New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-01
A FIRETRAP DESTROYED.
BLESSING TO BROOKLYN.
Water Supply Inadequate at the
.dcodemy of Music Blaze.

b,-F Yesterday morning " 1S dl olAOS
.o-,o,y ard relief to thousands Of Brooklynites.
The borough lost a famous landmark the larg-
&c, and Oldest OF its places Of amusement con
e.,es with many historic incidents, but the
svviftness OF the destruction showed that a great
disaster would have been inevitable if the flames
had started al time when the immense build
ing was crowded with people, instead of at a
time when il was empty
II was the plans for the McCsrren dinner. in
fact. which were responsible for the destruction
of the Academy Electricians were busy early
in the day stringinE wires for the myriad electric
lights which were to make the place like fairy
land and AZ the same time the employees OF a
caterer were preparing the table decorations
and draperies which were to make the feast
more enjoyable There was dispute later be-
tween the electricians and the other workmen
IS to which Of them started the blaze, but there
seemed TO he no reason to doubt that the cleo
tric wires in some way ignited the bunting on
the stage
few minutes before Q a. m, when an electric
sign over the stage which was TO have blazed
forth Welcome 10 McCarren. was being tested.
the vorknen heard a cracking sound over their
heads and saw that some Of the canvas scenery
81 the top Of the stage was afre. Some of them
tried 10 get q hose in action. hut when a shower
of Goals fell on them they realized that they
were TOO late and they ran for their lives In
minute or Two All OF the Workfnen We're out
Of the building and one ran to carry the news
of fire 20 the engine house in Pierrepont-st. An
alarm rung and that was followed little
later by four alarms. calling all the engines of
The district. but before any iremen got 10 the
building il was doomed.
Hugh Mclaughlin was eating his breakfast
IN his home at No 16S Rernsen-st., directly
in the rear OF the Academy. when the fire
started. He heard sound like that Of a tenn
pest suddenly arising, and he first thought
cyclone had come The roar increased until
his own house shook. and looking out of rear
window he saw a great mass Of fame shoot UP
from the Academy roof The outburst of flames
was accompanied by a report almost like that OF
an explosion. so tremendous was the force Of the
fire spreading in the large area Of the Academy.
r. was apparent from the start that the fire
men could not save the Academy, and that all
the, could do was 70 prevent the spread of the
flames to adjoining buildings. The water sup
ply for all The engines that were working at the
IRE was insufficient. and some Of the engines
were able to throw only feeble streams. Chief
Fourrov went from Manhattan to take command
~ the forces but did not modify the orders al
ready given by Deputy Chief Murray. Some of
the water officials wanted the pressure reduced
after the FIRE had been burning half an hour,
hut Chief Murray said:
Don't shut off drop The water has been
100 Door since we started"
The fact that there was insufficient supply
Of water 10 fight large fire in the chief bust
ness centre of Brooklyn made something of
stir among the officials after the fire was over.
and there may be an investigation. It said
also that much Of the hose used by the fremen
was found TO be of poor quality, and that may
lead 10 another inquiry.
In less than two hours after the fire started.
the Academy Of Music was left mass Of smok-
ing ruins with three jagged walls surrounding
them. The west wall fell with a crash when
the fire was az its height, crushing the adjoining
saloon of John McGroarty, in a small building.
This building was then burned out. Further the
flames did not go. II was in 9IcGroarty's saloon
that the police ana iremen We're told there had
been the only loss Of life. McGroarty said he had
sent an unknown man who applied for work at
the fire into the saloon to carry out some stock
sfter every one else had left the place. and that
the man was in there when the saloon was
crushed by the falling wall. The man did not
come out again. he said.
THE LOSS LESS THAN S2OOOoO
The loss by FIRE was believed to be less than
S2oeo00 While the Academy of Music cost
$4,000 when it was erected in 1860, the value
Of the building had decreased with its age. II
vas insured until June of last year for $SS.OO0
hut because it was considered q fretrap by the
insurance companies the rates on it were raised
Until II would have cost S4,2O0 a year to keep up
that insurance AS the building had ceased to
pay the directors decided not to continue the in
suranoe. The loss, therefore. falls on the cor
poration owning the building. whose capital
stock is 100000. The corporation paid $4,000
for the site, extending 250 feet in Montague-st..
with depth Of JOS feet. and the site is now
valued at about 100000. Some Of the directors
q the corpora ton said yesterday that the burn
ing Of the building made the site more valuable.
and that business structure probably would
take the place f the Academy. II is doubtful
The corporations real loss was anything TAX
ING the value Of the ground into consideration
and II was said that the stock Of the corpora
Ton advanced in price after the fire.
The loss Of property caused by the destruction
ot Mcsroarty's saloon was said to be about 500
wv West the caterer for the McCarren dinner
lost property worth about 5000 which had been
earned INTO the building. including dishes and
o''oIa'lons. The bre8 ning Of windows Of several
DUAolngs IN Aontague-st. by the heat of the
-1IaeS damage by water the Art Building,
isAt 10 the Academy. and the burning Of paint
u rear extensions Of houses in Remsen-st. prob
AIDED $4,000 more 10 the loss
a'se crowds filed lIontaeue-st. ala yester-
~ - '1'7'Ioon, and the sight OF engines playing
10, smoking ruins seemed 70 have a fascina-
o- tnon'ands Broken window glass fell
IN - peorle who were passing on the side
,r ..s's''s the Academy ruins tn the after
,,rl.T '-'''c'ed some severe cuts. Firemen
- i.oers IN the afternoon clearing up
o. - - %cGroarty's saloon. expecting 20
lt -S % the man NcGroarty said had
-, ''7'e' when they gave up the search
~ i'"efti, they had fo,,Dd IN r,dv and