The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-08
DESTRUCTIVE, FLAMES.
& Z y z kss
Fire in. New York city Con-
sumes FOurHuge Buildings.
The Loss Estimated at Several
Million Dollars. ',..ss:z y

Two millions of dollars went up in fire and
smoke or sunk into water-soaked and pic
turesque wreck a few nights ago in New
York City In fire that swept from street to
street on the BIeecker street end Of
the block bounded by Bleecker, Hous-
ton, Mercer, and Greene streets. >"
The fire started in the sub-cellar of the
Cohnfeld Building, at Bleecker and Greene
streets, and ragged below the level Of the side
walk for nearly an hour before P. NJ, and
was permitted to get beyond the control OF
the fremen. Later the nine-story structure
went down like house OF cardboard In the
flames. Three adjoining buildings caught
Gre and were destroyed, and the loss OF
property exceeded 81, 500,0 900.
The building in which the fire originally
started was owned by Mendel Brothers, real
estate men of Chicago, and occupied by AL
fred Benjamin & Co., probably the largest
manufacturers Ct fine ready made mems
clothing In this country. It Is q stock COM
pany, comprised OF Isaiah Josefa, A. Hoch.
stader, Eugene Benjamin, David Hochstader.
and, as special partners Jesse and Samuel
Rosenthal. " :. : = -
The first alarm was turned in at $40 P. n.
= second at 5:25 and then three others fol-
lowed in rapid succession. Engines came
Changing from all directions to the scene, and
when Chief Bonner arrived and saw tho
Ieriousness of the fire he sent out innumerable
special calls for additional engines, until
finally the greater portion Of those in the
lower part Of the city were at the spot.
At first it seemed as If the flremen would
have an easy victory over the flames. There
was no appearance Of fire, but thick, BLACK
smoke poured out Of the basement and rose
In volumes about as high as the mansard
roof, then blew down in the streets again,
making it an heroic task for the fremen;to
work at all. -
Suddenly, with hardly moments notice,
the flames forced their way up through the
building and burst through the roof in Q
blaze that could be sesn for miles. Then
every floor was attacked by the element, un-
til from sub basement to roof the magnih-
cent building was fiery furnace. The IRE
men in the streets below were like pygmies
ginning Of conhagration that would only
end when it had no more to feed upon.
A six story building adjoining the giant
On the east, and occupied by. NJ. d: Rosen-
stein, ostrich feathers was the next to s11c-
cumb tc the flames which then moved on to
the doubiebrick building owned and occupied
In part by Hammerslough. Sakss
& Co., clothiers, on the third, fourth
afth, sixth and seventh floors, and by
E. V. Comet & Co., hatters, on the lower
| floors. The fire meantime had extended on
the Greene street side to the six story orlcS
| building, occupied partly by Rosensteln and
partly by Sylvester Levacher g. Co., manu-
| iacturers Of hats, caps and furs. This build
ing extended through to Mercer street. Inc
| Gre speedily forced its way out on that SIDE
! Of the structure, and it looked as tne
whole block was doomad.
At almost o'clock the roof of the build
ing in which the fire started fell in with
crash, carrying floor after floor with it'in
! its descent. A few minutes later the 'front.'
wall toppled and fell into Blocker street.
and the firenea had to scurry in livery
manner to save their lives. ~ u was
one Of them-E. j. Worth, OF Engine
No. 30-was struck by falling brick on tae
but one, thu eastern wall OF the building,
was left standing. Then the roof OF Ham
merslough's building fell in, but the other
walls remained intact. 49,. -,
Although the ruins blazed flerccly until
! nearly midnight, the fire was practically
under control at o'clock. The water tower
I and three or four more nozzles poured
Geluge into that portion Of the flames
which was nearest the abutting property
for an hour or, two more. No at
tention was paid to the ruins Of ths
great building where the fire started.
The flames there were allowed to burn them
selves out. What they fed upon was a
mystery, for everything ordinarily infsn1-
mable was devoured before the walls fell.
! Even bricks in the fallen wall seemed to have
been cleared of mortar.
Not for years has there been fire in New
York by which the destruction was so COM
plete. The great corner building was as
Completely destroyed as though not finger
had been liftsd to oppose the progress OF the
flames. Nothing but the bare bricks and
some portion Of the iron covering Of the
walls remained.
Nearly the entire loss is covered by insur-
ance in many companies. One conservative
estimate places the entire amount OF damage
at not less than S., 000, 900.