New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-28
SUNDAY EDITION
JUN E'28, 1891.
FLAGS AND TROPHIES SAVED
THE FIST REGIMENT, HOWEVER, is HOME
LESS.
NARROW ESCAPES FROM THE BURNING ARMoRY
BOXES OF GARTH DGES CARRIED

Flames in the list Regiment Armory, in Broad
Say between Forty-fourth and Forty-ffth sts
Yesterday morning did not cause as great loss
rs was expected. The regiment wassnade home
less for time, but it's arms. uniforms, flags and
trophies were saved from destruction, and most of
che furniture belonging to the companies escaped
damage except by water. Although the drill
room. reception-room, gymnasium and armorers
rooms in the top of the threestory building were
wrecked completely, the fire was not permitted
20 do much damage in the Colones room and in
the Board of Officers and Veterans rooms on the
broadway side of the top floor. With the excep-
lion of the Armory Cafe. restaurant kept by
James Dooley at the Forty -fourth-st. end of the
buding the business places the ground floor
escaped serious damage by fire.
An exaggeration of the damage was natural in
the early morning hours on account Of the dis
MAY made by the flames and the excitement which
attended the work Of the fremen The armory
bufding although only three stories in height has
front extending from Forty-fourth-st TO Forty
afth-st. the east side of Broadway On the
ground floor are two restaurants, George Morgan's
furniture warehouse. two real estate offices and
several small shops. The entrance TO the Armory
Is in Forty-ffth-st. Company rooms take up
most of the space on the second floor. The drill
room was in the middle of the top story, and
connecting with it, at the north end was the
reception room, while the gymnasium was at the
south end. Ambrose Clayton, the armorer, occu-
pied rooms in the square tower at the south end,
and James Bonsteil, the janitor had rooms in the
corresponding tower in the north end
The fire started over Dooley's restaurant, or in
the rear of it, at . q. m. yesterday, and quickly
made its way up back stairway to the GYM
nasium The firemen were called by first alarm
before Clayton and his young wife were aware
Of their danger. Their escape by the stairs
cut of then Firemen took them down ladder
from a window in the FOrty-fOurth-st end of the
building A fireman, John Ripple, of engine No.
rs, cut his hand so severely broken glass at
the window that he was obliged TO go to
hospital.
battalion Chief Gicquel sent second alarm. A
few minutes later a third call sent out.
Chief Bonner, when he arrived to take command
Of the forces sent out fourth alarm, and eighteen
engines soon were putting the fire Streams
were thrown from water tower en- Broadway, and
from the roofs and windows Of several buildings
near the armOry including the Barrett House.
The fremen also entered the burning building and
fought the flames from the inside. Hook and
Ladder Companies Nos. and 81 got into the re-
ception.room and drill.room the top floor and
carried out the costly flags which had been pre-
sentcd 10 the regiment at New-Orleans in 1882
and the flags presented by the city in 1858 after
the regiment had helped to quell the Dead
Rabbit RIOT Other flags, including the colors
of the disbanded Iighlanders (79th Regiment,
were saved Several boxes of cartridges were
carried from the second story. The janitor and
his family left their rooms in the north end OF
the building 10 help the tremen remove the
trophies Of the regiment
The flames soon filed the drll-room, burst
through the roof and made a display which at
tracted The gaze OF thousands of persons. The fire
men were hampered somewhat by the crowds who
called out that there was danger Of explosions.
At No. los West Forty-ffth-st. was
the uptown headquarters Of the Salvation Army
and asnumber of and women fed from the
rooms there when the flames appeared. Fire
men protected the rooms from serious damage
Members of the Insurance Patrol saved part of the
furniture in Morgan's warehouse and covered up
most of the furniture in the officers rooms the
Broadway side Of the building.
After the fremen had been at work less than
two hours the fire was under control. DO0ey's
restaurant on the ground floor was a wreck, bnt
that the only part Of the first story which
was damaged much by the flames Or the second
floor also the chief damage confined TO the
south end of the building. In the top Of the
building only the officers rooms escaped. The
roof was destroyed, and the drill room, reception
room and gymnasium were wrecked. Nearly all
of the arfs were in the company rooms on the
second floor, and the uniforms in lockers in
the same rooms. They escaped damage, except
by water, and they were removed TO the state
Arsenal at Scventh-ave. and Thirty ffth-st., yes
terday. One box of ammunition remained un-
harmed in the cOone's room the top floor
The armOry building was erected for use as
market about thirty years ago. 1t belongs to
II. T. Ford who lives at the Victoria Hotel IL |
was about 20 sail for Europe yesterday morning !
when lie heard of the fire and concluded to wait !
Ills agent said the building probably would he
repaired quickly as possible, as a new armory
for the regiment cannot be built for year. II |
can be repaired for $4,000 and is insured by |
the following companies:
Royal $1,000