New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-24
FURNITURE MAKES A BLAZE.
A BIG TWENTY-THlRD-Sr. FACTORY De-
STROYED
TENANTS IN ADJOINING HOUSES MUCH ALARMED
THE LOSS AEOUT 100000.


THE LOSS ABOUT s25o-O0o
Damage to the extent of S25OOOO was caused
last night by a fire which destroyed the large
slX-story building West Twenty -third-st.
which has long been the homo of one Of the
leading furniture houses in this city. What
Yesterday was a handsome and majestic structure
Of brick, iron and wood, is now heap of ruins
The building, which numbers l4s TO I54 has Q
frontage Of 80 feet on West Twenty-thrd-st, and
extends back $50 feet to Twenty -second-st
Ten years ago il was constructed for the use
Of Doremus & Corbett, furniture dealers, who
were it's owners. Three years ago the firm dis
solved partnership, ard the business. which in
cudes the manufacture and sale OF every de-
scripti3n of fine and fancy furniture, has since
been carried on by Otis Corbett. Each Of the
six floors forms one long room, extending the
whole length of the building, and each floor
takes in separate department, the paint ana
yarnish rooms being at the top.
Adjoining the building on the east side is the
hosiery store Of J. Lndemann, and to the west
the big clearinghouse kept by Mrs. T. Is. fel-
loves. In the rear and separated from the purh'
ing building by space of only fifteen feet are
the four cght-story fat-houscs, Nos. l3l, lo''
1jj and 1j7 West Twcnty-second-st., ana the
twenty families who live in these houses had
an experience l'st nlgnt WHICH tH'S WIN i'"'N''A
Der for a considerable time to come.
Policeman Brown, who patrols this part Of west
Twenty-thri-st, had Just reached the door of Proc
tors Theatre at 0 80 last night. when Neil Bur-
gesss big audience was filing ont of the house In
the same moment Brown noticed red glow IN the
second-noor windows of the great iron-fronted
udnQ over the way; pane of glass ratified on
the pavement and Il tongue of flame shot out OF
q window at the eastern end. The noXt moment
Brown had sent out an alarm from the SlXth-aVe.
corner and in two minutes more the first hook
and ladder company was AT work IL dld not
take the fremen more than moment to ma out
that the bulk of the fire was in the rear, and
that the builing practically doomed.
Second, third and fourth alarms We're sent ont IN
rapid succession. The big water towers nos. /
and were hoistcd in readiness for use from
the front it looked as though the fire would DO
confined to the second floor But going round %
Twenty -second-st., and walking through the hat
houses to the rear, one was startled by the SSnt
Of q great sheet Of flame, extending from BASEMENT
to roof, and from end to end.
Within half an hour from the outbreak OF the
fire the rear end of the roof fell in with thunder
ing crash. and then the flames, lighting on the
yarnsh stored in the front of tine top floor, maie
quick work Of the rest of the building, WHICH
within an hour was completely gutt"d. Inc ell
forts of the fremcn We're now mainly deNo'eu "
thc preservation of the adjoining buildings All
the tenants of the flat-hOuses in the rear OF VI"
burning building took fright and made nasty
pr-parations 10 clear out, bu. when the hfeheh'
cool and collected. took hose lire, through 'ac"
floor and stood placidly throwing twenty streams
of water on the flames, they sonc-
now recovered their wits, and went back 10
their rooms The wind blowing directly
cas-, removed all possibility Of danger TO boarderS
in Mrs Fcllowess house all of whom. IN the hrso
fright. had thrown their valiscs and poItmahteaus
out on the sidewalk On the roof OF the building
were a number of wires belonging to the hdison
Electric Light Company. As the flames tolched
,h.n tbes., wires fell. Kissing down tie 'front.' ana
~.ar 81 the building. and with each fail there was
,rad ru~h 10 get ont of reach
mo construction of the building rendered III
nossible that the iron front would crash INTO inc
r,.,,,1v and by order OF Captain O'Conhor, WHO
Win Captain Schultz had command OF the reserve
,r,'.. fr,m thn Nineteenth and Sixteenth pre-
cincts. every one except the llirmeh was oruereu
.vav from It's Immediate ncgliborhood.
Vr Corbctt, whose trade lay mainly among tle
leaders of Ncw-York society carried stock To- ,le
,,aluc of about $4,000, and loses nearly 2'o,-
0O0 ON the building, every cent OF WHICH Il
fully covered by insurance