The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
FIRE RUINS ART TREASURES.
CHAOS ~ NATIONAL ACADEMY
or DESIGN CLASS ROOMS.


Many valuable paintings plaster casts,
drawings, etohings and studies we're either
conpetely ruined or badly jamagod In a
fire which wrecked the temporary hons
II the National Academy Of Design, at
,oqtb street and Amsterdam avenue, early
yesterday morning. The blaze started In
the ceiling Of the east gallery, the walls
Of which we're hung with choice paintings,
and il was evidently caused by defective
wiring II was discovered ty Henry Davis,
tbe ,aretaker, who lived with his family
in the building Before the hremen arrived
the fire had eaten It's way through the hoor-
ing above. Then it crept up the side walls
u the second floor and reaching the roof
,vept along the entire length Of the build
.z- On the north side.
Outside Of the asst gallery andtthe room
directly above il, which contained the
Acsdcmys splendid collection Of antique
casts, many Of which were brought 10 this
country from France early In the last cen-
fury by the then American Minister, Robert
K Livingston, the FIRE itself did no damage
except TO the roof but the tons and tons
Of water which we're poured upon the blaze,
and the falling beams, ceilings and other
debris wrought sad havoc throughout
the building, especially on the second floor,
which was mainly used for class rooms.
There we're two alarms for the fire and
itbuned fercely for nearly an hour. When
Engine Company 70 arrived its men dragged
a hose up the stairs and turned a stream
IN the ceiling II the room containing the
cast, Suddenly there was a crash and
the roof fell in, burying Fireman Brown,
L. Iaro If
plaster and timl or. His comrades sprang
10 his assistance amid the flames which
enveloped the room and SION dug him out.
lie was taken to st. Luke's Hospital near
by suffering from many cuts and bruises
and badly burned about the head and
shoulders.
Just south Of the academy in Tooth street
is small frame building in which we're
housed several nurses Of the Woman's
Hospital. Some Of the nurses got fright
ened and rushed - the street, but they
went back when the police told them there
was no danger.
hunters 600. Nest Of them are hung in
the galleries on the FIRST floor This part
Of the building was deluged with water
which leaked down through the ceiling
and damaged a considerable number OF
lUt Ilullllkh TIC hof'N bAAA n Va NAN
Collection escaped injury Among the
pictures destroyed we're the Lazarus col
lection q prize scholarship paintings which
had beOn leaned TO the academy by the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art. The copies
q Rubens painted by Samuel +. b. Morse
the famous electrician, were also ruined,
as we're many portraits painted by ce!eH
brated American artists and drawings
and studies which we're hung on the upper
floor.
The value Of the contents Of the building
was estimated roughly yesterday by the
officers OF the academy at $500 600. Neither
Frederick Diehlman, the president, nor
c. Y. Turner the vice-presdeht was pre-
pared TO make an estimate OF the loss slls-
tanned, nor could they tell just which pict-
ures had been destroyed and which saved,
As soon as the fremen finished their work
two vans we're sent for and the work OF
carting the pictures not damaged TO a stor-
are warehouse was begun.
Those that had been in any way damaged
we're left In the building. AS each picture
was carried out its number was taken and
the title checked of on the inventory which
had been prepared for the insurance com
panies. Among the paintings were works
by Elliot, Diaz, May, Achenbach, Gilbert
Stuart, Beale, Wyatt Eaton and other noted
artists. A good part Of the collection Is
valuable on account OF historical a5socia-
tons.
Among the heaviest sufferers by the Are
we're the students in the various classe',
who number about $50. Many Of them lost
their tools and materials and other belong
ings which were kept on the second floor.
Nice-FTesident Turner said that an effort
would be made at once to secure temporary
quarters, in which the classes can continue
their work until the building il put in shape
again. Permission, he said, would be
asked for the antique class TO do its work
in the Metropolitan Museum OF Art, which
has a large collection Of casts. The other
plalaaa will Hrnha hlV he erred about
until they can be brought under one roof
again.
The class rooms, in fact the whole build
ing, which is a two story brick structure,
afternoon. Instead OF being the home Of
art and order il seemed TO be the abode Of
chaos. The floor Of the antique class was
strewn with the fragments OF casts and
Uttered with debris. The rooms OF the day
paintngan night life classes, the womans
life class, the etching class and the still
lie class looked as though tornado had
struck them. Everything IN them was in
ruins. Curiousy enough the long passage
70 the south on which they open esca ped
With scarcely any damage. IL is hung
from end 10 end on both sides with portraits
contributed by artists who have graduated
from the academy. Only a few OF these
pictures we're strcaked by water. On the
Inst floor much OF the furniture and several
statues we're covered with tarpaulins In
several months before the building can be
made habitable again.
The academy has gone through many
vicissitudes, bur this is the first time Il
has suffered frl IN fire. The American Acad- |
envy Of Arts, the parent institution, was |
chartered in 1908 and until 1919 IL made |
very little progress, hut in that year Il
held a successful exhibition Of paintings |
IN house In Chambers street. The society |
accomplished very little after this until |
IN 1890 the New York Drawing Association, |
which had been formed a year before with |
thirty members, combined with the AmeTi- |
can Academy Of Arts and the new body |
was mined the National Academy Of |
Design. u held Its first exhibition at Reade
street and Broadway, afterward Il gave
exhibitions in Chambers street and later
az Nassau and Beekman streets. For some
TINE the exhibitions were held at Leonard
street and Broadway. and then the society |
moved 20 Mercer street, which was the
centre Of fashionable life In those days.
Later u took up it's quarters In the build
hg al Twenty-third street and Fourth
avenue, which was recently torn down
70 mako way for an extension OF the Metro
politan Life Insurance building. Seven
years ago the academy bought the plot
OF ground at fOQth street and Amsterdam