The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-15
TIE, Eglsaqd Ietelligsqcer.
BEL AIR, MD. JUNE IS, 1900.
THINGS IN STORAGE.
FORTUNES LOCKED UP IN FlREPRooF
BUILDINGS.

The First Big Warehouse Fire In
New York and It's Trngic COnse-
quences - The Moving of Family
Belongings Reduced to II Science.
"Fireproof storage buildings in New
York are Of comparatively modern ORR
gin," said the proprietor of a large St0y'
age warehouse to a New York Mail and
Express reporter. The first storage
house i'll the city which l can rrcollcct
was erected in 1861 by John II. MorrcIl
at the corner of Fourth avenue and !'hir-
ty-sccond street, adjoining the stables Of
the Fourth avenue railway line. When
MOrrcll's business had reached q Hour
ishing condition, an immense fire destroy
ed the car stables and Morrers establish
mcnt, ruinin- him financially. Immcdi-
striy the public set up great howl
against storage houses, and the men who
had followed Morrcll into the business
suffered severely.
conc Nine. DeSgarrens had stored sew
cral trunks in A1orrell-s establishment.
She had come to America to claim pant
Of the estate oF her grandunclc, rich
planter Of Louisiana. On the very day
Of Nine. peSgarrcn~' arrival in this coun-
try she received nt tication of the dan
grrouS illness of another American rel:.-
tive who lived in Boston, and after lcav-
ing directions that her trunks SE"ild be
stored 81 Mnrrcll's she Immediately set
out for the Massachusetts capital.
On her return to New York she sent
an order to Mnrrell charging him to for
ward her trunks to her hotel. The an
swer came back that during her absence
the storage house, with all its contents,
had beer destroyed by fire.
mime. DcSgarrcns was in her room
when the Eotc informing her of the loss
was brought Ivy Il servant. She read it
partly through and suddenly uttcring 4
shrek, fell to the iloor ScnscleSs. On re-
covering consciousness she WIS found to
he violently insane and died three weeks
later in her room ut the hotel.
"'rhc very evening of her death work
men who were clearing away the ruins of
Morrcll's establishment discovered one Of
her trunks-a little, square, black leather
one 1t had become wcdgcd in among a
mass of bricks when the walls had fallen
and. excepting that it was scorched, had
suffered no injury.
in this trunk wcM found I'll Of the pa
pcrs identifying her as the srandnece of
tho planter. and in 4 little box, tied with
white satin ribbons. there nestled two
golden curls. tiny pair of baby shoes
and large gold ring. Wrapped about
the ring WAS 4 slip of paper on which
was written in French, 'All that is left
OF my darling child and husband. who
were burned to death ut sea. April %,
1862 | was with the man who found
the trunk. and both of us shed tears rs
We looked over the things.
But there need be 10 danger Of such
fires nowadays, when the first class stor-
age houses are as nearly frcproof as
buildings can be. People with up to date
IDEAS recognize that their household Of
fects are far safer in our hands than I'M
der their own eyes, as 4 properly con-
Quoted StOra 90 house does not know what
theft, hrcakage and fire mean. 1t would
he impossible to say what is the value OF
storage house and its contents during
the busy season, but when one knows
that II trunks in one Of our compart-
laents ale insured for 500, 500 and that
there are 2G9 other compartments in the
building il is apparent that the contents
represent Il fortune"
1t is not generally known, but n man
in this city NAY at any time he has
mind to. without Il moments notice, send
orders to Il first class storage and pack
ing concern to have the entire furnishings
of his home moved from 2U3 Blank ave
nue.. New York. to I6 Dash street, Lon
don, or any other place OF consequence,
for that matter. aid he can walk off to
the first transatlantic steamship, his wife
on his arm. with the positive assurance
that rs SOGn is space and time will per-
init everything, from pins and needles to
carpets and sidrb"arhs. will be transfer
red from New York to London without
the loss of tack or the brrakage OF a
wineglaSS.
This is not con lecture, but fact. 1t has
been done time and again. The larger
storage warehouses, by means of their
perfect organization of professional pack
ers and movers. have reduced the bust
ness TO Il science.
When an order is received ut the Office,
an inspector is Immediately sent to make
an estimate, who can tell by simply
walking through Il house how many vans
will be necessary to remove the furnish
ings and how much to the penny will be
charged for the storage. After the in
spector follows the large vans, with
trained packers and movers. The pack
ers are divided into two classes-thosc
who pack the wagons and those who pre-
pare the contents of the house for the
wagons. The latter class is subdivided
again into those who handle delicate
china and bric-a-hrac and the packers Of
the heavy furniture and carpets. Special
men, also. are Kept whose exclusive duty
is to take care of pianos and organs.
When the goods are in the wagons,
they are moved to the storage house,
where immense elevators. capable of TAX
ing vans without unloading. run from the
baScm, Mt to the top of the building.
Rooms are set apart on each floor for the
unpacking and examination OF baggage.
After each article has been examined
to make sure that it has not suffered in
transit the SGoLs are carefully stored
away in the apartments allotted to them
and the keys of the apartments placed in
the office safe.
If packer discovers all imperfection n
any article he is handling. he immediate
ly reports the fact to the inspector, who
makes 81 memorandum of it ON the spot.
This is TO prevent any misunderstanding
with the owner in the future. When a
packer or never breaks anything acct
dcntally. he must Immediately report it.
When he does this and shows the injury
TO have resulted from an accident, no de-
duction is made from his salary, but
should he neglect to report the matter on
the first occasion he is locked for the
amount. and On the second occurrence Of