Year: 1876

One Of the largest and destructive fires that have
occurred in the city for many broke out last
ing No 444 Broadway, which adoins the Continental
HOTEL for many years q land mark in New York.
AS spectacle the FIRE OF the most brilliant OF
Its kind. For three hours it held $4,000 per-
sons enthralled by its awful grandeur, and
its brilliancy illumined not only. New York
but shed urd light upon the church steeples and
towers of Brooklyn and Jersey City. At precisely
twenty-five minutes past six O'Clock tho pedestrians
who were quietly moving up and down Broadway on
their homeward way from store workshop and factory
we're startled by tho cry OF ''Frel" Almost in an
instant fierce volume of flame burst forth above the
heads of the crowd from the windows OF tho fourth
door OF the double iron front building Nos 444 and
i46 As II by magic the fierce torrent OF fame
seemed TO wrap the upper portion OF the huge build
ing, which extended from Broadway right through to
Crosby street. distance of 90 feet So sudden
the outburst OF the fire and rapid its progress
at the beginning, that, although the fremen were
prompt in their response TO the alarm given from three
Or four telegraph boxes in the neghborhood, they
Eound the heat from the burning building intense
that they from the compelled to fight shy OF
the element they came to conquer.


By the time Engine Company No. 80 had arrived
upon the ground ana laid their hose the fire had
rapidly rcarward along the floor where it originated,





Crosby street 'front.' thus showing conclusvey that the
entire edilce doomed. Steamer after steamer
rived quick succession, and each company came
upon the they took up their locations hydrants
In Howard Crosby, Grand and Broome streets and also
In Broadway. The first alarm quickly succeeded
by general one thus calling to the every
pany and every apparatus south of Fourteenth street
With admirable discipline and with great celebrity the
various steamers located by the engineers,
and long lines of hose stretched
many blocks around These serpentine conductors
a tended in common course, and their long lines
radated every direction. In fifteen minutes after
the arst alarm, and five after the general one, fully
twenty streams of playing upon the burning
building. Thus the task OF extinguishing the fro was
fairly and earnestly commenced.


GATHERING PEOPLE.


By this time the lvidght of the fierce conHagration
had attracted immense concourse Of people who
nocked toward the from every point of the
compass With them came the .polica- reserves
nom the various precincts neighboring TO the
FIRE. and these immense OF men,
women and children found themselves beaten back
beyond the confines of the vantage ground taken
up by the Fire Department Thus was the scene Of
busy motion and herculean effort kept clear the
doughty but peaceful warriors against the consuming
element which at that moment in the midst OF its
wild ana fierce In half an hour after the dis-
covery Of the fire tho flames had up into and
over the entlre top of the building above de-
scrbed, and, owing to the infammable nature
Of the goods stored therein and the wide
Of surface of which the flames held possession the
light became intense in its brllhancy fervid IN its
heat ami uncomfortable at the moment While the
huge volume OF flame thus consumed the upper portion
Of the building forced its way, despite the of
water that being poured upon it, down into the
very heart of tho building and each door fell
the possession OF the hamo the heat grew
hotter and hotter until the building appeared moro
ike the crater of an active volcano than that of
burning building in the heart of great city. Indeed
the heat was so intense that the hremen with their
hose we're unable 10 stand before it, there
fore they turned ther streams upon the
adjoining buildings the hope OF combining
the FIRE to the houses in which 1t had originated
On either side on Broadway, Crosby street.
these steadily directed upon these build
ngs. Those to the south thus saved owing
the direction of the wind but the north the
was unavailing for the fire. beaten down by the wind
upon the housetops, along from coping to coping
from skylght to skylight, until II reached Grand
street. consuming the upper half OF the block, and
causing loss OF several millions


PROGRESS OF THE FIRE


The progress Of the re was an interesting and alb
sorbng sight Viewed from the corner OF Howard
street and Broadway, the appearance of tho burning
buildings, they successfully eaten up
by the devouring element was appalling, though
grand All Of the buildings being constructed with
IRON fronts seemed nrst to become filled with smoke
and flame, and next to curl and twist like SO
much cardboard under tho intense heat 10 which
they subjected Strong pillars Of iron and cast
iron girders bent and twisted and distorted until
they disuned and fell In crumbling either
into the street back into the seething flames behind
On Crosby street the somewhat different
Here the spectator solid masses OF uniform brick
and he gazcd upon them the very mortar seemed on
hro and each brick was outlined by the 1amo
giving the walls a red hot appearance. As the
roof Of Nos 4A and 446 fell in, which they
dp in very cw minutes alter the hremen had fairly
got to work the Crosby front began curl
bulge, warning the busy hoscmcn that the OF
LANCER had already come, compelling them TO with
draw on either SIDE for already the topmost bricks
began TO fall Standing at the Of Howard
street the appearance OF that portion Of
the building unique and fascinating. The
wrought iron shutters on the first loor grew
red and, being softened by the heat were
bent inward Ike sails upon mast In still gale
Vhe windows above being unprotected we're open and
HE'D with fame after twenty feet Of the
Tall suddenly bent outward and poised for few
econds over the sidewalk to which 1t finally fell with


thundcrng crash At the same timc as the rear wall
hus fell the entire iron front Broadway down
70 mother earth just before the Broadway
wall went down score of daring ire
hal rushed the rescue OF steamer
No. 80. As they did the engineer cast on his
hydrant hose, threw open his throttle valve and with
cheer the little band OF heroes dragged OF the appa.
raius upder the friendly stream Of hose thrown upon
them By their comrades Scarcely had the engine been
place Of safety than the spot upon which Il


A..g.-.


by a mass OF red hot iron.


The initial building being thus prone before the
effects Of the fire some hope entertained that the
remaining buildings northward would be saved But.
like demon, the nrc seemed TO gain new strength.
and the party walls TO the north being permcatod by