Year: 1878




The immense slx-story structure known
as the Excelsior Buildings - built by
James II. Ingersoll-together with the
West Twenty-third Street Presbyterian
and the Third Reformed Presbyterian
Churches--all in West Twenty -third-st-were
totally destroyed by fire last night The
total loss is estimated at from 100000 to
$S00,O00. The insurance is believed to be
very heavy, but no estimate could be OBJ
tained last evening. All of the property of
the 9th Regiment was destroyed, together with
their Armory. The origin of the fire is un-
known. The flames spread with great rapidity.


START AND PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
SPEEDY DESTRUCTION OF TIE EXCELSIOR BUILD
INGs-REsIsTLEss ADVANCE or FIRE
THROUGH THE WHOLE sTRUCTURE-gow TIE
CHURCHES WERE INVOLVED.


II was Just five minutes after seven o'clock, last
night, when ROundsman Golden, of the Seventeenth
Precinct saw o sheet of flames burst from the top
window of the rear of the building No. PIG West
Twenty-third-st At that moment the street
was filled with people walking out for
pleasure or on their way TO church. The
officer rushed to the corner of Eighth-ave., and
sent an alarm. Upon returning he found that the
flames had spread rapidly, and that the entire row
of buildings extending from No. 216 to No. 266, on
West Twenty y-third-st., and known the Ex-
celsor Buildings, on fire. The reghbor-
ing fire companies were soon on the spot.
and second and third alarm were sent out in
quick succession. BY the time the first en-
gine was playing its stream the fire. all the six
parts making up the immense building were crack
ling from the basement to the sixth floor. Presi-
dent King, of the Fire Commissioners was among the


s1tr
sent out general alarm, in response to which
twenty-four engines arrived and began to fight tho
fire from Seventh and Eighth-aves. and on Twenty
second and Twenty-third-sts.


In fen minutes after the fire burst out the build
ing seemed to be wrapt in flames. From the base
ment to the top floor along the and front Of tho
immense structure, the smoke rolled IN dense vol
umes for moment, and then gave way TO great
waves Of fire, which suddenly bursting through tho
roof leapod high INFO the air. lighting up the city
for miles, and making the streets in the vicinity as
light as day.


The first building of the series Of buildings No.
DIG was separated from the West Twcnty-third
Street Presbyterian Church, which was upon the
east of it, by small alley-way ten ieet in width,
which led to the study Of the pastor of the church.
The fire at the. start had complete sway in
No. 216, and rapidly spread Though the



fourth stories Of tie entire block of six
buildings. The sixth floor Of the entire ediice was
filed with the infammabe material Of furniture
factory as was also the fifth floor and the greater
nart Of first floor. Tho contents of these floors
burned SO rapidly that the frencu could gain 40
control over the flames, and directed their attention
to protecting the Twenty-third Street Presbyterian
Church on the east, the buildings in the rear and
fronting on Twenty-second-st and the Third Re-
VIII v-gg
the west, and separated By an alley twenty feet
wide The heat soon became SO intense that II was
necessary TO turn streams of water on the row OF
four-sory brick residences directly opposite the fire.
Oh Twenty y-thlrd-st In twenty minutes from the
time OF the arrival of the engines, the irenen were
unable to stay the progress of the flames, and tho
entire block of six buildings given over to tho
fire.


The rapdity Of the advance Of the flames sur
prised tie frcmen. From the first building, No. PIG,
they spread to every story the entire length OF the
block st half-past o'clock, they had reached the
part Of the buildings occupied by the oth Regiment
as an armorv and in an instant the noise of expod-
ing cartridges was added TO the roar of the conla-
grafton. At 100, tremendous explosion was
heard, and instantly the wall Of the build
ing No. 2l6 fell with loud crash upOn the roof of
the adjoining church. crushing in a part OF it and
demolshing one of the turres. The rear portion OF
the roof of the church caught fire. aud the spec
tace of six massive sx-story buildings, ana large
church III flames at once was exceedingly impress
slvc AS the fire spread throughout tie extensive
communicating floors Of the sixth and fifth stories
and along the first floor and basement, they were
lit up with a ruddy glare. The other floors, es-
pecally the second and third-most of the second
was unoccupied, and the thId contained the
offices of the sth Regiment-were dark and gloomy,


Gll Il ,,,.tl Ia bnC Cflfnl m
soon gave way TO fire, and at o'clock the entire
series of buildings burning from end to end and
from the basement far above the surrounding
buildings. The roof had long before burned out,
leaving che flames to burn with greater force and
entirely unrestraincd from above. They lowered
far above the wasting structure, in enormous waves
of fire. which leaped higher into the air and burned
with the utmost fury. The heat at TINS
time grew so great that the street in front
of the burning building was deserted by
the fremen and Others. his step was
taken none too soon for the flames had eaten out
the interior of the building. from No. PIG to No.
226. and to the rear wall. The three remaining
walls on the north south, and west, stood totter-
ing and in instant danger of falling. The iremen
kept as near as possible and poured water on the
buildings onl the north of Twenty-thrd-st.,
the front windows of some of which were
cracking and which were in great danger from
pieces of burning tlmbers and from sparks. Just at
sos the wall of Nos. 216 and 81 fell and ten min-
utes later the sixth fifth and fourth story walls OF
Nos 22O 222 and 22i came tumbing DOWN. the
sixth story wall into the street, and the rest falling
inward Immediately after the greater part OF The
south wall crashed down into the mass of fire with .
lord noise, and was followed by the western wall,
which fell upon the neighboring church structure,
breaking it in and setting fire TO itn several places
After tbe walls had fallen the fire had full sway