Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-06
Flames in New York's Slaughter
House District.
SUICIDE OF A BERLIN BANKER.
Resignation Of Italy's
Premier, Rudini.
OTHER NEWS BY WIRE.
BLAMED ON rHE STRIKERS.
A Miliion-Doiiar Fire In New Works sisurh
ter House District.

- w Wv rtaukn-
ter House District.
NEw YonK. May 6.-At2 O'Clock this morn
ing fire was discovered IN the immense slaush-
ter house OF SwarizschildS a Sulzbergers. .whole-
sale butchers. at 45th street and Last river
The flames spread SO rapidly that second and
third alarms were quickly sent out which
brought to the scene as many as twelve engines
and four trucks. Despite this force the flames
gained rapid heRdway until they enveloped the
great three-story structure. winch runs from
s5th 20 86th street and extends 20 the river
Ia this building there were large quantities OF
infamrIsbie material. which fed the flames TO
such an extent that by 80 O'CLOCK the whole
block N flames
Fortunately the night was calm. otherwise
the shipping IN the vicinity must have suffered
Between ESQ and o clock no lees than
sixteen streams were directed on the
burning buildings and the IRE boats poured .
delGgo on them iroIa the river.
The hre during Its progress reached the lard
tanks, when a terrific explosion occurred,
quickly followed by four othors, which shook
the adjoining buildings almost 20 their center
By $50 O'Clock the fire covered a space OF
2OO by 500 feet and AT that hour IL was esti-
mated that already $3.50 900 worth OF propcgty
had been destroyed
AZ $40 O'Clock the pier at the foot Of s5th
street. caught ire. The flames ran along the
nsA"i'ee @i.A4A liltN were burning all the TO
4'th street. Vessels anchored near the docks
were quickly towed ont INTO the streams. There
was y strike OF the slaughter house hands early
Ia the evening, and the firm fearing that there
might be some trouble applied to the police
I authorities. NEo m response sent the reserves
ot the East Dist street station to protect their
works.
The strikers who were mostly Hebrews and
numbered about twenty-five, made no de-
monstraiion agains; the osher men, however
lnf4E ,sfsHr IL.
refused regular hours and one day oh every
week. They had been compelled TO work
| from twelve 20 fifteen hours a day, for which
they were paid sll per week.
INyFsrIGATING THE FEr.
The police have already begun an investi-
| CATION into the circumstances attending the
fire and il is said are working on the theory
| that strikers who left work last evening had
something TO do with setting the place on fire.
The slaughter house people occupy two blocks.
| from 4Jth street TO 5Ith. from Ist avenue 20
the river. aad IN addition have a large new
building on the river front between 44th and
40th streets, where tie former building Was
burned down about year ago.
Along the river front taoFe were a number
OF small buildings, used for the reception Of
! portions OF the animal matter. Thay were
consumed, together with a driving building
canning building, ensiae and dynamo room.
besides a number of other smaller ones. There
was SlI5,OO0 worth OF machinery III one of the
/ buildings
The elevator boy was the first 10 discover the
fire. lie saw sparks coming through the cle-
Vator shafL 1his was the building where the
Two large engines of a capacity OF 500 horse
power and all the electric lighting plant were.
All this machinery, including siX boilers, was
either badly damaged or totally DESTROYED On
| Thursday night SIS head OF cattle were brought
TO the slaughter house. They we're valued az
slOO per head. The smoke worked ats way
| INTO the lCns whore the anInss were. Their
| believing could be heard blocks away. II Was
| with the greatest possible trouble that the
! herd was gotten into the street. where thew
rushed hither and thither. infuriated by the
! fyi2g sparks which fell upon them. By this
| time the streets IN the vicinity OF the FIRE were
| crowded and many had narrow escapes from
being trampled by the infuriated animals.
| They were finally driven into a vacant lot near
| by.
The flames ragged fercest in tie canning de-
! partment building, where were stored about
| $500, OUO worth of cans of beef, besides large
| quantities OF bologna.
In the cellar beneath. as well as under all the
| buildings down TO the river, were stored 1000
! hogsheads, all of which were DESTROYED
supt. Madden. in speaking of the loss, said:
Il think without any doubt the loss viii foot
| up nearly Sl.uo0.Ooo. The material which was
| stored IN the cellars was very valuable Ii was
insured The concern employs about $50
men, women and children, about 100 OF whom
work at night
IL now appears that losses by the fire will not
| be nearly ~ great as was at first estimated A
| careful estimate made later today reduces tho
! figures TO from S20D. 900 TO $3.50. 900 Mr.. Sulz-
! berger does not believe the lire started by
any OF the men who went out on strike.
The fre was under control at O'Clock Po-
! lice Captain Reilly said there was every reason
4 TO believe the hre Was of accidental origin
and that II started IN she fat house.