The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-26
Destroyed Nearly a Whole
Block in New York.
The Patients in a Hospital
Had to Be Carried Out.
Many Families Lost Their All by
the Burning Of Tenements.

New York, Dec. 26.-one Of the most
disastrous fires which has occurred In
the city for long time broke out shortly
after o'clock yesterday morning in the
seven-story building at 2l1 TO 2l9 Thirty
third street, occupied principally by
u. l.. Kaldenberg. the pipe manufac-
turer The second floor of I'll, where the
fire was first discovered, was occupied
by Adolph Pinner, snuff manufactures.
The Sohmer plano factory was also To-
Gated in the Kaldenberg building.
The flames extended to adjoining
apartments houses on the west side OF
the burnt building, and to another on the
east side. The New York polyclinic
hospital on East Thirty-fourth street
backs almost against where the fire
broke out, and this caught fire, and the
60 or more patients were carried out OF
the building to the Delaware hotel at
Thirty-fourth street and Third avenue.
They were taken Gown on stretchers and
beds by policemen. Thirteen Of the
patients were little babies. The poly
clinic was ruined by fire and water.
The flames had started near an ele-
vator shaft on the second floor of 2ll.
They shot up through 1t like a sirocco.
The building is an old one, and the
woodwork was as try as tinder and
furnished excellent fuel for the fire.
The he-exeiteHfeHt- -e#aeng the people In
the neighborhood was intense. Men,
women and children, who had arisen
early to see what Santa Claus had
brought them. hurried out of the houses
near the burning building.
N xyaa xt-hav al fha rnifca re aarvac had
arrived that the rear Of the polyclinic
caught fire. and It was then seen that
the patients had 20 be removed and this
work was directed by Captain Martens.
All Of the stretchers that could be found
were brought into play. and when these
were exhaused the patents were taken
down the stairs in the beds in which they
were lying One after the ether they
were taken down the stairs and out into
the street. and carried to the Delaware
House, on the corner.
Miss Ryan, a nurse, took cna' ge OF the
babies. There were Is of the tots in
the baby ward. They were all wrappd
up in warm blankets, and one at a time
they were carried out OF the building
to the convenient hotel. After the last
OF the unfortunate inmates OF the hos
pital had been removed, the firemen
began to pour water into the building
until it was literally flooded.
pour water into the building until II was
literally flooded
John Gill, an attendant in the hospital,
was overcome by the effects of the smoke
while he was assisting in the removing
of the patients.
Dr. John A. Wyeth. president of the
New York polyclinic hospital, said that
while all the property Of the institution
had been either destroyed or TOO badly
damaged for use, other quarters would
be ready for the institution within three
or four days. The new quarters. he said.
would be in the same neighborhood.
AS a result of the fire 1000 men are
thrown out Of employment, 200 people
are homeless and several are suffering
from injuries. Bystanders described II
as almost Ike a battle scene.
Women and children were screaming,
ana their cries could be heard for blocks
around, but an impenetrable pail of
dense. pungent smoke, broken only by
flights of lurid flame, was overhead.
1t looked at one time as though the
entire block surrounded by Third
avenue, Thhty-third street, Second
roof of flame and smoke
Policeman Thop1as j. Crohan fell down
stairs while saving q woman and sus-
tanned severe injuries TO his hip.
The loss TO the big bJilding will amount
to 100000; partly insured.
The piano warehouse. which was oc-
oupied by Sebastian sjohmer, IL a total
loss. Nothing but part OF the wall
remains, and the cellar was filed with
new machinery for the manufacture OF
pianos
The loss to Sohmer In stock and ma
chineTy will reach 100000, with the
probability that when account Of the
stock which was i'm IL rs taken will reach
100000 more.
The building was assessed at 5000, 900
but was valued at nearly twice thai
amount.
u was said thot the Kaldenberg build
ing and its occupants were well Insured
and that the other damaged building:
were also insured. The loss which viii
he most felt will be by the unfortunate
| persons whose effects were ruined by
water in the adjoining apartment houses
| There were 20 families. who occupied
the building at 207 and 200. and 10 fam.
! ilics, who occupied 221 All the persona
| effects in these houses were ruined b,
! smoke. FIRE and water. and many OF the
families, Il was said. had no insurance
on their property.
The loss TO the New York polyclinic
II Was estimainl- lsaLnul SzA- -010----
The total less is variously estimated
nj from $500. 900 90 $3.50. .OCo.
|