New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
ONE PERISHED IN THE FIRE.
DESTRUCTION OF A GRAIN ELEVATOR.
THE FLAMES STARTED IN THE KNICKERBoCKER
lie CO.'S OLD BUILDINGS-NAREoW
ESCAPE OF wORKNEN.

TIE FLAMES STARTED IN THE KNICKERBoCKEB
lie co.'s OLD BUILDINGS-NA ARROW
ESCAPE OF woRKNEN.
one man was burned to death and property worth
more than $500 900 was destroyed by a fire I'm Tll'
teenth ave. yesterday. The fire was a stubborn one
to contend with and burned ferccly from 10 a. n
until r. m. compelling the best cGorts OF the hr'
department during that time II laid in ruins he
buildings which faced the North River between Banl
and West Eleventh SIS. and destroyed two Other
structures in the latter street threaeQing for time
to lay waste an entire block The kElckerbocKei
Ice Companys stables AT Bank st. and Thirteenth
ave. which were first destroyed, were old. low
rickcty structures mostly built Of aood and contann.
property Of small value Much of the remaining
pare covered by the flames occupied ty r. VI
Van Tassels grim elevator and storehouse. n new
building six stories high. which had n frontage OF
100 feet in the avenue and extended the sam, dis
lance IN West Eleventh.st. II built the site
Of Van Tassels former elevator which destroyed
rs fire early the morning Of January II. 170l. II
was completed recently and the elevatng machinery
not complete when the flames oeain interierei
with Van Tasses business.
Tie IN the old stables Of the KnlCko,bocker ice
Company discovered q few minutes before 10 a
Tho old stables unOccupled. as the company
emily built on adjoining lot, n Bank Il.
Before The hrcmcn had time 10 answer the first alarm
the fames had swcpt through the old frame structures
which covered half dozen city lots and had into
;he big grain elevator. To only persons In the
elevator building AT the time were twelve workmen
in to employ ~ Philip Gill. Of No. Browne ST..
Brooklvn who i- \ gran lcvator architect and builder
III, brother WIN. Cau. and nine otler worhmen
we're on lower floors of the building and they escaped
without trouble.
Joseph srltiel 81 East sevcnty-sevcnth-s'.. and
Henry Kopp. Of Hoboken. wen at work in the fourth
story The building filed with smoke 50 quickly that
KOpp and spt,d became bcvildcred and could not
90: dCwustair,. >pitci climbed out grain spout
which projected from OF u" windows and spfang
into the network Of telegraph wire close to one Of the
TAN poles IN front Of the building lie ased 70
cling TO the pole until b" wa, h,lpod down ly the fr"
men. Kopp wa 10 look oax'usly cu OF cne OF The
front window, and then bach lr di appeared in
the smoke and WAS not again. Undoubtedly lie was
overcome ~ tie smoke and va burned UP III Inc
building >pttel suffered from the effects Of SMOKE
and from shock aud on ambulance red iin Z, 81
Vincent. Hospital Gin ,a'v all 90 the wor.mcn
ccut Kopp in the street later. and able - con
tiad.ct report that than one man persisted in
the hames.
When the grain elevator Wa, seen 20 be on fire
,ccond third and fourth alarm, wcrc runc quickly
and special calls for engines We're sent ont
Chi,f Honner had twenty companies Of frcnen
Al work nj the fire before 10 80 a. streams
bv the two powerful nreboats. the NewNork
md the Iophar Mills. from the river. The
grcrnen worked hard. but the water seemed TO have
no effect on the fame In the elevator for mora than
three hours Dense clouds Of smoke rose from the
burning building and carried by the wind south
ward over the lower part Of the city. The hrem"n
werc driven away from the West Eleventh-st. front
Of the elevator by the smoke. but they manned water
tower on the Thrt.cnthave. side and worked on
-fnIl q
company in Bank advantage sayin- those s'aOes
from harm ard preventing spread ~ tie NJ ln ta'
direction. several companies ll-o made -iand on
the roof o. the Commonwealth Ice Companl'' Luna
ings in West Elev enth-t. after the adjoining huid
ing No :,s5, had taken FIRE. No. 80 was thire-
story building next to the elevator. II vas owned
by Van Tss,en also and wa occupied "a an OBLIGED
mill.
Nv noon the old stables Of the Knickcibocker ice
Ccmlany lad been destroyed Flames ill rose In great
volume, from the grain elevator. the ROOF OF WHICH had
fallen but the walls Of the elevator stood I'm. IN
West Eleyenth-.i and in Thrent wa, lire OF
telegraph pole, which 200 wire, wee -iiuig ta'h
pole had twenty-five ciO>, arms. Tie hrcnen hAIcI
nat When the wall, Of tne elevator fell. the poles ana
rir.., would fail too ana the police. under the com
nand Of Inspector Mihams, wcIr ordered 10 dfNr inc
crowds away nom tn l.'cr front INc ItVn' Wd' ol
Tho building e Al 30 p Ia. ana two % the llg p't,
went down with crssh, h!ngng TIE wires ln iahse
Oh the ground. Inc poe Al ba!'A SWAY ara
ploy u the Metropolitan Telephone CompeA! were On
he pole ard they clung silently 10 the cross arms
leh IN air A. tho crowa san anc shouted ON te pave
Weut The linemcu NcIr conn Mtlond-l, James
IavilaDd and William Horne. ad they Kept al work
on HE pole after the sWayf had ceased although the
oith wal of the elevator seemed Ahcy II idll Toward
them. . ,,,,,t... ,,,... .,,o
,,aIl. fou and the adjoining min I'm West Elevchth>
W vi,cEed Also. rie Commonwealth 10, company
bulll.n. mail structure. N"' Damaged OddIl u, lhe
the. ,. e, A. H.. .r,.,lf,.. ,
hi, poperv and before the ilc wa uiuti 'O"tI"i ne
vent IA, hi. home in tine Mlnd or liDteI IN C>es
we're aid 70 approach S2OO.0Oo. Tie gram elevator
Wa. aid Ia have cost 10000 aid 10 I've insured Tor
$40 900. The machinery in tie building had cost
600 and wa, not fnlly insured, II Wa sad although
-, wa an insurance u 5000 on INC -tcdh cltlue
Grain worth about $4,000 Wa DESTROYED IN me bul-
ing and A. wa, -ald to be ensureo win the exception
If 100 bu> hel, OF oa, ne - u" 'io oAi'-"c NH
and contents about rfV'Upv ,....u -. 81
The los of the knckerboeker lee Company o, 'Ie
fire wa. only about - 600, and there was smd L bc
mo- insurance. ON the old buildings The damage 10
The huildnc occupied Nv the Commonwealth Ice Com
many aud TO properly In the building ud not eA'eH
$1,000 Tho cause OF the hre was not Known
10 trace Of Kopp's body. probably, VIII be found
in The ruins ~ IN grain elevator. His oomrade, did
not know where hls hone ~ ii"Oo"" wa Ou' ]"
was said thst he had a FAMILY