Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-02-02
ENTIRE BLOCK OF
BUILDINGS BURNED
Another Destructive Fire In
New York City.
NEARLY A BLOCK BURNED

Seventy Families Rendered Homeless.
Night Watchman and a Policeman
Perish In the FIames-Hard Work
of the Firemen.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-The destruction
wrought by the confagration which de-
! stroyed nearly whole block of build
ings at Thirty first street and First
avenue last night could be better appre-
| clated when day dawned this morning
The huge factory of the William Wicke
company was almost level with the
| ground The contractor, Joseph Cody,
of the building department, with force
of 100 men, had labored at the ruins all
night, pulling down dangerous sections
of the wall. At o'clock this morning
they were at work on a portion of the
wall at Thirty-irs street and First
| avenue, which looked like big Chin
ney, as 1t stood alone and threatened to
fall at any moment.
Other Property Destroyed.
Other property destroyed was the
and 4OS East Thirty second street; the
5story tenement at 546 and 54S First
avenue; the 5-story tenement 402 East
Thirty first street; Jackson's iron foun-
dry, extending from 402 East Thirty
first street to the river, and 2.story
brick building at Thirty first street, oc-
cupied by the Swift Dressed Beef com.
pany.
The property partially destroyed in
cludes the tenements at $50 and 552
First avenue and 522 and 524 First ave-
nue.. About 70 families were rendered
homeless by the burning of the tene-
ments
The Bockhoutz lumber yard, on the
north side of Thirtieth street, between
First avenue and the river, was still
burning at O'Clock this morning, but
the firemen were able to keep the flames
from extending further at that point.
What Caused the Fire?
Fire Chief Croker today repeated the
statement he made last night, to the
effect that he believed the fire was
caused by an explosion of chemicals in
the Wicke factory. He was informed
that watchman had been into the vault
in the cellar with light and that the
vault contained the explosives. The chief
added that he did not know what had
become of the watchman or who he was.
When asked if the explosion that started
the confagration might not have been
caused by the illuminating gas getting
into the cellar from a gas main, Chief
Croker said that it was possible, but he
did not think illuminating gas was re-
sponsible for the fire.
Fire Nachinas DamaUad
One of the features of the fire was the
damage suffered by the fire department
to its apparatus. Engine 81 was almost
completely wrecked as it stood at the
hydrant in front of the burning build
ing. Water tower No. B, which had
been placed III position in front of the
burning factory, was also badly dam
aged and will have to be entirely over
hauled before it can be used. Engine
33 on it's way to the fire collided with a
car at Fourteenth street and Third
avenue. Both the car and the engine
were damaged and the fire horses were
so badly hurt that one of them had to
be shot. Engine 20, on its way from the
fire to its headquarters in Fifth street,
this morning, broke down. An axle of
one of the rear wheels snapped. None
of the firemen were hurt.
The fire department. also lost several
thousand feet of hose and connections
The hose was burned as it lay on the
street or was covered by fallen walls
The bitter cold made the work of the
firemen very difficult.
After the flames had been got under
control those lines which were almost
submerged in water became frozen to
the pavements and the firemen had to
thaw the connections with boiling wa
ter,
Policeman Thomas J. Fitzpatrick,
who was sent out on duty at the fire at
O'Clock last night, has been reported
missing
John Mullen, another policeman, who
was on reserve duty at the fire, also was
reported missing today.
Exports of Alabama steel.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, Feb. l. = Men
who are in a position to know assert
that there have been exported from the
Ensley Steel mill during the last 12
months 13, 800 tons of steel, either in
billet or blooming form. The greater
part of the movement went to Glasgow,
Scotland, a shipment of 5000 tons at
one time being noted. London took the
next largest quantity. William Dette
of Philadelphia, a we'll known pig iron
agent, is III the city comforting with To-
cal furnace operators and looking over
the field for the purpose of placing some
large orders for pig iron.
rruIn ~ouCn aroma 10 tennessee.
YoRKvILLE, S. O., Feb Arrange.
ments have been perfected Tor the con.
version of the Carolina and Northwest.
ern railroad (narrow gauge into stand.
ard gauge, up to date railroad from
Chester to Lenoir, N. c., and it's exten.
sion over the mountains beyond Lenoir
into Tennessee, where it will connecr
with one Of the western systems. and
thus cOnsummate the fond hope that
has been in the minds of the people
along its present route for more than 81
years.
Punishment of Boxer Leaders.
NEW YORK, Feb IA Herald special
dispatch from Peking says: At meet
ing of the ministers, a conference with
the Chinese plenipotentiaries, which is
to take place next week and in which
the punishments demanded will be YER
bally committed, was arranged. Sir
Ernest Satow, the British minister, in.
formed his colleagues that he had re.
ceived instructions giving him dlscre-
ton to waive his insistance on the death
penalty.
Jeans Mills 10 OIose.