New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-13
VALUABLE STORES BURNED
TWO FIREMEN KILLED IN BROOKLYN.
HARBEOKs sroREHoUsE DESTROYED, WITH A
LOSS OF $500 900.

HARBEOK's SroREHoUsE DESTROYED WITH A
LOSS OF 100000
fire which caused about $500. 900 DAMAGE
occurred yesterday in the big warehouse, known
as Harbecks Stores in Furman-st. on the water
front of Brooklyn, between Fulton and Wall-sA
ferry. The fire was coming to storehouse No.
3, which was filed with tute, sisagrass, hemp
jute butts and cotton fibre. The fire was not
discovered until nearly o'clock, although smoke
had been noticed several hours before Fireman
Lahey, Of Engine Company No. "a, whose house
is in Furman-st., nearly opposite the storehouse,
slnelled the smoke at 10 p m, Friday, but
could discover fire. But careful watch
was kept by the flrcnen. The watchman on IIar-
beck's pier heard two slight explosions at a. m.
yesterday, bat he could discover no cause for
them, and there no smoke in any of the
warehouses, the street shutters of which were
closed. Shortly before ) "a. m Police Sergeant
lIarSins discovered smoke issuing from the fifth
story windows of one of the big warehouses, and
an alarm was given to the engine company close
at hand. The smoke increased in volume rapidly
and three alarms summoned all the available
engines and the freboat Seth Low. The fire
was inaccessible in the middle of the warehouse
and it was deemed unwisc 10 open the steel shut
tiers and doors to give draft Holes cut
in the roof, and food of water poured in
TO drown ont the fire and conlne it 10 the ware
house where it broke out. Brick walls three
feet thick separate the four warehouses, making
up the OF IIarbeclls Stores standing between
Watson's Stores The one hand and Barthell's
grain warehouses Oh the other.
For five hours The engines pumped half hun
dred streams OF water, and the frcmen directed
them into the warehouse until the lower floors
were filed with water. 1t was thought that con.
burst open some OF the doors and windows, and
at the same time the roof of the building fell
in The smoke WAS greatly increased, and tho
work of the iiremen made more difficult.
In hopes Of attacking the fire in the rear. Chief
Engineer Nevins ordered some of the shutters
10 b. opened, but il found that this only
increased the fury Of the flames. and they were
shut again By the work of the liremen the
flames were confined TO the building, ana
We're under control by noon. The contents were
almost completely destroyed, but will probably
continue TO shoulder and smoke for several
days.
The Red D Line steamship Venezuela was lying
at the pier adjoining the warehouse and was
promptly towed out TO the end Of the wharf, ana
later 70 midstream, where an anchor was dropped.
She was ready 70 sail in the afternoon and no
chances of delay were taken. The building is
chased it from tine HarbelS estate few years
age and is leased by the Empire Storage Ware
house Company, of which +. Il. Bartlett is presi-
dent William Kickaby is the general super
aud lie said that the goods
in the burned building belonged to
hundreds OF owners, each OF WHOM
insured his own property The warehouse Is 100
by 100 feet, and could hold 10000 bales OF
cotton on each of its five floors. 1t was un-
usually tull, for tie goods In storehouse NO.
, had been taken from it and placed IN No
3. 50 that hides could be stored in NO. :.
In. No. 4 is large quantity o. valuable goods
in bond, worth fully $4,000, ana there were
grave fears for the safety OF this waretouS'' ou'
il is believed that TO damage has been done.
The fire j. believed - have been due to sp h'ane-
oos combustion in th. iute butts. The loss on tue
huildinr was estimated t. amount 10 $4,000, ana
uuon the contents to amount 70 at least S-1V'up"'
In 1883 great fire occurIel IN liarDens . s'oi
and three snigs. two lighters ana the ".Iali i % 80
,,rn ,lqst roye in addition TO damage 10 we WIZ
lo,s.o CtLpr great fires have occurred IN Tierrc-
points Watson's and Martins stores IN tle s,'nic nc
lci .'rhorhood in the last few years. III looo az
engine company was pllced III fuilll'h7''' '" P
fnc re p.oyt4 fatal one for two Of off, the as re f.
0uldoreI in the lower floor, Of the bhllg, att
hc roof and ihe uprr h"o.' i,G LEI teen ,nnanT U"na
through Jane, -miil. foreman 81 flrnr ,olhphstt pht
No T. with half dozen men Of the company, nMsu M
descended early last evenlng rom me rool 20 ~
rn,..r roor M one end Cf the vaiehous, ana "eIe
-jaoueI upon balrs of jute direcling streams rams
Di wafer upon the smouiterng ma>, on tle i@o"er OWL
hOor.. ,uci'AN l' H"ur u-''VT,t IL 7.n
Iay and they n.ll with tie jute Two Of the nai men
lisa ppplre an. the foreman and three diners saVtr
'heusalvc, with difficulty. The men who were iost
were John TTunci, -pauting. Of no l'S2 Ha11s1hst,
md Wayinnd Estes. OF No. 242 Cour1SI. The latter
had been IA member Oi Engine Company No. since
80 ana was a r-iod man with family -pauIdlh3
ind been fireman since ls9' and wa, nnnarrea: m ,S
Roth were regarded brave men. and fearless IN the
discharge of their duN. The injured men besides
foreman smith were hr"m,n John smith, Jamcs
ponohur and ,iaOrt, F. Tia TtSan. Foreman smith
yps caught by one Of the men Of bis company ns
,r was falling Tine other men were more OF les
DwIi ,,d and hurt in their efforts To save themselves
,uh each other. and they weIr sent To their homes
n n Drro wagon. No trace of the TWO men VINO
yern lost could be secured and II Is supposed tnas
hry were ,uiocated and their bodies will be found
ff. .ffin