The Portland daily press., 1892-08-27
NAILS AT A DOG TROT
It Took Twenty.Feur Days from New
York to Cincinnati.


Mot, servi9e Less Than Sixty Years Ago.
An Interesting Account of the Big New
York Fire of 1885 from an Old Letter
written at the Time.
It is hard to believe that only fifty
seven years ago, time within the mem
orv of MANY old residents of this city, a
letter took twenty-four days in transit
between New York and Cincinnati.
Here is a letter addressed to Nicholas
Carroll, ESQ.,, Cincinnati, Ohio" post
marked "New York, Dec. 49," and also
marked ssCincinnati. Ohio, Jan. H." the
difference between the two dates being
three weeks and half. The letter was
afterward forwarded to New York,
scare 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
'.the swamp.
In addition to the interest which this
old letter has as a curiosity of the mails,
it contains the account OF an eye wit
ness of the great fire of 1885. 1t is writ
ten 1pon a 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 mage and the whole sealed with q
wafer. There is no stamp of course
but the postoffice department. has marked
it with a pen, s2P $780," The post
marks. in red ink, are much larger and
plainer than those Of the present.
The letter is dated New York, Dec
II. 1885. "It is with the deepest feeling
of regret" the writer says, "that try
to give you faint idea of the horrible
calamity that befell our city last night
It 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.
.ssAbout 8:45 o'clock last evening fire
was discovered breaking out in two o.
three places in the stores in Pearl street
lust below Wall street, on the side near
est the exchange. There was almost {
gale blowing from the northwest, which
Immediately drove the flames across
Pearl street, where they enveloped tel
or twelve stores, and in few MINUTES
the fire was driven through to Waite.
street, and thence to the East river
sparing nothing in its course on tn
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 o
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 wa.
to level with the ground. It then ex
tended through Exchange place to Viii
| liam street, up William to Wall on bot
sides, then through the South Dutcl
church, taking the whole block below
through to Broad street, except tn
stores fronting on Broad street. 70,
can now imagine the whole space fron
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 filed 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 valua
bles. It was bitter cold night, an
this morning you can perhaps imagin
my feelings, but you cannot my looks
It is now IL o'clock and have not bee
| from the stove since came from tn
| fire, but I hear that it is raging almos
as much as ever and has burned u
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 tn
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 &C
under and has not reached below Coer
ties slip. They stopped its further pre-
gress in Pearl street by blowing up on
or two stores in Pearl street on tn
corner of Coenties slip, where, you wi
recollect, the slip is narrow and ther
was danger of the fire reaching across
Among our acquaintance burned OF
are Cheesebrough, lost all his clothes
saved SIS, 900 out of $40, 900; d. Stoutel
burgh, John Birdsall, etc. People al
more cool today, and say the loss is b.
tween $50, 900, 900 and $50, 900, 000."
s.The case now stands thus: Begin o
the lower side of Coffee House slip an
come up Wall street to William, thene
diagonally back of the Phoenix bank
the stores fronting on Broad street; the
it has made clean sweep within tn
circle to the East river down to Coentit
slip, where it is now burning. Ever.
thing within this is destroyed-the e,
change, postoffce, A. Tappan & Co.,
everything is gone. Everybody wears
gloomy face this morning, and wit
reason. Some Of the effects will be tt
failure of all fire insurance compani'
~ ...a>1a cor,i,,rr j., xrybi