New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-29
PARALLEL FIRE IN 1872
Six Women and a Boy Killed and
Sixty Other Persons Trapped.
SAME FAULTSlN The SYSTEM
Additional Fire Escapes Had
Been Provided, but Wooden
Stairyvays Were Retained

cbcil ways W cIc hStdlllSb
Almost forty years ego On Christmas
Eve, 1872 the Caxton. e loft building IN
Centre street, burned 70 the ground. Six
women and boy were killed and sixty or
more women, men and boys we're trapped
on the fourth and nth doors. -Four
women were injured seriously BY being
compelled 70 jump from q FIRE escape that
ended fifteen feet above the ground.
AS in the fire Of last Saturday. the
loss o; lie was due 70 inadequate means
Of exit, and The TWO catastropaes. occur
Ing as they did almost forty years apart,
offer tire most striking similar,os:.
The loss e lie n the CaXton Building
was not discovered I'LL the day after The
Ere ana the bodies were not recovered
till many days later after the ruins had
cooled
The first accoun; OF che dr: was pub
lishod in The New-York Tribune Of WeGnes-
day. December p, 1872, IS follows:
= fire broke ou- az $50 ,. ~. yesterday
- TIC boiler room II the basement Ct
large four story building. Nos. s.. s. and 50
Centre street. TIE names rapidly mounted
70 the upper floors 2oo - very snort
time swept through re en-irs building.
I On the fourth ara a-th Aoo.s were Forty
| eigh- young women. employed - the BOOK
oinde:y {; archer = @. Wacn re arm
| Some ran down the staircase. and ct1ers
I descended By the ire escape = rae tS1;
@. the building. -Four q them fell several
feet 70 the ground and were severely IN
TIE rurnor rapidly spread thu, several
/ women who we're unable 70 escape. Ne.e
[ lively. .owevc: nor was there any means
! ot ascer;a!r.rg whether any were H!SS:
/ ING. Tor - t..s confusion tie glr!s m;ng-ec
/ win tte crowd taa- quickly assembled or
/ DEPARTED Tor their ao..;es
Loss o. Several Lives Certain.
TIE story published IN TIE tribune on
pecen.be- q ran in part as fellows:
There seems 70 bc 70 longer rea:on g z,
women and others employed on ne LQper
/ II ors c: the building Nos. .. :, ana =
! Centre stree- who. becoming confused BY
The smoke that rapidly SIZED ire olllGlIs
! on TUESDAY evening. Wer5 Unao!e % So.
the street by the stairs Or 10 reaca '..e
/ 5re csczpe !. the rear. I'D 50 pe:!s:eo -
he AainIs. L was hoped ttaJ al had been
rescUeC iron, the bU.IGirg o. The rrenen,
/ police and Others. who were soon o.. u
SPOT, but tacre now SEEMS - Ie'.~o'- ~. -
doubt that seven or cis"t persons -0--
The F~ark,!n street police station ana
the rarl. Hospital were tarcrgec So. .. -.
WIN t.OS6 W-.O We - - - - IN .
and relatives employed y the o~E-.e0 'u''~-
TIE loss G: !te was undoubtedly que -
The INADEQUATE means o. escape. -. -.
escape, ~ wa:eh most q I.'c 800, - -
work u the fourth acor cesce::cS0 - -, 80
s+~.r- va itselT very detective. = va
rarrow. ana is lower end was .--tesa -Gc.
ABOVE ground. - ccI-e.-eI.ce. -. - -.
~ Isd5r- iaa 10 drop 70 TIE GROUND.
7@g i;yie1' This faulty a-rangs-nant Jwo
women were severely --.O. - 1es;v~
Middleton. Q: 10 i: Cer, ,..'ig ~ creotiY
;,S,rr1 ran with : ladder 70 INC I@~:- -
- ~~irfirg building ard placed u No.
The FIRE escape thus c-ao--;.5 t!tc .-'-~T 49,
OF The women e c5~t0:.1 80, .--r,S'r~
-. 49, dane. ran % Tie S2o; az.
.ae r5irg the wooden ladder 70 the IRE
Tscapc, assisted many - Their 0eso'-''
City Officials Explain Fire.
r--5e~ the headline Lessons from Tres
-, -~,oure Of Deceraoe- =. 1872. describes
~. o4icial investigator oy Fire NarsaaI
Mcspedon and g!veS the e;p-@... 80 y,
,,.-iors citv officials. IN an interview WIN
superintendent McGregor OF the Depatt,
,..,- ~ Fu,dirgs this oAci2l was ouoleo
in part as follows:
The building was ofaota.ly lnspcc'ea 81, OF;
+ rarrarv y -S-1 and ire owner 20. -
- 3~ov;Ee additional means O. cA.L ~, ~
- .p.,3-',1 1S-1 another inspect ~ showed
-, 80 ~ a16itioral IRE escapes rad oeeh
rrov;ded The superintendent - - 80
cred the building rSasol.--J-y 49, ~ irs
Viz ere escapes, blr or SO-o-,-- -, 80
.N...l.o e-airv.avs never catrncc ne --.. -
- soFe Having 70 n1Nt- 70 .- -
fj~t,cr alterations Or acc.l.ons by 40 , 6e.
c-s. he considered ms O--~
charged.
ronr ?. HOPKINS. foreman y ne ooo@-
-,n5e~v. who was . witness az me ''4 -
~. re IRE marshal save ms 0e-cl- --0--
Of the FIRE escape.
do not think Il reached tattner y WI WI
- fourth door. i Wa go - - p
We mad 70 cron oE ~t',y ~ - a55l- SIX
-. isl, one 4 cur men jumped rom . :
go window of tire fourth noo. - 10 q ~.
below distaneEe, e. q %~,f he Jumped from
t"eH- y - 49, sr1I-h s.6e about the same
$50. 80 This huild'ns had been on ..-o
-9.ice previously within TWO o. three "0----
-,a los Of lie y the burning Of me
go r,,ildin1 caused . popular ceTTlar-G
~ Ieq,e,a.,on that would prevent re-
,urrence OF such disaster
Tribune Calls for Better Bureau
-. r.,s,ne took W this cause ea!toriaily
01V cfIcr -----
49, pr q long line tho need Tor q "~' . :
nan nm wh,ch The whole responsibility i0f
A.. o-evon-!oa would rest .,.,.s
The editorial Of D--t-aoer q. 49, en''-''''
The Eiro Laws SAID
The ~epcuto. q cA-so a.-fo 2. r. ~ Z.
5i5t 5,,g,t % arouse attention. = -..1 49,
as.s II o.: sys..aas Q: ou-q;a6 6ss. t.5 T.
49, 49, NO. more re Ct-tn repeaIeI n
e.,~;; -+f-~o IS Responsible ---- - -
49, IN he c.ty caiec the =. --as--' :.
o:TSS. duty i Is ocacnC o-asr I,.lnz, ion
sxarre ana report 1225I o., -sllr-oce "a
- tYidincs. with p4rt.cu.ar 9e-o -; 80 80
- SorgaT Il IRE E-Cw YES ~, -, ,---
C~I,+-- Street fact-ryr Did t1- ne -
80 I'D he Pc.co Cc1a.2-- slcn5-s -ho ..,C
saportntendent . =. z3a az: .sera 9o 10 ha1.
! L.,s- ~ ..--o,-C..- 70 Investigate and rePofI
90 20 can u-e no. have somebody VINO WA
act
o., rso.r25ar q 49,. TIC Tribune had me
( following editorial On 1lres and IRE laws
o,~,ospooccnt calls attention III;
4 ,,-c-,,~r 70 me .ne.!3--ercy C -.c ire -