New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-10
CITY LANDMARK BURNED
Westminster Abbey'S Cur'o
Shop Nearly Total Loss.
FULL OF ODD THINGS
Front Street Establishment
Started by Present Owners
Father in 1880. ~

! One of New Yorks oldest and most pict-
uresque landmarks was almost Destroyer
Yesterday afternoon by fire, which had It's
start on the second floor of the ola
worrn-eaten four story building at No. 81
Front street, known as Westminster Ao-
beys general store. Abbey. the owner OIL
the building and the worid-gathered curios
! Il sheltered. stood sadly outside on the
street and watched the flames work their
| destruction. The two upper floors OF the
building were completely ruined, and 1t
was only the able work OF Deputy Fire
Chief Martin and his men which pre-
vented the entire building from being de-
stroyed.
The damage 20 the building represented
only a paltry $4,000, but the value OF the
stock destroyed cannot be estimated by
its owner, for It came from every quarter
and section Of the globe. some Of It having
been on view In the little old shop since
1880, when Mr.. Abbey's father started the
collection.
Benjamin Sykes. chief clerk In the
store, had gone to the second floor when
ne discovered smoke curling up In one
corner OF the room. He rushed down
stairs and into the street and turned In
the alarm. BY the time Chief Martin ar
rived the flames were shooting out in long
tongues from the windows. Knowing that
oils and paints were stored in the upper
floors, Martin sent In second and third
alarms.
The Abbey building is surrounded on
all sides by big coffee and grain houses,
,AAN~ on VI
keeping the flames within bounds. The
old shop offered but feeble resistance 70
the onrush Of the fire, and within half an
hour the two upper floors and the roof
had been reduced 10 oharred embers and
the flames were extinguished.
Many persons In this city did not know
Of the existence of the little curio shop
on busy Front street, yet the place was
known by men in all walks OF life and
from every land. II was eighty-two years
ago that Westminster Abbey n merchant,
set up his iares and penates IN the build
Ing which was yesterday consumed by
fire. Front street then was not the teem-
ing place OF business that 1t Is to-day
but the elder Abbey determined to have
in his shop everything under the sun that
the mind could desire, II being the owner
belief that no man could enter his shop
and have an excuse for leaving without
having made purchase.
Sailors OF the Seven Seas, soldiers OF
fortune and world adventures, all had
their part in furnishing the relics and
curios which stood In grisly rows on
uusty shelves, years without end Grin
Sofc TMr
soldIets' and sailors outfits Autographs
postal cards, postage stamps, buttons ele-
| phants' tusks, rubber bootE-all these and
hundreds more were to be had In Abbey
store.
At the street entrance to the door stand
three rust-eaten cannon, grim sentineis TO
ruard the treasures within. Everything
| in the store was for sale. Westminster
Abbey, the present owner, followed In his
fathers footsteps, and oartered and eH-
changed with men from all over the
| world Everything could be bought from
Abbey except those three cannon and
those he will not part with for love nor
! money. One OF them has seen service IN
the Mexican war, and yesterday I'M"
stream OF red liquid oozed through the
doorway Of the shop and gave the impress
sion of blood shed BY the deadly oeich
Of the old cannon, but. It was only red
paint.
The founder OF the Abbey family came
20 this country In the beginning OF the
nth century and settled IN Connecticut
In 1890 the founder of this curio shop came
down from Albany and started In busi-
ness, The present owner succeeded to his
fathers place in 1876.