertisement by the hus- band, offering reward for the capture of the fellow.
 ENTHUSIASM FOR GLADSTONE. Great Demonstration at Charing
 Cross-Presentationo of an Address.
 LONDON, March 17.-Mr. Gladstone re- ceived tremendous and spontaneous ova- tion to-day He was leaving Charing Cross railroad station for Hastings when an immense crowd gathered at the depot to witness the departure. Fired by en- thusiasm the crowd broke down the barri- CTS and made rush for him, cheering and waving hats and handkerchiefs as if mad with joy. A number of the admirers of Mir. Gladstone, not content with damaging the depot, scrambled up on top of the cars of the train which was to take him out of town, and there stood and yelled and cheered and waved until the train, starting suddenly, threw several of them down on the tracks and platform. Two men were so seriously injured that they had to be taken to Charing Cross hospital, and several others were badly cut and bruised. The station fairly shook with cheers as the train moved out on it's way to the seaside.
 Previous to the departure of the train the executive committee of the Radical as l .-As ,&~1, nIl IlrAr f%h C1aI stone, in which it was stated that the asso- citation was hopeful of brilliant triumph for him and his followers in the coming elections, but the turmoil prevailing in the depot was so great that he was unable to say word in reply. He could only e1 press by signs his appreciation of the sen timents conveyed in the presentation of | the address.
 MT. Gladstone made an address ill the | Gaiety theater, which was packed to the doors. In the course of his remarks the e1-premier expressed entire confidence in | the future of liberalism. He pointed out with regard to the Irish members that each had entered parliament subject to pledge | that on every question affecting Ireland the l minority should sacrifice it's own opinion and cooperate with the majority. Every member of the Irish party from the leader down was bound by this pledge. It was l the only means by which the Irish party had arrived at great power and influence It was true, he continued, that in October, 1881, he denounced Parnell in the severest terms, where for several years since he had been in active cooperation with him. He had denounced him because Parnell on more occasions than one, especially in speech in America, had used language dangerous to the empire, respecting total separation of Ireland and also because Parnell had
 bitterly opposed the land act upon which the liberals relied as a great instrument
 for redressing Irish grievances. But after
 MT. Parnell returned to the house of com
 mons from Kilmainham jail he (Gladstone)
 never heard of his repeating that danger
 ous language regarding separation, and
 he had CO o-operated with the government
 in giving effect to the land act. When
 the home rule bill was introduced in the
 house it was frankly and magnanimously
 adopted by the Irish party. The plan
 was based on the twin idea of first hand
 ing over to Ireland full, effcacious con-
 trol of her local affairs and, second, main.