New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-03
LEVI +. .WORTON.S LOSS.
NEARLY 100000 DAMAGE WROUGHT B
FIRE ON HIS COUNTRY PLACE.
THE COSTLY BARN AND POULTRY HOUSES At
FLLERsLIE BURNED VALUABLE CATILh
PERIsH-THE WORK OF Az INCFNDIARY.

ELLERsLIE BURNED VALUABLE CATrLE
PERIsH-THE WORK OF Az INCFNDIARY.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Rhinebeck, y. Y. Aug. 2.-The immense narh
recently built on the estate Of eX-VicePresident
Levi =. Morton At cost Of $4,000 was ell
trcv destroyed by fire last night. II is sup
posed TO be the work Of an incendiary A"e
fire was discovered at o'clock in the morning.
the entire barn being ablaze at that time
The flames rapidly spread to the extensive poultry
houses. every one Of which was burned TO the
ground also several sheds and other buildings
The barn, which was built in 1892, was SUI
feet long by 90 fcet widc except where
the sos engine and mill made necessary width
of 50 feet II was 33 feet in height 10
the ewes and IS feet TO the peak. FROM
eighty TO "A hundred Guernsey cattle %l"
nine horses. with 200 tons of hay. were ell
trcly destroyed. The poultry houses sheltered
some 5000 fowl, very few Of them being saN''
from the flames. BY the untning efforts oi '"'
men who rushed to the scene the engine house.
dairy AID farmhouse were saved. They were
all badly scorchcd All telephone communications
had been cut Off. showing beyond doubt thar II
was the work Of an inccndiury. the barn p'1h9
securely locked and no nieht watchmin ~lnS
employed. No smoking WIS alo""o III wv
building.
One of the features of the barn was patent
device which enabled man at the ends oi tn'
milding to unfaStcn every chain by movement
Of a lever. This would Immediately liberatc
all the animals and was supposed TO be great
benefit in case of fire There was an insurance
Of $50 600 on the barn and $4,000 on the stock
The total loss will be about 100000. Previous
TO the erection of this building barn was Durhed
on thc same site being stru"k by lightning IL
was with great difficulty that the cattle and horses
were rescued II that time.
Mr. Morton and her daughters are at Ellersllc
Mr. Morton was in New-Iork. People from the
village and surrounding country throngcd TO the
nIaco 70 view the ruins. II was the largest and
finest cattle barn in the country.
Mr. Morton's farm consists OF about 1000 acres
fronting on the Hudson River and extending back
more than a mile. His stock Of $50 cows and bulls
is one of the finest herds in the country. Every
animal is registered. and the majority were I'M
norted The foundation Of the herd was laid In lsS'
bv the inportation Of ifty-nne head selected on
the island of Guernsey by f. Burnett. OF South
borough. Mass. and since then. by further I'M
portation by breeding and by the purchase OF the
best stock to be found in this country, where the
best Guernscys are now to be found. the NUMBER
Of the herd has been increased to its present SIZE
The capacity of the barn was 800 head.
The management OF the farm IS in the hands or
"A college man. H. NJ. Cottrel II was Mr. Cottrcli
who urged the construction Of great barn in place
Of the one destroyed by lightning In July. lN9-
This barn was one Of the most complete ever bnht
IN the United States All the best features OF Mr..
Havemeyer's and other wcknown barns were IN
atcd i'm it, The structure included three so-
ton silos tool and engine rooms, grain bins iahora-
tories bathng-rooms. no less than l2o ordinary
stalls and - box stalls. the main hoor -Ni
equal number we're placed in the basement, which
was light dry and airy. its bottom being leve' on
one side with the ground. while on the o'her sue
its windows opened into a depressed area Ihe
,.,vs ,hove tho stalls accommodated 80 tons OF
~ without covering over the middle hallway. The
r,,, room could hold twenty carloads Of cereals.
,rhc covcs stood I'm two long IN the basement
rI an the first floor They were placed head To
hnad with a wide feeding alley between.