New-York tribune., 1921-08-24
Fifth Avenue
Fire DESTROYS
$500,00O Art
Blaze ia the Residence of
Mrs. John I. Kane Burns
Part of Collection of
Paintings Worth 3 Million
Crowds Block Street
Decorator Gives Alarm and
Loss Is Confined to Ii
brary and Dining Room

The art collection Of Mrs. John I.
Sane, valued at $4,000, 900, was serious
ly damaged by fire which started in
the library of her Fifth Avenue resi-
dence at ] West Forty-ninth Street
yesterday. Preliminary estimates place
the actual damage at S500,000. Some
or the most famous paintings Of early
american historical characters were
virtually ruined.
command of Deputy Chief John F.
h'ng,, fought desperately to save. the
lrreplaceablo works of art, many of
which had been collected by the late
Stanford White. AS they worked a
dense crowd jammed the avenue, com
pletcly blocking traffic within the re-
glon of its ia shionable section.
Across the avenue is the home of
Mrs: Robert Goelet, and near by are
the Belgravia Apartments, the National
Democratic Club and the Bucknham
Hotel
BY the time the fire was under con-
troll the library and its treasures. con-
sisting of rare books, paintings, tapes
tries and other objects of art, were
destroyed by flames. smoke or water.
he damage was confined to the library
and dining room.
Found Library Ablaze
Mrs. Kane, who before her marriage
was Miss Annie c. Schermerhorn, is
at Bar Harbor, Me-, for the summer.
At the time the fire started there
were in the residence Eva Anderson, a
maid; James Stephens, q caretaker, and
Henry Rempler, a decorator, and his as
sistant. Remper said he heard a dull
report in the library, and upon open
ing the door he was met by burst of
flame. He slammed the door and then
turned in an alarm.
Alfred f. Schermerhorn brother Of
Mrs. Kane, rushed to the scene Of the
fire, but would make no statement as
to the damage. Appraisers, however,
estimated that the loss was more than
$500, 1000, although in the case of some
Of the works Of art it woud be impos-
sible to estimate the loss.
One of the famous paintings dam
aged by the fire was the portrait of
the Marquis de Lafayette, by Ingres
Three of the four pieces of Flemish
tapestry, almost priceless, were re-
The appraisers set the value roughly
at $60,000
Carved Ceilings Ruined
The beautiful carved ceilings, OBJ
tanned from European castles and
vi IL NHcS ny 'oJdliOIu w nlLo LOT MIS-.
Kane, were burned to ashes. So far
as could be ascertained the following
famous masterpieces were burned be-
yond recognition: The Study Of q
Child, by Velasquez; two Corot land
scapes. q painting by Peter Paul Ru-
bens, and several family portraits by
celebrated masters Of Europe and
America.
The doors between the music room
and the library prevented the fire from
spreading, but the furniture in the
music room was badly damaged by
smoke and water.
The magnificent residence was one
Of the last designs Of Stanford White.
It is Of italian Renaissance design,
and built Of rreystone. It was built
about twelve gears ago upon ground
purchased from Cornelius Vanderbilt,
at cost of S200.O00. 1t is four stories
high and the first three floors consist
Of reception rooms.
It was said yesterday that the con-
tents OF the home were fully insured.
Mrs. Kane's husband died about eight
years ago.