New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-22
BIG BLAZE IN UNION SQUARE
ALOse OF OVER HALF A MILLION.
HE sp1NGLER BUILDING BURNED OUT AND

TIFFhNY'S THREATENED
The second large fire of 1892 in this city burned ou
the fve-story building known as the Splhsier pun"
ing adjoining Tifany's, on the west side OF omoh
S0unre Yesterday afternoon. IT attracleu d si'"'
throng OF people, and ut one time 1t preseh'e" "
terrifying spectacle. Five alarms called the aVahoIe
forces OF the Fire Department between Ch'hper''''
and Fiftieth-st to fight the hames Ponce resei'e'
from six precincts called TO UNION SQUIRE "
nrcservs order among the thousands OF spectators
street cars in Broadway and in Fourteenth-st' "ere
blocked for several The fact that. Brentanos
,o,L nuhIisbing establishment WAS in the burning
huildinr WIS known throughout the city long before
The fire was under control There were fears lor 'ie
snfety OF Tinanys big building, and business tco was
,.nendeS while tho firms employees placed gems ana
iewelry In safes. The ten-story hre-prOol Lihcoii
Building adjoining the burning structure on the so'''
actually seemed TO be taking fire once, ana hiehen
statioped on several of the floors played streams Vi
,v,tor from within upon the burning window sashes
and awnings No loss OF life caused by the hie'
but the damage property amounted 10 over So"'oo'
1t was few minutes after noon "hsh 'ne ii'
was discovered In the basement Ill the rear vi "o
building which beers the numbers D, ana IN Union
Souare Connecting with the main bullding IN the
ro,r s nm II which extends back Of Tlhanys 70 NO
90 Fast Fifteentlst. The l." has frontage OF Only
twenty-five feet in the street and deptl OF nearly
700 foot while the main building is seventy i've rect
vide and runs back about $50 feet Inc smoke WIS
f-st discovered in the " l." and policeman III TN
eenths ran 10 Sixth-ave send ont the first ALARM
Other alarms were rung mt brief intervals at the siga
hox at broadway and Fourtcenth-st. Fifteen minutes
nfer tho fire had been discovered. Cnlcf bolmer hri
tyentyfv fire engine Ianes, ght hcokand ladd9r
ornonies and two water.tOwers either at work or Oh
rho way 10 the fro Assistant Chiefs McCabe ana
Reilly and half dozen battalion chlefs were t"eru
assist him in directing the work OF tile hrNneh' foco
Inspector Steers ordered reserves from the fh'h 1'
Fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth plechcts 10 inc
oarc 10 assist the Nineteenth Precinct force OF ponce
mon under the command Of Captain Rellly' "Hch
fine reserves arrived several thousands OF persons o
,,,hend I'm the square and were pushing against inc
nr.mcn The police drove back the thfOhs WIFI ui''
Guilty and established fire lines
Nen continued TO flock In to the square, over
rnnIng the walks and tramplng the snow on the g'sS
plots From the shopping places in BIoadwa anu III
Fourteentlst many women trooped To the Square anu
TODD +, the COLI wind TO watch the fire. The street
c.rs in both tlorOu shfres stopped, the ie Oh
hIocled car, I'm Broadway south Of Union nluac ca
tending as far Fourthst. a.,
For nearly an hour no flames visible from the
.cuorc Dense clouds Of smoke and steam roled on'
. ,b, Easements fTIo Broadway and Ffeenth-St'
lint the nremen had hope OF saving ue upper
,,rt, If the main building and Of the ~ from
r,ous damage I'm Tinany's big establishment thefo
,,nr. signs Of ALARM The customers were tuHeh Ouo
A. ouckly a. possible with the assistance oi several
polIccmen, who afterward remained In tlc Duiuie'
wor1msn were called from the workroomS IN inc upper
stories to assist the statesmen place jewels ana dr'
q, ,d and silver I'm the >es. 1t WIS said later uio
-, vaIued AZ more than 20 100000 was In the
hu,ldinc The iron shutters were drawn down III the
first story, the doors were cl0-.- ma e"''uou ny
uoIicemen and employees we're seen az '' "l"uo"S va
rho second and third floors looking out over the o'V"'''
in the SQUARE, when the fire next door WIS III iS
height. .io.
About | n M. flames appeared In the upper Sto"oS
NJ the L. in Fiftcenthst. a waerfower had ocei
,ot,ored there but It's powerful stream, aided Dy
streams from engines. seemed 70 nave no ehc'' vi
tin. flames soon the smoke rOullS out OF tho uPl'
starry windows Of the main building tod tha' '"o no
had gone I'D through the hOistways IN the re'' i'o
strong roof VI the buildng kept tho hnneS IT." i0''
ing higher but it also added to the heat OF the LII
,ri.oned fire That was apparent rs soon rs lho
oames began TO shoot out Of the upper wihdo"'.
Great streams Of fire. fully 100 feet In custh' eA'el'
from the windows and were curved s"u'""''u " NV
wind across the front OF the tail Lincoln hiu'l"s'
smoke was whrled in great eddieS over '"'oH 'e"
casting pail over the crowds and obscuilng the tops oi
-, 80 showers Of sparks fell all about and mads
,h ,ectators retreat from Broadway In disnay Inc
ecos az the tlemen ard policemen were DacAehe" W
the rain OF cinders' It'll, .h ,u =, tho
There was a full half hour In WHICH u'e Jury VI Wv
names WA, exciting witness. Flrench orisscu S''
Of the apparatus away from in 'front.' Vi o"o p'ii's
htIld "A
tho rgbt but behind a shield two hreiheh sun oo"
,d ,o direct a stream from water-tower NO l.
a,-,ctlv below the flames from the WINDOWS ING
window sashes and awnings ~ tle th'ru' iouru'. MN
w., 18th tories az the Lincoln Building. on the Union
.uars front were seen to be burning nut tle H"ho'
,yore not permitted to enter the ouilahs' "e"O''
", .o fir. companies at the windows WIN
III hos. through which they played sufficient water
- IT,, ,be fire from gaining an entrance. knowing
IA, ,h brildipg was protected by strong wall Chel
ponner did not feel much alarm Tor us siIcN iic
| Io ,,,sted 70 IL thick brick wall to save Iliahys
A., simon Brontano was helping the hremen drag
,... carriage from I'm front Of the burning building
! -, hrotber August ran TO him and begged him with
ors 20 get out Of danger. Large pieces OF the zinc
.,oe foil IN tho ground occasionally making near
rnro,cb TO the fire dangerous. Foreman Ahsarn, OF
Engine Company No. 3, was cut on the haha severely
hv piece OF falling glass. but he remained on uu'y'
| fireman OF Engine Company No. IA fell from "a
ladder and was hurt so badly that he WAS sent 10
| hospital. -, .
,te the fourth and fifth stories OF the main building
| having been burned out completely. The streams
thrown by the engines then began to tell ana In half
an hour the fire was under control. water ran III
,cb large streams from the building that the street
| utters almost overhowed. In the spray from the
streams that were directed to the upper stories rain
bcws appeared Ice coated the ire-ladders ana the
| helmets and rubber coats OF the iremen.
Tho upper stories OF the main building and OF the
l., were Quilted before the hremen got the better OF
the fire. In the OF each structure the iiames
had destroyed everything OF value down to the sub
cellars which were flooded Brentan0s book store
WAS on the first floor OF No Union square and under
meath In the basement aud subcoar, "as stored some
of the stock. Simon Brentano SAID the hfm had
hecome stock company OF which his brother August
was the president and the companys property In the
huiIdinx WAS worth more than $4,000 The loss
OF the company may be $4,000
The first story OF Nos. and was occupies by
Schneider Campbell Co.. dealers In gasxturcs. who
also occupied part OF the " l." In Fifteenthst Their
loss said to be about si2o'ooo Above the hrst
story the main building not divided by partition
wall Leon Rhsims innoriAr OF French millinery