The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-11-02
MAILS AT A DOG TROT
1T TOOK TWENTY-FouR DAYS FROM
NEW YORK TO CINCINNATI.

An Interesting Account of the Big New
York Fire of 1885 from an Old Letter
Written at the Time.
1t is hard to believe that only fifty
seven years ago, a time within the men,
DRY of many old residents Of this city, a
letter took twenty-four days in transit
between New York and Cincinnati.
Here is letter addressed TO Nicholas
Carroll, Esq, Cincinnati, Ohio" post
marked "New York. Dec. Is" and also
marked Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. II" the
difference between the two dates being
three weeks and half. The letter was
afterward forwarded TO New York,
"care of Messrs. Gideon Lee & Co, No.
90 Ferry street" The name of this firm
will have a familiar sound TO some
leather merchants still doing business IN
1.-THE swamp"
In addition to the interest which this
old letter has as curiosity Of the mails,
it contains the account of an eye wit
ness Of the great fire of 1885. 1t is writ
ten upon full sheet of foolscap paper,
and was mailed, after the fashion of
that time, without an envelope, the adj
dress being written upon the blank
fourth page and the whole sealed with a
wafer. There is no stamp of course,
but the postoffice department has marked
it with pen, "2P $3.50" The post
marks, in red ink, are much larger and
palmer than those Of the present.
The letter is dated New York, Dec.
IT =, = %ba co.
of regret" the writer says, THAT l try
to give you faint idea of the horrible
calamity that befell our city last night.
1t is indeed one of the greatest disasters
that ever visited this country, or prob
ably any country since the memorable
confagration of Moscow. Almost the
whole business part of the city is one
heap of ruins.
About $40 o'clock last evening fire
was discovered breaking out in two or
| three places in the stores in Pearl street,
lust below Wall street, on the side near
est the exchange. There was almost a
gale blowing from the northwest, which
| Immediately drove the flames across
Pearl street, where they enveloped ten
|
! the fire was driven through to Water
street, and thence to the East river
sparing nothing in it's course on the
lower side Of Wall street. The shipping
in that quarter was almost every mo
ment catching, and the tide was too low
to float them out into the river, some Of
them being aground.
''The fire continued to drive on to
ward the Battery, enveloping the eX
change and making steady progress:
down toward Old slip and to William
street, sweeping everything in its way
to a level with the ground. 1t then ex
tended through Exchange place to vii
liam street, up William to Wall on botl
sides, then through the South Dutcl
church, taking the whole block below
through to Broad street, except tn
stores fronting on Broad street. YoI
can now imagine the whole space from
the block fronting on Broad street dow
to the East river one broad sheet of fir
and rapidly moving down to the Bat
terry. The engines had long since give
up all hope of doing anything; it wa
utterly out of their power, as the hos
froze as fast as it was filled up.
81 was on the spot few minutes afte
the fire broke out and staid till abou
1880 this morning, helping, as much as
: was able, my friends to move their ow
and their employees books and valul
bles. 1t was bitter cold night, al
this morning you can perhaps imagin
my feelings, but you cannot my look!
1t is now ~ o'clock and I have not bee
from the stove since / came from tn
fire, but l hear that it is raging almo:
as much as ever and has burned Il
everything this side of Coenties slip.
Dec. 1S-Your letter remained III
finished yesterday, as | thought it wOul
be useless to attempt to mail it in til
confusion necessarily attendant upo
the removal of the postoffice. The
saved everything, believe, connecte
with that department, and are no
under the custom house. The fire is g
) under and has not reached below Coel
ties slip. They stopped its further pr
gress in Pearl street by blowing up OF
| or two stores in Pearl street on tt
corner of Coenties slip, where, you wi
recollect, the slip is narrow and thel
,, was danger Of the fire reaching acros
=, Among our acquaintance burned OF
,, are Cheesebrough, lost all his clothe
saved S15, 900 out of $4,000; D. Stoute7
, burgh, John Birdsall, etc. People a.
} more cool today, and say the loss is b
tween $50, 000,O00 and $50, 100000"
''The case now stands thus: Begin {
the lower side of Coffee House slip az
come up Wall street to William, theme
I diagonally back of the Phoenix bank
f the stores fronting on Broad street; the
it has made a clean sweep within til
, circle to the East river down to Coenti
s slip, where it is now burning. Ever
r thing within this is destroyed-the G
, change, postofice, A. Tappan & Co..
everything is Sone. Everybody wears
gloomy face this morning, and Wi
reason. Some of the effects will be Il
|. failure of all fire insurance compani
: in the city, and people coming in VIII
r am writing say that at least half of 4
merchants in New York must fail, az
half the banks. In short, there is !
end to the misery that will be produce
The loss at the present time Is various
estimated at from $50 100000 TO $40
000,0 900 in goods and property. The eau
Of the fire has not been ascerta1ned."
c People were not cool enough even
Il tho cacoDd dow 70 roach rational fio11rf