New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-16
SWIFT FLAMES WORK RUIN.
FIRE on THE EAST SIDE LICKS Up A
FACTORY AND SEVERAL DWELLINGS.
ONE LIFE PROBABLY LosT-THE BLAZE GETS
TREMENDOUS HEADwAY AT THE NOON HOUR
IN THIRTY MINUTES THE WALLS FALL
SMALLER BUILDINGS CRUSHED
IN THE MASS-DAMAGE
ABOUT 100000.
ABOUT 100000.

ABOUT 100000.
Seldom has there been more swift destruction
~ buildings at fire in this city than was seen
Yesterday at Third-ave. and Forty-ninth-st The
seven.story furniture factory Of Henry Thoesen
e. Brother at No. 795 Third-ave. caught fire
.oon after noon and demolished completely
udthn half an hour. The falling walls of the
factory crushed several smaller buildings. which
were partly burned later. and the heat damag ged
several others. All of the available engines of
the Fire Department within a large district of
the city were called yet 1t was with difficulty
that the fremen prevented more disastrous
spread Of the flames. The loss of property
BY the fire approached 100000 The police also
reported that varnisher had lost his life in
the factory
The furniture factory, in the construction of
which much wood used. at the north
east corner of Third-ave. and Forty y-ninth-st 1t
was dangerous building for the workmen en-
ployed there in case of fire. because the only
line of stairway in the upper stories stopped at
the second floor which was reached by an ele-
vator Fortunately the fire started when the
workmen were away for dinner.
The furniture firm had made assignment
about two months ago. and there was an auction
sale Of furniture on the ground floor when the
CRY Of fire raised at 1920 D. m. The flames
went through the building quickly that there
was doubt later as TO their starting point. The
engineer thought they had started in the base
ment and had run up through a hatchway to
the top floor Others thought that the fire had
started on the top floor where the flames at
first darted out of the windows.
ELEVATED RAILROAD TIES CATCH FIRE.
When Chief Bonner sent in a fifth alarm
flames were streaming from every window Of
the seven-story building. and the heat had
driven back the firemen. Trains on the ele-
waited railroad, in Third-ave., were stopped. The
glass in every window Of the of five-story
tenement houses on the west side of the avenue
north Of Forty-ninth-st. was cracked by the
heat. Then the plate-glass windows of the
clothing store of Vogel G. Sons on the ground
floors of the houses were broken. and the signs
and window shutters on the front caught fire.
The wooden ties on the elevated road were seen
TO be burning also.
The fire had been raging only quarter Of an
hour when the walls Of the factory began TO
fall portion Of the south wall fell clear
across Forty-nnth-st.. and crushed a one-story
frame building in which were the two shops
of B: Wirman. shoemaker. and F. Farguira,
saving only Wrman's cat The ruins Of the
shops caught fire Immediately The east wall
of the factory fell over on the three three-story
houses Nos 207 209 and 2l1 East Forty-ninth-
St. and crushed them into shapeless ruin in an
instant. Fortunately no person was in either
house when the walls fell. The front wall in
the avenue tumbed the sidewalk, but the
north wall fell upon the tenement houses, Nos.
500 and sos Third-ave., and crushed them.
HE WAS PROBABLY BURNED TO DEATH.
At the time of the crash 1t was believed that
no person had remained in either house. but
soon Mrs. Kotchan. a widow who had lived in No.
So5 began to make inquiries for her only son
Willie. twelve years old. who had gone into the
rrarures after they hari once fieG with the other
tenants. The boy turned up all right late in |
The evening. Valentine Vaur. Of No. 2l5 East |
One- undred-and-seventh-st. was varnisher In |
[
Of him could be found later, and the police and |
the f1remen said that there was no doubt he |
had perished miserably in the flames. Vaur |
caves wife and seven children. Of whom is |
but day or two old.
EXTENT OF TIE DAMAGE
By p. m. the fire under control Valentine |
?. Thoesen. a member Of the furniture firm.
aid that the firm had nearly got out Of the hands
4 the receiver when the fire destroyed the hope |
4 going in the business at the factory. The
tock destroyed was worth about s50.0OO he said.
IND not insured for more than half Of its |
'aue. The building belonged to Peter A. Cas-
Idly and valued at about $4,000. Mr.. Cassidy |
aid yesterday afternoon that he did not think
here sufficient insurance on the building |
o cover his loss. The crushing and burning OF
he shops at Nos. 206 and POS East Forty-ninth-
t. caused loss of $1,000 The fronts OF the
louses Nos. 2l0 and 212 were damaged to the
xtent of $1,000. The three houses on the north
ide Of the street which were cru shed belonged
O j. Haggerty, whose loss was about $4,000
Of the houses lost about 81. 900 The
enement houses Nos. S03 and sos were said 10
,elong to Mrs. Jost and to be valued al $50 1000
'he houses had been occupied by sixteen families
whose combined losses amounted to about $l0,-
100. The damage to the fronts Of the tenement
houses the west side of the avenue was
learly $1,000. The houses owned by Will
am Vogel. In the store of Voge & Sons. on the
ground floor water caused a loss Of nearly
s. 900 more, and tenants Of the houses lost about
q 900.
The damage to the track Of the elevated road
n the avenue not great, and trains were al
owed to run past the ruins OF the factory be-
ore p. m.
At late hour last evening the boy Kotchin
lad not been found.
OBSTRUCTIVE FLAMES IN NEW.HAVEN.
muy ~