Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26
Two LARGE BUILDINGS BURN
Disastrous Christmas Day oonhagration in
New York City.
NARROW ESCAPE FOR HOSPITAL PATIENTS
Fifty-EiEht Sufferers, Men, Women
and Children, Are Carried Out to
Nearby Hotel with the
Aid of Police.

NEW YORK, Dec. 25.-Fire this morning
destroyed two big buildings on East
Thirtytthird street, partially destroyed
the New York Polytechnic hospital and
compelled the removal of its patients drove
a score Of families from their homes in
adjoining buildings and did 100000 damage
The structures which were destroyed were
a fve-story building at 211 and 213 East
Thrty-third street, used partly as an Of
fee building; a big six-story building, Nos
213 to 231, used as a factory building the
first and second floors of Nos. 211-2l3 were
used as offices and display rooms for the
Kaldenburg Manufacturing company, which
occupied with its factory the basement and
first and second floors of the factory build
ing. The company manufactures pipes and
smokers articles The third, fourth and
fifth floors front of Nos. 211-213 were
occupied as offices by the Sebastian
Sommer Piano company and the Gibson
Piano company, allied concerns, which had
their factory in the upper floors of the
factory building. The rear part of the upper
floor of Nos. 211-2l3 was occupied by the
snuff factory of Adolph Pinner. 1t is be-
lieved that the fire started in the snuH fac
tory. part of the top floor of the factory
building was occupied by the New England
Car Springs company.
The fire in East Thirty-third street had
been burning from until o'clock before
any real alarm was felt in the Polytechnic,
though the patients knew there wes n
fire in the neighborhood. Suddenly the
roof of the hospital which Is on Thirty
fourth street, burst into flames. The
physicians in charge at once decided to re-
move the fifty-eight patients and the Della
ware hotel near by was placed at the dis
posal OF the Polytechnic officials A squad
of policemen began the removal of the sick
people and all were carried out in safety
In the tenement house just west of the
burning buildings lived twenty-four fam
lilies These were all removed to places OF
safety The roof OF the factory building fell
within an hour after the fire was dscov-
cred. The wall to the west tumbled down
upon the tenement house. The east wall
went down on Schuler's hotel. The loss is
well covered by insurance.
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 25.-Fire this
afternoon destroyed the plant of Francis
Valentine & Co.. one OF the largest printing
firms in the city. The fire broke out in
the basement, occupied by the Commercial
Light and Power company, and spread ia
the first floor, where the Buswell Binding
company was wiped out The upper floors
were occupied by Francis Valentine IL Co
Their presses, which were insured for $780,
0OO were slightly damaged, while the stock
and wood cuts were nearly destroyed The
losses. however, are more than covered by
| insurance. The total loss will probably be
under $4,000 Two years ago today The
same building was burned That fire WAC
more disastrous for the Call was burned ont
and tho building had to be reconstructed
Peter McCabe, a fireman. today fell from
the two-story building adjoining and was
badly hurt.
wILKEsRARRE, Pa, Dec. 25.-Fire to-
tally destroyed st. Stephens Episcopal
church. one of the largest edifices in this
city, early this morning. The Westmore-
land club adjoining was gutted. The cause
of the fire is unknown. Loss 100000.
ROCKFORD, ILL.,, Dec. 25.-Fire gutted
the Huffman hotel building. Loss on the
hotel was $S5000; insurance, $4,000. On
Potter Bros department store the loss was
800 900; insurance, $50 900. The store was
filled with Christmas shoppers when the
flames broke out and spread rapidly. ere
ating a panic. No one was seriously burned.
The flames were confined to the hotel within
a few hours The hotel was the property
of d. j. Stewart of Rockford; John Huf-
man, manager.