New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-17
I NEARLY A BLOCK ON FIRE.
PROPERTY WORTH sl.ooO,ooo DESTROYED.
STATION c. OF THE PosToFFIcE BURNED OUT
"A LARGE FACTORY BUILDING AND
wApEu0uSr DESTROYFD.

WAREHOUSE DESTROYED.
James X. Reed the night watchman of the big
six-story brick building in Abingdon Square
bounded by Hudson, Bank and Greenwich SITS, saw
flames coming through the second-story windows
Of the building at IL :25 O'Clock last night. lie
Immediately ran to the nearest hre-alarm box and
sent out an alarm. In the meantime the flames
burned with surprising rapidty, quickly reaching
an airshaft in the back OF the building.
Up this funnel the bazes went with roar,
and almost as soon as the fremen arrived the
third, fourth. fifth and sixth floors were blazing
Three alarms were then sent out, and almost inn
mediately after two double skies, it being found
that the fremen were able to make little or no
headway against the flames.
The fire had started on the second floor in rooms
occupied by the Prentiss Calendar and Time Com.
pany, makers of clocks. Immediately under on
the first floor is Station OF the postofce
large part of the ground floor is also occupied by
the New-York Wagon Company. Other occupants
of the building Edward Brandus, electro
plating; Peter NJ. Wilson, steam power. who Is
also owner of the building S. w. Siebel, halter;
5. NJ. Sayre, Andrews & Co., glass
Taggart's large storage warehouses adjoin the
burning structure and at IL 80 q. IN. it was
seen that they were in great danger. Soon after
the warehouses caught fire, and the two big build
ings were burning together
Branch c, of the Postofice, was burned out,
but all the mail matter was safely taken out Of
the building. All the other occupants lost most
of their stock When the fire broke out there
were fifteen clerks and six collectors in the
branch postoflice on the Bank-st. side
of the building including Deputy Superintend-
ent Cox. The postal employees worked manfully
and were able to convey the mails to places of
safety. Superintendent Morgan, of the General
Postofice, was sent for in the emergency, and
took charge at once on his arrival.
The Ninth-aNe. elevated railroad passes by the
rear of the buildings. The structure of the road
from Bank TO Twelfth SITS. was so warped and shat
tered by the flames and heat that it was little bet
ter than wreck, and it was said that no trains
could run over the east track, at least, to-day.
People living in the small tenement houses in
Greenwich and Bank sts panicstrcken by
the fire and the utmost confusion prevailed among
them. Many moved their furniture into the street.
fireman named Ryan, of Engine No 5, while
helping some of the tenants out Of fat house
in Bank-st was injured by part of the wall Of
the burning building falling on him. He was
sent to a hospital in an ambulance.
Soon after 1 o'clock q part of the roof of the
first building to take fire fell in, and in about
five minutes more the remainder of the roof went
down with crash. The front of the building
in Hudson-st. fell outward filling the street with
burning embers and flying bricks. The heat of the
fire had been so intense that was near
enough to the building to get injured The wall in
Bank-st. next fell in and the Greenwich-st. wall
went next Many electric light. telephone and
telegraph wires were pulled down in the crash.
Hat house at Hudson and Bank sts, the ground
floor of which is occupied by butcher named
Helm, caught fire. and there much excitement
while the inmates were getting their furniture out
The fire in this building was soon put out.
Taggart's furniture warehouses, which were
filed with household goods. were also DESTROYED
with all their contents. The loss on the burned
buildings was said to be $500, 900, and on their
contents S7OO,OO0. The buildings were insured
During the excitement an electric-Ight wire
fell in the street, and the police formed line to
keep people off from it, Many, however, mar
rowly escaped stepping on it. The work of the
fremen was made extremely difficult by the inten-
sity Of the heat from the burning buildings.
Streams were thrown upon the flames from the
surrounding houses and also from the elevated
railroad structure. The flames were so hot how
ever, that many fremen were continually engaged
in drenching with water those in the front lines
- Robert Mckenna, of Engine No. 80, and John
Iurby, OF Engine No. Is, were injured by portions
Of the wall on the Bankst. side of the building
falling on them. They were sent TO St. Vincent's
Hospital
One of the tenants of the building in which the
fire started said that the structure had been con-
demned and that the tenants were unable TO get
insurance except at high rates. The air shaft in
the building was considered particularly danger
Gus.
The flames after destroying Taggart's storage
warehouses;, went on 10 the adjoining building,
most CT which is also occupied as storage ware
house by the same firm. In il are large fireproof
vaults, containing property Of much value II
was believed that this building could DE saved.