Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-17
FIRE SPREADS OVER TWELVE ACRES

NEW YoRK, May l6.-Fire started at
4 o'clock this morning in one Of the
wooden buildings in the enclosure
known as Jones' woods, at Avenue A
and Sixty-eighth street. Before il had
been extinguished the flames spread
over four blocks between Si3ty-seventh
| and Seventy-first streets, Avenue A and
the East river. Over 100000 of dam
age was done. The sudden changing of
the wind caused tie fire to spread and
the tiremen thought they had j; under
| control Fifty horses were burned to
death and a number of persons were
injured.
Policeman Nash discovered flames
and smoke coming from the roof of the
dancing pavilion in Jones' woods, about
200 feet from the river Twenty minutes
after the discovery of the flames the
enormous dancing pavilion, with its
two tiers of seats and galleries was a
mass of flames.
There was a stiff southwest wind
blowing which carried the flames toward
the river with remarkable rapidly, and
the buildings, composed of wood
throughout, burned liked finder.
The flames spread across wooden
| pllIBC ONGl clAbl -HlHti CblbOb bHN
caught the wooden buildings of Wash
ington Park, which occupies the entire
block between Sixty-ninth and
Seventeen streets. A third and fourth
alarm was sounded.
Suddenly the wind changed and
turned the flames toward Avenue A..
Like streak the fire seemed TO clutch
the buildings and in five minutes the
great wooden towers at the entrance of
the park on Avenue A were burning,
together with the line of buildings along
Sixty-eighth street.
The buildings on the north side of
Sixty-seventh street next caught fire.
Here the fire burned so rapidly that
Captain Vedders' men, who were at
work on the street, were driven back on
the run from the flames. The buildings
fell so rapidly around the engine sta
toned in the street that the men were
compelled to desert it, having barely
time to unhtch and get the horses out
of danger. The engine WIS buried be-
meath the ruins and crushed and twisted
out of all shape. 1t is an historic engine
which has been in the department for
"a years, and has been rebuilt several
times. ltis known as the "Silyer King"
HORSES IN A DEATH TRAP.
The flames first caught the stable and
two-story dwellings of Patrick Dean on
near the river Dean is milkman and
had 30 horses in stable near his house.
He and his family got out of the house
and escaped by a boat to place of
safety. The horses were burned.
Down towards the avenue the fire
rushed fiercely and the flremen were
powerless to combat it. Next to Deans
house the two-story brick dwelling of
Michael Boland was reduced to ashes,
ten minutes after the flames reached it.
Fifteen horses, which were in an adj
joining stable, were burned to death.
PULLED OUT JUST IN TIME.
John CAROLS two-story house was
the next to catch. Carroll and his wife
and five children were dragged out of
their house by Policeman BOLSTER.
They did not want to leave. A few
minutes later the house with the stable
in the rear fell with deafening crash,
and the flames plunged on to the two
story brick house of James Finan next
door. Finan is horse dealer. He had
two horses in his stable. They were
burned.
John Rays two.story brick dwelling,
with stable in the rear, was entirely
consumed, A truckman lived in the
next building, two.story affair. He
had stable in the rear in which there
were several horses. The house and
stable were consumed and the horses
were burned to death.
| snI At,n
In the rear of her house Charles Mooney
lived in frame house and in the rear
of his place was the blacksmith shop OF
Seidentry & Schultz. None of these
people had time to save any of their
household goods. Mrs. Duffy made an
effort to do so, but portion of the roof
fell and she rushed out into the street.
The corner lot at Avenue A and Sixty.
eight street is occupied by the stone
works Of B. A. and G. N. Williams. II
is an immense plant and one of the best
equipped in America. They have now
in preparation stone for some of the
largest and most expensive buildings in
the city. Their works will be total
loss. All their finely carved stone was
cracked and rendered useless. Two
hundred and fifty men are thrown out
of work in this establishment.
The old Schermerhorn mansion, on
Sixty-seventh street, that has stood fol
rs years, caught fire but was saved
after being fairly deluged with water.
The flames rushed northward aud
Sc med eyond control Of the 200 fremen.
The buildings in the two picnic grounds
were wiped out completely, including
the old homestead. The family Of the
owner, j. F. Schultis, Jr,, had narrow
escape. They were awakened by a
night Waterman after the flames had
made flaming torch of the tower
nearby. Enormous crowds watched the
fire.
THE MONEY LOSS.
The damage is estimated at $231 ,00C
In all, $131, 900 being done to property
outside of the park. j. +. Schultis
owner and manager of the pleasure
gardens, estimates his loss at 100000.
BLAcKENEp RUINS IN BOSTON.
BosToN, MASS, May 16.-A stretch Of
! smoking, blackened ruins, covering more
than n dozen acres, was the picture Of
, last nights fire at the South End when
the sun rose this morning. A few
| steamers were still at work and scores
of firemen were exploring the burned
buildings. Household furniture and
, property of every description Uttered
the streets, and hundreds OF those made
homeless by the conilagration were
, vainly searching the ruins of theil
houses in the hope of finding something
, OF value remaining.
| Madison Park, just south of Cabo'
: street, was completely covered with
, furniture and household goods, piled in
| n confused mass seyernl feet in height