New-York tribune., 1910-04-11
NORRIS PARK FIRESWEPT
Seventeen Stables on Old Race
Course Quickly Razed.
10000 WATCH SPECTACLE
Nearby Houses and Steeple of
Church raVGaged- -Sorses
and a Cow Burned.

Seventeen Stalles on the old Morris
Park race course. a dwelling house within
the grounds. the steeple Of the west she's
ter Methodist Episcopal Church. the ioofs
~ several other barns and a large amc mt
u lumber were buried in a spectacu ar
fire, which was discovered a. o'clock
yesterday afternoon and lasted until late
IN the night Two horses and COW are
known "a have been I armed TO death. and
IL Is possible that oth,Ir horses were con
sumcd. The absence az water made the
work Of The fremen s. most hopeless for a
tong time. ane a higN wind carried the
sparks for nearly half a mile
Fire Engine 81 wax wrecked and its
wheels burned. while several OF the men
attached to the company had their hands
scorched when one OF the burning barns
collapsed on the engine. II was neces-
sary TO run lines pf hose 1880 feet over
the tracks OF the Rev Haven Roads Har-
lem division. holding Up traffic on that
ROAD for an hour and half. II is esti-
mated that more than ten thousand per-
sons watched the fire
Il was shortly after 4 o'clock. when
James scarlet. who lives in that neigh
rorhood. saw smoke escaping from one ~
the stables near the Pelham Parkway side
OF tie track He ran over and found THAI
the place was burning iercely. He called
James Stewart. a patrolman, 10 his as
sistance The old racetrack had a water
system Of its own, but when the two men
tried 10 turn on the water Il was found
that the water had been turned on Stew
ar1 then ran TO the nearest FIRE alarm sta
-ion and turned In a call. This brought
Fire Engines 81 md s., with Hook and
Ladder 81. and also the Van Ness volun-
feer FIRE brigade with its hand apparatus.
A party Of soldiers ot the seth Coast Ar
1nlerv from Fort Schuyler, who had been
playing baseball near by. ran 10 the scene.
end they work d hard pulling down build
ings TO prevent the spread Of the fire.
The sparks carried far with the high wind.
however, and the fire kept gaining.
Deputy Fire Chief Ahern sent in sec
ond and a third alarm, and Chief Croker
made a record run from Great Jones street
While most OF the fremen were working
tearing down other stables an effort was
being made 10 secure water connection.
This was accomplished a. last and The blaze
was drenched but not before the Steeple OF
the West Chester Methodist Episcopal
Church. a frame building a short distance
away. had caught The water supply Of
West Chester was sufficient to drench the
$50 damage was done.
Just about the time tire blaze on the
north side had been mastered after de-
stroying tea stables. the sparks carried
over 20 thc barns on the south side Of the
track in "a mich large amount of lumber
for building purposes had been stored The
fremen started TO fight the flames there.
but one OF the barns collapsed and fell over
Engine 81. The horses were removed with
difficulty, the men had their hands burned
and the wheels Of the engine We're SO badly
burned that the machine collapsed and was
put out Of business. This caused another
Interruption in the fow Of water. and be-
fore the hose had been stretched over the
railroad tracks seven stables and an old
TWO story house. which was occupied by
John Moriarity. caretaker OF the place. bad
leen destroyed. TWO horses and COW
Ielonsing 10 Moriarity were burned 10
death. and il was not known whether all
the contractors horses got out alive
Vile the iremen were getting the hose
a. work again. with two engines driving
the water 1850 feet over the tracks. a
barn al No. 14z3 Overing avenue. owned by
Michael Cavanagh. had been gutted. with
damage Of $3.50. and a barn on the estate
Of John D. Pultz had been damaged to the
extent OF S-1o several TOOLS QaQ caught
fire from sparks, but the owners 81 the
buildings checked the fire
As the stables were about 20 be pulled
Gown, their value is problematical but
Ire loss 70 the surrounding buildings and
70 the lumber runs UP into the thousands
The Morris Park racetrack has not been
in use for several years. but in the DAYS
waeh racing was al its best i'm New York
the track was considered the finest and
best equipped in the country. II occupied
nearly mile square. and was bounded on
the nor n by the Pelham Parkway. on the
south by Walker avenue and the tracks OF
the New Haven roads Harlem division. on
tie west by Morris Park avenue and on the
east by Wilsamsbridge Road About forty
stables occupied the north and east sides Of
The lnclosure. They have been used OF
cate by contractors who have been putting
RIP houses IN the vicinity. In some OF them
were thousands OF feet Of lumber, which
was 10 have been used in the building of
houses OF the Morris Park track. which is
about TO be cut UP into building lots.