New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-11
/ A BIG WAREHOUSE BURNED.
FRANCIS H. LEGGETT q co.'s LOSS s4sO,OOo
TRAFFIC. ON THE SIXTH AVENUE ELEVATED
ROAD SUSPENDED - HAIR

was yesterday damaged by fire, WIN the e'o0A'
to the extent of about S430,00O. The hre was
exceedingly obstinate, and Fire Chief Bonner ana
his men had long fight with the hanes' ouU
finally succeeded In confning the fire TO the top
two floors of the building.
The great warehouse, nine stories hIgh was
erected ten years ago, and occupies Nos l20 ana
I % Franklin-st II extends back about hundred
feet. or half way through block to North Moore
St. The east side of the building takes up lO6,
lOs and 10 West Broadway, within few lect
of the downtown track of the Sixth Avenue Ele-
waited Railroad The west side extends along Nos
@ A. G, and 10 Varickst Within few feet
of the front Of the building is the elevated rail-
road station, which, in case of an outbreak
of fire. forms kind of connecting INK
between the Legaett warehouse and the big white
building of the Franco-American Food Company
on the other side of the street. Separated from
the Leggett house only by narrow Varick-st Is
the building occupied by ID. s. Walton & Co.,
wholesale paper manufacturers. At the back OF
the building and fronting IN North Moore-st Is
Grammar School No. Al.
There were all the materials for disastrous
fire. and it is due mainly TO the heroic labors oil
the fremen that a loss reaching up into the mill
ions has not to be recorded
| II was shortly after 3 o'clock when Police
Officer Clark of the Fifth Precinct. who was on
patrol duty in Varick-st., saw Dig pun Oh
smoke suddenly burst from a window on the top
aoor at tbe northwestern corner of the Leggett
| building He ran to the fireboX at North Moore
and VnricL SITS, and sent out alarm. while
Police Officer Cavanagh called William DAILY, the
watchman of the house. DAILY ran into the build
ing and sent out an automatic alarm. BY the
time the Grcmen reached the scene, smoke was
pouring in dense volumes from all the windows
of the top floor which is known as the spice
denartment and is almost entirely taken up by
the machinery used in the manufacture OF spices
and essences The great height Of the house rem
dered the fire exceedingly difficult Of attack, and
| Chief Bonner at once saw that his enemy would
give him a stiff battle. Three more alarms were
sent out in quick succession.
| The men of Truck No. 30, under Captain Brad
| lev. forced an entrance through the Grammar
School at the back Having reached the roof
of the school building they fixed an extension
ladder 81 feet long, against the wall of the burn
ing warehouse and climbed to the top, opening
I'D twenty-five feet of the roof. Others mounted
| to the elevated railroad and worked on the lire
| from that point. About twenty streams OF water
were now at work the burning floor but still
| the volumes of smoke grew denSer and dcnser
1t was evident that the light artillery of the hose
was powerless to stem the rush of fame, and the
| bip wator-tower No. | was brought INTO
play lust as a gush of fame burst from the windows
| on the northwest side.
| The question now whether the heavy body
of water would have force enough to reach the
ninth floor. With bated breath the crowd oil
lookerson watched the streams slowly mount from
floor to floor, until, with last gigantic effort IL
svooned right into the heart of the flame, and, as
il seemed, snuffed it out instantaneously Inc
crowd cheered loudly, but its JOY was premature.
While the water.tower was slowly making ready
70 work the fire enveloped the whole OF the top
floor and as if in mockery of the cheering Delo"'
| a huge body of flame burst from the Windows on
the West Broadway side Of the building Several
special calls for engines had already peeh n'"ue
and now Chief Bonner sent out fifth alarm.
Men mounted the roof of the adjoining warehouse
and sent streams of water across Varick-st The
network of telegraph, telephone and electric hgno
wires. which in themselves formed no inconsld-
erobe element of danger, proved an annoying
obstacle TO the work of the fremen. An attempt
was made TO put Water-tOwer No. ? at work on
tho southeast corner of the building, but before
that conId be done il was necessary to cut down
some Of the lower wires
Watertower No. / had outlived Its usefulness
on the Varclx-st. side, and was brought round
70 the front Of the building. where, In conJunc-
ton with its weaker companion and fve streams
from the hoses, it played upon the flames with
crushing effect. 1t could plainly be seen now that
nothing could save the top floor, and the efforts
NJ the firemen were directed 10 the safety OF the
rest of the building.
On the roof at the southeast corner OF the
borse had stood flagstaff This flagstaff bravely
maintained its position until the flames had burnt
and scorched it beyond endurance. Then II TOT
tered and tumbled heavily over, bringing with IL
a huge mass of the tin roofing and stone coping
which fell with a deafenng crash TO the elevated
railroad track and to the pavement There was
4 wild rush of the crowd to the spot, headed by
Chief Bonner, whose ruddy face was white. IL
aid not seem possible that any of the men at
work there could have escaped with their lives.
But presently above the roar of the engines could
he heard the CHEEKY cry, "All right!' and the
crowd breathed freely again.
| Chief McGnl with Foreman Reardon, OF truck
No. G. Foreman Byrnes, of Engine No. Is, ana
several iremen had stood on the downtown pat
form of the elevated 5Slroad station JuSo unuer ltnnc
| inst missed them by few inches. Peter Dohley
The truckmaster for the firm, and John Montague,
an assistant watchman' had an even h@rro"o'
escape. -, W.. p.ood,yo,
entrance for the purpose OF admitting tle so nie,
into that part OF the ha I'd tes shont and
looked up to see the mass of stone topping over
As bv a common Instructive impulse, they leaped
forward and literally threw themselves lnto tle
iddIa of the roadway lust as the ruins crashed on
A 70 the payement. right on the spot where they
$ had stood g. ,os hoo+or I'm,
Q Finally, at Sis p. m, the fire was beaten pa,
NOT before the ninth floor and part OF the eigntt
floor had been burnt out. The whole OF the pullu-
;ng ry Is however more or less damaged by water,
r Mindful of the danger which threatened t9e nc
Elevated railroad, Colonel Hain had hurried &c
.u .ccne of the lire soon after the outbreak. ano
nersonallv superntended the removal Of the lroI
and solid blocks of stone which had fallen ac acTos
to,r trains were switched on to the uptown
rack AZ Bleecker-st, and ran on it until thel
had passed the Franklin;St station, when tne}I
" - armed with a red flag, would signal Il
an approaching train. When the line was cleal
he would wave a white nag