Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-07-22
Two BLOCKS BURNED.

Destructive Fire at Long Island City
Loss About ss00,OOO-st. Mary's
Catholic Church, Just Completed al
a Cost of 100000, Totally Des-
troyed-Mors Than a Hundred Fam.
HES Homeless.
LONG ISLAND CITY, L. 1 July 21.-Two
entire blocks of buildings in this city were
destroyed by fire early this morning. The
new St. Mary's Catholic church, Just COM
pleted at q cost of $500, 600, is totally des-
troyed. The parsonage was one of the
first buildings thoroughly Quilted by the
flames. The costly new parochisl school,
which had never been used was also des
troyed.
The flames started in Gray's refrigerator
factory in Fourth street, and spread rapid
ly through the large stock Cf dry timber.
A southerly wind carried the flames, and
soon the whole block, bounded by Jackson
avenue on the west, Vernon avenue and
Fourth street on the south and by Fifth
street on the north, was in flames. The
fire department could do nothing to stop
the progress of the flames. Help was asked
from Brooklyn, but before 1t arrived the
entire block in which the fire started was
doomed.
The other buildings burned are: On
Vernon avenue, W. A. Mshken's drug
store, M. G. Rudolph's furnishing store,
]. ]. O'Connor's paint store; on Jackson
avenue, Jacob Creter's hotel, a vacant
store, Owen Clark's bottling establishment.
Weindorf's barber shop, Scarborough's
jewelry store, four tenement houses and a
four-story brick building; on Fourth
street, Gray's factory and a row of small
frame buildings. Governor Flower owned
a row of tenements that were burned.
The burned blocks included grocery, dry
goods and paint stores and a number of
tenement houses. The inmates of these
escaped uninjured.
After burning nearly an hour the flames
lespsd across to the opposite buildings on
Fourth and Fifth streets and the firemen
were powerless to check their progress.
These burned blocks made up the business
portion of the First ward.
More than a hundred families have
been rendered homeless. The loss Is
about $500, 900. The water lasted until
the fire was nearly under control and
then there was o great shortage. At $50
O'Clock the tower of the Catholic church
fell with crash and wrecked what re-
malneu OF the ro0f or the main building.
When the detachment of Brooklyn fire.
men, consisting of steamer companies Is,
10 and 90 and truck No. 6, reached the FIRE
they got quickly to work, and not until
then was there any hope of Stopping the
fires progress. Steamer company Is had
just about started to work when it was
learned that flying sparks had set fire to
the First ward school house, and 1t was in
danger of destruction. Steamer No. Is
was sent there and saved the buildings
The ireboat Body reinforced the Brook
lyn companies. She lay a. the foot of
Fifth street and played three heavy streams
on the FIRE, doing effective work. 1t was
long after daylight this morning when the
fire was fully under control, and people
began to breath easy.
1t is impossible to get any idea of the
individual losses. Conservative estimates
place the loss at $500. 600. There were
thirty one buildings in all destroyed. st.
Msry's church was the largest loss. The
church was built at a cost of S85, 900. The
psrochisl school was just approaching COM
pletion and cost 10000. The private resi-
dence cost about $l4, 900. 1t is thought
the insurance on the church property will
be at least 100000. The rear walls of
the parochial schools are now standing.
The upper portion of the church stespIe
fell, leaving the base standing.
There is nothing left of Grsy's refriger-
ator factory except the chimney connected
with the boilers. Mr.. Gray estimates his
loss at 100000, insured for half that
amount