New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-12
SCORES OF HORSES PERISH.
MORE THAN A HUNDRED LOST BY THE
BURNING OF THE AMERICAN
HORSE EXCHANGE.
ONE MAN REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED-THE TOTAL
LOSS ESTIMATED AT 5000. 900.

loss ESTIMATED AT 5000. 900.
The American Horse Exchange. occupying
square block at Broadway. seventh-ave.. and
West Fiftieth AMI Fifty-frst SITS. three-story
brick building was totally destroyed BY fire last
night. Or 26j horses in the building none val
ued at less than $500, only about $50 were ac-
counted for after the fire. The less Of the horses
will amount to 100000. while the lose to the
building will be about the The place is
owned by a corporal ton. Of which William X
Vanderbilt is president
The fire was discovered about $40 o'clock
Arthur Kayanagh and James Green employees
OF the building were sitting outside. when kav-
anagh saw smoke coming from the second story
window on the Fifieth-st side near Broadway
He shouted TO Green and then ran TO the corner
and sent in an alarm. There were about twenty
five men in the building at the time. and Green
ran in to warn them. Policemen Conway Clnord,
Thwaite and Lynch. who were near at hand, fo-
lowed Kavanagh and Green into the building
The wind was fresh at the time and a great
nid in spreading the flames To this is largely
due the loss OF the animals. The employees and
the policemen at once set TO work releasing the
horses and putting them out Of the building as
fast as possible These animals. consisting OF all
kinds Of tr0ting nd breeding stock. were stalled
on the first and second floors. the third floor be-
ing nearly filed with carriages and harness.
MANY OF THE HORSES RELEASED.
More than half the horses were released before
the flames and smoke began to cndanger the
lives Of the men, compelling them to leave the
horses and seek their own safety. Policeman
THOMPSON oi the West Forty-seventh-st. sta
ton, and Detective Barrett OF the Central or
fee who happened TO be in that neGhborhood,
saw James Reilly. Of No. 332 West Forty-sev-
enth--st. and Charles Lyon. Of No 4J6 West
Forty-scventh-st. two boys. on the second floor
waving their hands to the crowd. Barrett ana
Thompson ran upstairs and dragged the boys
through the smoke down the runway and into
the street Three other boys who were with
Reilly and Lyon jumped from the window INTO
the street and escaped unnjured They were
william Goddit. and William and Paul Cooley
all Of No. 3l9 West Forty-seventh-st.
While the animals being led TO the street
they became 50 frightened by the sight OF the
flames. and the noise. we'll as the smoke that
blankets had to BE- placed over their heads 70
aid in getting them under control. Even afer
this the men had a difficult time in controlling
them. Some Of the horses that We're released
and allowed to leave the building alone tore
through the streets and We're afterward caught,
in some cases half dozen blocks from the fire
Several persons were knocked down In the wild
flight Of the horses but no injuries were re
ported TO the police For three hours after the
beginning OF the fire valuable trotting stock
was being picked up in the neighborhood OF the
fire and taken blindfolded to nearby stables
RAN THROUGH A CAFE.
Half dozen horses ran through the 'rotting
ring whcr. the horses are auctiored OF. and
out through the cafe 81 q. s. Scott. In Broadway
near Fifty-nrst-s.. The last animal 10 30
through carried burning halter. and In his
frantic flight smashed table and "A chandelier
I'm The middle ~ the room Nearly all the horees
burned I'm the Are were those Quartered on the
second floor. These had to come down the run
ways and then rush FOR the various exits 10
the street.
The most valuable. horse in tho building
on the second floor. This was Elsie c.. S'.Ooo
mare. with record of 2:l9, and owned by "A
Southern inan. She burned 10 death. on
this floor WAS also stalled Sl,loO stallion
owned by II. Kcarrev. which was also burned.
The majority Of the horses which escaped were
allowed 10 take the exit on the Flfteth-st side
near broadway. Toward the end the great rush
over this runway broke II in. Underneath was
q sort Of niche in which CHANGED ia be an EN-
n,ove named Baker one of the animals fell
through and on top Of Baker He was badly
crushed and IT Is feared. Injured internally.
The injuries to the horse were not great. and he
was led across the street to a stable.
FAILING OF A WALL
With the first alarm Deputy Chief Reilly ar
rived II the fire. The headway It had gained by
that time and the freshness of the wind led him
IN send in at once third alarm, and almost
Immediately aftcrward fourth alarm. This
called out eighteen engines. five hook ana iadoer
companies and water tower Not long aiter
that the flames had gained so that the wall on
the Fifteth-st side fell IN WIN sreat r'sal' s
As this Is where the fire had begun, the hre-
men were working hardest at this point. ihere
were a number OF persons In immediate uahser
from the falling o. the wall ana as the p,'.h' n
came tumbling down at least dozen OF inc
Nremen were struck by flying pieces Not man
received a serious injury, and not one lett MS
post
REPORTED LOSS OF LIFE
u was lust following this crash that a great
sbeet of flames arose from that side OF the build
ing number OF people watching at that point
assert that Just the wall fell man was seen
70 lump as If into the street. but instead was
carried by tho falling bricks into the Shee' oi
flames which swallowed him up.
The fire spread with such rapidly that 1t only
fool, connie of hours 10 burn the building to the
,r,und None OF the carriages on the top floor
were saved Some OF the harness stored there
was flung out OF window and afterward piied
IN In the middle Of the street
Among the reported injuries was that or PONCE
man Lynch one Of the first to enter the Duidihe'
who wae overcome by the smoke and had TO be
corried out by his companions. Clifford and
/ Thwate ,, -, 49, a.
| Ten minutes after the beginning or the fre
it mad attracted a crowd OF o.OoU people. ne re-
! serves OF the West One-hundredth-st west six
| tv-clghth-st and West Thirty-seventh-st. sta
! tlons were called out 10 keep the croWd IN oIuer'
! ATong the Interested watchers were Police COM
| ,,,issIoners Grant and Parker. The broadway
rable-cars were blocked for several hours ana
| did not get into regular running oruer tii io"s
! after midnight -, -, a.. .., ,,,
II was about II o'clock when the fire wa, got
/ under control At that time the building nad pern
uIu.l .i.1,. hnairnyed The cause assigned by the