1 I . I
.1 FHE OMAHA DAILY BEE
ELEVENTH YEAR OMAftA , MORNING , PRI3UUARY .1 1882. 190.
SCORCHED SCRIBBLERS.
Immense Fire in the New York
newspaper Offices.
The Old "World " BtiildinR the
Center of the Work of
Destruction.
Doing Occupied by a Number
of Periodicals that Lose
Heavily.
Much Anxiety Pelt as to the
LOPB of Life , Which ia
Supposed to be Great ,
For the Reason that the Up
per Floor Contained a Large
Number of Females.
Gallant Rescue of a Woman
from a Fourth Story Win-
Couple of
Brave Firemen.
Fall Particular * of tllO
tropho.
Xitlonii Asooclikted l're < ,
NE\V YORK , January 31. Fiamu-t
were discovered in the block bounded
by Park How , IScckman , Spruce and
Nassau streets , and the fire ia now
raging. The flames are bursting out
windows in alldirections' , . Tlio Now
York Times and the old World build-
hit' are in thia block , and thu post-
oflicaipn the opposite nidi' uf 1'arlc
The flames were first discovered nt
10:10 : a. in , nnd spread with great
rapidity. Several people jumped
from thu upper windows and others
escaped by ladders. It ia feared the
loss of lifo will be greater thin first
apprehended. It , is now considered
(11 ( a. m. ) impossible that the Times
building can bo Raved.
11:08 a. m. The Tiuica building ia
now in flames. Kelly's new building ,
ten stories high , to bo occupied May
1st by the Nassau bank , and opposite
the old World building , ia now in
flames ; also the Moreu building , op
posite the corner of Bookman and [
Nassau utrcets. It is impossible to
tell the loss of life. The old World I
building walls on Park row , opposite
the postoflice , have fallen. The col
ored junitress , Ellen Bull , jumped
from the story next to thu top and
was probably fatally injured. Her
husband is missing. Ono woman got
out ou a ledge and jumped , her
clothing catching on fire as aho went
down through the flames. The tire-
brought'down throe inmate ? .
. . . -Tlii ; postofljco * oof On.lho'nortMSast
aide ia smoking. Thu employes are
drenching it with water. No hose ia
able to reach the roof. It ia hoped
now thu Nassau bank building will bo
partially saved , aa no partitions are >
in it. The old Mail office , Bookman
and Park Row , formerly Lovejoy a
hotel , is now in flames. It is not ?
occupied by the Rural New Yorker
and numerous small offices , and atandn
next to Jay Gould's new building now
occupied by the NVorld.
The offices entirely burned eo far
nro the Scientific American , Now
York Observer , Scottish American
Journal , PettingiU'a advertising
m'onoy and the Turf , Fiuld and Farm.
Those now burning are the Times ,
Forest and Stream , Leggo Broa. tt
Co. , J. Walter Thompson , Chailee
Meyer's German advertising agency ;
Mash it Crook's dining rooms , and the
New York Rubber company , the
largest of the kind in thu world.
All the walls of the old World build
ing have fallen.
11:12 : a. m. Thofiromun , aru now
getting Home c mtrol of tliu flamca
and it is hoped uill be able to nave : \
good portion of the Times building.
11:14 : n. in. Damage to the pout-
otlico will bo' slight and is caused by
( hu cracking of platea on the man-
caul roof by flip heat and water.
Firemen aro.inlvauciii1. in C"iitro ! of f
the lite. ' The Morse building will I
bo saved , but the windows and fur
niture of many front cilice ? am
burned.
Thu conflagration , whish for it j mnl
denncaa a'iid rapidity with which it
had hpread , has scarcely had n paralh-1
in thi' ) city. It broke out in thi
building formerly occupied by Thu
World and other printing ollici'H , en
tailing a leas of lifo at present unde
termined. At 10:10 : a. m. the tl.uvo1
were first Been from the roof and out
of the upper windows. At thu saint
timn men and womun were to bj BC-OII
crawling out of windows on the lodge *
of w indo ws. For a while it looked a *
though they must jump nnd run tin
eh incus for their lives. Meanwhile
thu roaring flames kept augiimctiting ,
and the position of thu poor creatures
became additionally perilous. Tin
intense heat wns nearly driving then :
frantic. Ono woman , well drojseti
and apparently young , who wns stand
ing on the lodgu of n window in Beok <
man street , near William street ,
stretched forth her hands imploringly ,
Heroic firemen tried to get a laddei
to her , but before ( hey could do s <
( he flames took hold of her clothing
and enveloped her in firo. Slu
plunged back into the burning build
ing. Another lady climbed oul
on a ledco on Beekuian street ,
near Park Row ; Private Join
J. Horan , of hook and laddei
No. 1 , James Henry , assistant fore <
man of hook and ladder No , 1 , ant
Kcouan , of No. 20 engine , rained twc
laddera and by r.ieaiw of the 11103 !
superhuman uffortt reacued her jus' '
na the last remnant of her Rtrengtl ;
* failed hor.
Ellen Bull , colontd janitress , win
had charge of aix rooms on the uppui
lloor , was engnged with her husband
cleaning them when aho hoard the
alarm ; she started to run but m\t oil
off in every direction , She got out
on the le < lge of a fifth story window.
She maintained her position only
for a few minutes , when n blast of
tire nnd smoke from the window
struck her , nnd whirling over snvoral
times in tier descent she struck the
pavement with a dull thud , a crushed
mass. Strangely enough , no blood
flowed from the terrible frill. She
wna berne to the Times oflico , and an
nmbulnnco summoned , but she was
past nil human aid , and waa dying
whan it arrived.
Two mon crawled out of the fifth
story , and by dropping nnd clinging
to copings and kicking in a window ,
finally lot themselves fall , succeeding
in making their oscapo. Am 1 mon
rontlomun who occupied a * on
the top tloor , < rho made his escape
through blindin moke , said the
building was fill J with men and
woman , and thai many must have
bocu smothered and burned. It
Will hardly bo possible to got the
loss of life to-day. A young girl
who was wearing n blue dress , who
won cut off from the stairs ran to n
fourth story window on the Park Row
sidonnditv esiUtingly while the
flames nn ; noko encircled "hor.
"Jump.ju , " shouted th'o specta
tors. Cn'ting a frightened look be
low she throw h.raolf out and fell with
u thud on the stone pavement. Wher
picked up lifu was extinct , her heat
being crushed almost beyond recog
nition.
The entirely burned out are "Willj
Wallack's 'stationery store , the olci
Lovejoy's hotel building , occupied by
theEvouing.Mail and'tho ' uppersiories
fw offices of'-the Rural Now Yorker ,
and abovu thu ground tloor and the
imildinc ; is thoroughly gutted ; the
front of Eugene Kelly's ' Nassau bank
buildinjr , northwest corner of Beok-
man and Nassau , which building was
only saved from entire destruction by
the fact that it was only partia lj
completed and had little of wobdoi :
partitions , windows , ptc. ( , '
The tire was finally gotten under
subjection at 11:15 : a. m. At tin :
hour ( ll:30Jtho : fire is under contra
and will bo confined to the buildings
mentioned. It ia now feared tha
lives worotlpst on the upper floors ol
the old -World bnilding , and "tho fire
men and police are devoting all thei :
energies to ascertain the facts. Jus
aa the fireiflan were approaching , ai
old , gray-Attired woman was scon it
the fourth'story of the World build
ing nppoalng'for | help Her lips wore
such to mow , but her voice could no
be hoard. All who saw her were horror
ror stricken. The liimcs raged about
her person , igniting her hair and
clothing. She fell back into the
flames , and "was no doubt burned to
death. None could give .her name.
It waa li ! o'clock jiotm before it
.11 possible to obtain nn adequate
idea of the extant of the lire , ns the > fire
marshal , the insurance patrol and oth
ers in possession of any material facts
were too busily engaged to give any
facts to reporters. The fire was ono
of the moat rapid and destructive that
thn city has ttiun for several , years.
Tfl8' Barnes ( vore" first5 * discovered on
the Naasauatrcet , aide of the end of
, the old World building , and within a
I few moments wore bursting out from
) various parts of that aide nf the block ,
and oven on Park Row. The
cause of this extraordinary rapid
] spread of the flames IB at this
r moment unexplained. - The block
included the fiat iron ahnped building
known as the Times and the World
building. The up-town section was
occupied by the Times building ,
which was separated from the downtown -
town seo'ion by the old World build-
i ing by a solid 22-inch wall. Only a
portion of the Times building was
occupied by the Times newspaper
proper , but there were scores of little
offices scattered nil through the stories ,
stenographers , lawyers , agents , etc.
The Woild buildiug was similarly
honeycombed nnd was occupied bo
Bidoa on the ground floor or former
publication office of the World , by a
clothing merchant , thu , Now York
Packing and Bolting company , and
Willy Wallack iV Co , the upper floors
being devoted to nowrpapor oflices ,
PettungUl'H adveitisiny agency , the
Scientific American , thu Scottish-
American Journal' , We. Now * York Ob-
aerver , the Ttnf , Field nnd Farm , nnd
scores of more minor offices.
A woman waakilled named Ellen
Bull , aged -10 , janitresj , who cimo
from Virginia two jt-ata ago. Her
husband came to thu city t\\o weeku
i ago and ia missing , although known
to have been in tlio building. At thu
time Mia. Bull and two men on 'the
fifth Htury ran to the window and got
out on the Hill , thu crowd below 'old
them not to jump ai they wcro p'ut-
tinii up ladders. MM. JJull became
frenzied , wr pp J a shawl around her
mid leaped ami w.is crushed to a jelly
and died almost instantly. A ladder
waa up within u low necondii after
Mrs. Jiiill jumped and the two mon
safely dewunded. Thrco men were
oeii at \undo\v on the Liuukman
street aide near thu coiner of Park
How. Clnrloy Wright , a bootblnck ,
who has a stand on thu opposite cor-
nei , saw thorn , lie climbed a telegraph -
graph pole and cut u viro that during
the late prc.sidontiul campaign held n
IhiH-oc'k banner , swung between that
1 polo a'nd window where the men wore
and cried to thorn to slide down which
all three safely did , one burning the
tfuah off both hands.
S. Tracy , aged -10 , n printer in
the Scottish American Journal , jump.
od from the third floor , broke his hip
bonorfind received dangerous internal
injuries. Ho is in the hospital and
will probably diu ,
Richard Bowie , ag ed ! 18 , a printer
on thu same paper , jumped out of the
third story window and received a
compound fracture of both legs , in.
ternal injuries , cut his head and face ,
has been unconscious ever since and
will probably die
h'x-ory ono of the above had at
tempted to L'ot down the staira but
wore driven kick by the flamva and
mnokc.
Itirknov.n that five compositors
were working in the Scottish-Ameri
can rooms , v hiuh wuro isolated , when
the Cro broke out , ami Bowie and
Trr.cy aio I ho only ones known at this
imo to have escaped. The rooms'ftro
u the iop floors , which wore undcr-
; oing repairs , nd } none of Uie coupon-
ors ftro.Known to have boon at work
lioroinAvhen the fire pocurrod.j , ( ' i
They havp not necbuntod'for lhoj
vomaii ( nn'mo * Unl < iiowii ) < * * > who" ( p-J
wared nt the fourth story window and
whom the spectators told to wait a
noniont. Twenty mon tore down nn
iwnint ; from the front of n neighbor-
in ; store , nnd , holding it high up un-
Icr the window , told the woman to
unip. She did , nnd her weight broke
hrough the awning , but the fall hart
) eon broken and she fell lo the flag-
qing but slightly hurt nnd walked
away
A , M. Stownrt , proprietor of the
Scottish-American , is believed to have
writhed.
A letter carrier \ ho had just com
pleted his delivery in the building nnd
in occupant who escaped both nay
, hey taw nt least forty panic-stricken
woman and girls running about en the
upper lloor iW.inl by the smoke.
Two colored waiters in Nash Crook's
say they saw two white women and
one ncgross perish together in the
tiro.
tiro.Col.
Col. L. 0. Bruce , editor of the
Turf , Field mid Farm , narrowly es
caped. Ho was in * his ollico on the
third tloor when the fire broke through
the door. Ho throw the subscription
books out of the window , crawled out
a window and nlong the window sills
to the Times buildiuu' and escaped
through that , having hia anna , face
ind neck burned and hia hair and
beard badly singed , Bruce thinks
many of his compositors wlio wore nt
work perished. Bruco'a father had
all his whisker * burned off.
A sixteen year old negro niul two
white mon were nt n fourth story win
dow. The notjro jumped down upon
n'pj-ojscting sign on n third story win
dow from which there was A ladder to
the street. He 'told the whites to
jump ; one dia nnd brok'e the sign and
was falling headlong when a boy
caligh ; him with ono urm around thu
body , holding to a < windotf with the
other , and hold him until , n , fireman
reacued him. The other white niado
a safe jump and ho and thu boy , wcro
both saved. .
The fire originated in the collar
trotu the now engine being tried that
was to hoist the now elevator and , th (
elevator shaft spread it through tlje
buildiug. Thu building was owned by
Orlando J. Potter , president of the
Singer sowing machine company , one
was for twenty-oiio ye < trs occupied by
the World and ia insured for $125 ,
000.
000.A.
A. J. Todd , patent lawyer , and Jas
II. Hunter , his clerk , are 'roportoc
missing.
A. M. Stewart has not perished as
reported , but was saved by an om
ployo.
Police Captain Lyman , in whoso
precinct the fire occurred , nays ho
thinkn no less than ten persons per
iahed and perhaps forty.
In addition to the losses nlroad ;
reported are Rodiguez Bros. , import
, crs ofJJ'Wann cjgara.corner of "Nas
sau and Bookman streets ; Tibballs < !
Sons , books ; Grotam Taylor , 8. G
Ruhn , tailors ; J. 0. Todd , patent lawyer
yor ; Munn &Co. , patent solicitors
A. S. Clark , second hand books ; Ju
cob T. Stone , patent lawyer ; Thomp
SOU'H Bank Note Reporter ; T. W
Hofell , firs escapes ; Marks , tailor
The Press , the now evening paper
Poland Spring Water agency ; The
Manufacturer and Builder , periodical
The Printing World , periodical ; The
Retailer , periodical ; Thn Takaeraftor
periodical ; Burt , Frazsr & Osbornu
patotita ; B. F. Brady ; P-jiisa Alm
queists , patents ; Starkweather A ,
Gibbs , architects ; the library of The
Turf , Field and Farm , the most vnlua
bio sporting library in the country
and cannot bo duplicated ; The Scion
tide American nrchivus , patents , mod
CH ! and cuts , invaluable.- .
The World building was condemned
a year no , and three weeks ago appli
cation to add three stories wua rcfusec
by the building department on the
ground that the wulls were too weak
Evi : i.vo.A dozen or more fire
engine ! ) are this evening still playnif
on the ruins of the burned Work
buildin ; . The four fitreota whicl
bound the. scorio of the disaster are
still hlucliadod to the public , and wil
continue to bo for two or more days
Thu Times will published as nsiia
from the upper section of the block
The Tunes" building was saved from
the destruction , : nnd indued from asfi
OIIH purnunont injury by the uvtra
ordinary p-irtition wall which sop
nrated the promise. ] from thu buriux
'
b'tiilHipg , It is nnderatood this wal
ia 22 inches thick and was put up a
the special roquuit of thu late Mr
It lymond , the original editor of Th
Times. It is nttimatod tlio damag
to The Times building will not excacc
82.COO ; ( hi ! is tlio estimate of Mr
Jones , publisher and principal owner
The World building h a complete
wreck and , except the tottering frag
ments of its wallf , is in ruim- .
The front of the Morao building
standing nt the rear and on.tho cii
poaito side of Naattau street , waa badly
injured , the windows being burnoc
away , and thu occupants in the fron
sections lost considerable in furniture
books , etc. The editorial and pub
lication rooms of The Truth newspaper
situated in one of the front sections
has been removed to another part o
the block on Spruce street. The
Morse building is owned by the Mor e
estate , And js nine stories high , and if
the most approved modern structure
it was erected about five years ago a
nn enormous expenditure and is oc
cupied by lawyers , agents and privat
business oflices.
On the south aide of Bookman
street is located the old Lovejoy
building , until recently occupied b
the Evening Mail publication on th
bisomont ground , now by a hat stor
and oflicus , The damage to the build
ing is great from fire , amoko and wa
ter. The Mail offices were removal
a few weeks ago to the Express build
ing , when thu consolidation of th
two papers was effected. The Expres
building ia a few dcors below , con
tiguous to the now offices of thoDail
News and the now building occupie
by the World is toparatcd from th
tear of the LpTojoy building in course
of erection'to bo occupied principally
by the Nassau bank ; this ia one of the
most expensive now buildings in
course of * erection known to business
circles arid is damnged many thous
ands ofvdollj\rsj the building was
saved from coinplole destruction with
difltculty.'idnjljt the fhmes received
less oncournROtnont than they would
had tluwriiulowa , partitions and floors
booh completed The Uoekmnn street
front Ala * " irretrievably 'damaged by
smokof flSmwIuid water.
Mr. Eugoflc Kelly , ( ho owner , states
this oveningithat he is unable to oven
estimate his loss.
The damage to the postoflice build
ing on the city hall paik side of Park
Row , directly fronting the World
uvilding , is comparatively slight and
w s caused principally by the flood of
v.ttor poured bn the roof and sides
> y postoflicu employes.
The possibilities of the conflagration
ab ono time could scarcely bo csti-
nntod , ns it was not improbable , ex
cept for the extraordinary force of
iromcn and the combination of for
tunate circumstances , that the now
postoftice , city hall , Tribune building
ind a score of other prominent build-
ngs would bo burnod. It BO hnp-
iciiod ( IHat lhp 's particular building
vhoro the flrp 6'rlglnated was several
tories lesa.viij height than the new
buildingii'sufroundiiig it and thus the
vind nd not''got n fair swoop , al-
hough it blewKtlft ; high , rate nnd n
lerco snow storm * was raging.
Thobprned. ; building was regarded
'or n long time , as unsafe and a few
nontlis ago the architect refused to
'
allow additional'stories to bo built ,
and roconimehded that it bo torn
down. Orlando B Potter , the owner ,
who is'president of the Singer sewing
naohino company , states that the
rents were $70,000 per annum , that
the building , was worth $200,000 and
wn * hifurod forTwrhaps ihreo-fourths
of iU valuoj ! The site is valued at
over half a million
Quo of _ the heaviest losers ia the
osers is 'the Now York Belting and
Packing company , whoso stock was
valued at $150,000 , with insurance of
upwards of § 100,000. The firm has
occupied offices in the building over
twenty five .yoara ; they opened now
oflices a few doors below within two
iioura from the time they wore burned
out. Their steak is an entire loas.tho
only thing savedrbeing the books in
actual use , which were carried out by
tho'clerks ; the other books are in the
safes , aud , it is hoped nro not de
stroyed.
Wylie Wnllaci , ono of the largest
dealers and importers of stitionury in
the city , loses about $100,000 ; insur
ance 02,500. His entire stock ia
loat.
loat.The
The Scientific American is also o
complete loss ; insurance about $20-
000. The property in use which it
not included in trio loss , and which ia
irretrievable , is.tho accumulation ol
records of patents , models , drawings
eta. Messrs. Munn1 fc Co. , the owners
estimate the contingent loss to 4th <
firm and cuitbiukta aC upwards o
$100,000. l > uring the afternoon thoi
effected arrangements for offices a
Broadway and Warren street , acrosi
from City Hall Park.
Turf , Field and Farm , owned anc
published by Messrs. Bruce , had it
oflico in The World building. Itjs i
complete loss , estimated at § 50,000
including the best sporting libinrv ii
the country , being about 500 volume !
of books which cannot bo replaced
and the fourth volume of the Ameri
can sporting'book in manuscript fern
about ready for publication ; it will
take about ono year to rearrange tin
material for thia volume. Mr. Bruce
lost plates , pictures , etc. , stored in
the oflico.
S. M. Potteneill & Co. , ndvortishif
agents , estimate their loss at $20,000
'Among the known losses to iimur
nneo companies1 nre the following
Lafayette , § 5,000 ; Emporium , $2,000
. -Etna , of Hartford , § 10,000 ; Star
§ 2,001) ) ; Homo , ? TO,000 ; Phrunix , o
Hiooklyn , 815,000 ; Gorman Aniori
can , § 10,000 ; Citizens' , Hanover
North American of Pennsylvania
Harvard , National of Hartford , Nn
tional of Now York , Farragnt nm
Niagara , § 5,000 each ; Queen , § 2C , > 00
Royal , § 1,500 ; London , Liyerptiol A
QIobi , § 5,000 in building , and § ( i,00 (
inronta ; Inipeihl Northern § 10,001
it } runtn and building. TJfo ajmvo'lia
is subject to correction M 'sewn * as'tin
occupants .can get at their'books'o
agents can look up records.
The particular point nbontjjvhiel
thuro ia amniiing doubt at thu prcsun
writing , tw'elvu lunira after the fire , i
about thu lees of life , it ] being vari
oiialy estimated nt frm C to 500 * , us i
ia feared tiit } n number of women am
girls in thu priiithi" offices on the to ]
floor wore unable f ) escape , Amoiij
those known to hit killed nru Ellin
Bull , the jaintreHs , who died at th
hospital , and two ( Mierw whose name
aru in yut upknoivn Suvoral votin\i | \
are now in the hospital.
Among the Btartling incldunts ol
the lire may'bo mentioned the follow
in'/ :
Rev. E. D , G Prince , of the Ob
server , said when the cry of fire wa
shouted ho seized a bundle of paper
of personal valuu and assisted th
clerks to close the safus , and then rai
for his life down atalru , his coa
wrapped around his face , lie couli
not got through that way. He sat
his brother , Rev. Dr. V , Prince , hn (
succeeded in passing the critica
point , and with Dr. Stoddird ho rai
back and sprang out of a front win
dow on to the ledge of the window
and , holding in by the sign bean
cluhbcd along the ledge to the Time
building to a "window , thus escaping
One man escaiMid by jumping fror
a window to the mass of telograp !
wires underneath , along which n
crawled a few f < ; ut to a polo , dowi
which ho slid to the ground ,
Col. L C , Bruce , after trying t
01 capo down the stairway with hi
aubicription books , had to throw th
books from a window and escape n
Dr , Prince did.
Pierre Wolf , janitor , 18 years old
said ho thought the loeu of life ovu
estimated.
A woman standing on the sill c
a window of the fourth story , held o
to the telephone wire with her loft
hand She was lintleM and bor
clothes wcro in n disordered condi
lion. She fanned herself wjth her
riirht hand and waited for assistance.
"Hold fast till 1 como , " shouted a
fin-nun , and n score ot men and boys
nif hed forward nnd drucgod n Inilniu-
from n hook nnd ladder company's
wnioii that had hint arrived , In nn
instant the ladder wns placed along
side the building , It only reached to
the third story. A cry of despair wont
up from the crowd. "Push up nn-
other , " n hundred void's ' yelled. Two
tiremen ran up the ladder t\\o steps
at n time. "Can yon hold onn min
ute ? " ono naked the peer woman.
"Yes , but for God's sake , huny , " was
the honrao reply , "Como on then , "
said the fireman to his comvmiuu ] ,
"damn the ladder , wo must euyo her , "
and up ho went to the ton. His hands
jutt reached thu woman s feet. The
crowd held its breath in suspense.
The woman remained cool. "Hold
on to the wire nnd step on my shoul
der , " said the fireman , guiding her
foot with hia hand. The MOIIUII did
as she was told , but as thu brawny
fellow went to niovo a stop lower she
seemed to swoon and had apparently
lost her balance , when the fireman on
the stop below caught her nnd uho
wns hastily carried to the ground.
Cheer nftcr cheer went up from thu
crowd.
The corner burned is ono of the bust
newspaper locations in the city , the
central point of newspaper row and
contiguous to the postotlice , telegraph
ollico * , the Now York end of the
Brooklyn bridge , etc. It is already
reported that several overtures have
been made for the purchase of the site
nnd for the erection of n newspaper
building. Among the offers is one by
the Daily Graphic for the corner build
ing. The Graphic has been for years
diasatifllied with ita prraent location ,
and it is said madu overtures for the
oflices made vacant by the World
whim the latter removed to its new
building.
The World and Times buildingi
wnru erected on the site of the old
brick church of the First Presbyterian
society in New York , of which Rev.
Gardner Spring was for nearly fifty
years paator. It waa pulled down in
1857 , wlu-n The Times and Mr. Potter -
tor bought the property nnd put up
the present building. The interior
of The World building wna filled up
with old wood work , very iiill.uniim-
bio. Two seta of stairs ran from the
third to the ground floor , ono set in
thu Park Row end and the other t <
Nassau street. Ono set went from
the third to thu fifth floors. The
stairs wore narrow and almost rotten.
An elevator had just been erected ii
the building and it is said that the
flamrs caught iu the flue near this nm
spread thence over thu building. The
janitor says tlmtit had been ncconsan
to have unusually hot fires in th"
basement to dry thu plastering , some
repairs having boon made after The
World removed to ita new building
It _ appears certain tl/at / tha jlamu
originated from the fire ia the base
incut. After getting a start they
burned like tinder , filling the housi
with ihmcs nnd smoke and provontiiif
those in the upper stories from oacap
ing except through the windows. To
: do this wns moro difficult on nccoun
of the sleet , snow and wind rapin ; (
fiercely , which prevented pononi
from holding to thu loik'os very long
Thu Ntorm raged all day and was
, trying on thu firumon , who nru com
monaed by nil for their bravery nm
perseverance.
MinxmiiT , It is ntill impossible to
do more than estimate thu number
killed. Ellen Bull and Uiclmn
Daroy , thu printer who leaped from a
window , nru both dead at thuhoapitnl
The injured arc Robt. Bowie , printer
tor , of Brooklyn , somewhat burned
Harry Joint , readied by a fireman
bunind on the face and anna ; E. II
Moore , printer , burned severely nhou
the face ; Jojin JnhiiHon , lithographer
f : severely burned ; Col. Brnco wau
slightly scorched , and so wcro others
whose naincH were not loarnud.
There are many reports of Hooint.
women and girls at tliu windows n
the upper tories who aftmwarild ' 1m-
appearcd and it in thought nuni/ per
ished , but thu , firumon by holding lad
dora to the windows rtMiuiud many nnd
iirtho confuuion they doubtless uncnp-
odutiobsei ved by meani of the Mair.4 ,
NuveVtjielu'in nn thu upper lloom wuro
largely inputting rooms umploying
- - ! < : ' * - , # t ia not nnpiobibli | > Uul. untiiii-
) ) „ Ol f the priishuiJ , People
'comu from the building Bay they dis
tinctly hi'iitd orii.i of v.oinuti. It , in
estimated tliciu wrro Ift'J ' tcnuita in
thu catabliilimiiiit , ninny of them em
ploying Huveral otliorn.
F. W. Hoc'lllu , who hnd an oflicu
In the building , rupoitx that two mon
Htulh ajid Brown wuiu left in thu
building whun he uucapcd nnd tliuy
must hnvu perished.
Ohas. H. Noah , Bank Notu Itu
porter , employed girls , uho wuie not
observed , to oauiipu.
A number of girln were employed
on the top floor. One was neen nt
the window , but full back 111 the
flames enveloped bor.
John Payne , a young cuinponitor in
The Observer office , is supposed bi
burned. His father in foreman of
The Observer composing room , and
has gone insane from thu excitement
of his own OHcapo and his son's duath ,
Mary O'Connor , Mary Smith nnd
Mary Blount all worked in the build
ing and are reported missing.
Aiming others inquired for bj
friends and relatives wro A. J , Todd ,
lawyer , of Brooklyn ; JameH H , Hun
ter , clerk of Todd ; vTohn H. Grennul
book-keeper ; Alfred W. Harris , o
Allcndttlo , N. J. ; Hurry Jones , otllci
boy ; Austin Black , publisher of Thi
Manufacturer and Builder ; Jamu
Cunningham and William Utubbs , o
Brooklyn ; Edward R. Harris , of Nov
York ; J. W , Dennison , publisher
Mont Clare , N. Y. . and Richard
Tracoy , printer. There ia vorj
littln ground for hope that the loss o -
lifo is small.
NKW YOUK. February 1.At 1 u.m i
thu fire is still burning , having caugh
in the sub-cullar , and a call for mon
oiigino.i has been issued , There is in
danger of any further spreading.
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
Gladstoiio Still Refuses to Release -
lease the Suspects.
* Fho New Frouoh Onbiuot Pn-
vornbly Received , nnd in
Good Working Order.
The Failure of tuo Union
Uonornle Causing Immense
Financial Disaster.
kHnonllnnooui Now * That Oamo
Over thn Wire.
rr M.
LONUON , January ! U. A letter
rom Mr. Gladstone , published in one
of thu morning papers , stnto.i that ho
cannot release the Irish Minprcts until
boy lone their puwor orabandon tlioir
ntoiition to disturb tlio law or place
obstructionii in the way of carrying
nit thu orders of thu government.
, January 31. All existing
commercial treaties Imvo teen
iroloiigod until March 1.
The now cabinet formed by M. Do
h'rcycinct. 1ms boon accupteit by Proai-
lent Grovy , anil has assumed thu dis
charge of its dnticB.
The chamber of deputies Imvo fa
vorably received t'io ministerial pro
gramme , which will bo liberal in tlio
urlitunoiitury policy , and one ndvo-
: uting reforms in thu government.
Tlio doulnration of the policy nf the
now ministry was road in theohainbor
of deputies to-day. It postpones ru-
vision of the constitution and prom-
i on to niiike tlio nocoMiiry reform.
Their loading nspirntion will be to
promote the reign of ponce through
out the country.
By the failure of thoDnion Geiiornlo
oovoral prominent Austrian companion
Imvo become nearly insolvent nnd arc
left nil out only by thu forbearance of
their creditor ? , \vlio sympathize with
thorn in their Ions nnd know that if
they wore pressed for payment they
could only pay n Biimll pcramtngo on
tlioir liabilities. Count De Chambord
and Hovoral leading Austrian clergy
inon and thu aristocracy generally are
also heavy losers by the failure.
Tlio government in openly charged
not only by tlio public but by sovcr.il
newspapers of this eitjr with favoring
the manager of the Union Gonoralo'n
( til. Dontoux ) schemes , and nro in it
measure responsible for the losnca.
It was reported on trustworthy au
thority that the deficit reaohua ill ) ,
000,000 francs.
A dispatch from Lyons received
tins afternoon slates thut the troops
aru guarding the branch ollico in thai
city to prevent its being saokod , am
that the manager of the olTiio dan
not go out of the building for fear ol
boiug morikcd by tL piipulacLV
A dispatch from Vienna states that
the ( [ tiostion of the failure of the
Union 'Qonoralo will ho brought before -
fore the Austrian ruichrath ntan early
day , as it is hinted that the minister
of finance , who is expected to resign ,
had aoincthing to do with M. Bon-
toux's schemes.
OAIIUI , January 21. ' A deputation
from the chamber of dopution to-day
waited on Cherif Pashu nnd asked
him that the ministry nhould either
ngreo to the conditions of thn chamber
and grant them control of the budgeter
or they would
THE ] NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Yostorday'd Procoodinga Mia-
c'lhineous Matters.
CONGRESS.
KUIonnl AsHOciatij 1I'rei" .
i'UoiKi'.w.voh IN inr. SI.SMTJ : : .
WAsiiiMTrojf , .laniiary 'tl Mr ,
Voorhcon failed attention to a resolu
tion ofl'i'ied by him and adopted by
tliOBCiiato in OjloUir l.iat , directing
thu postolllcu. committin to inquire'
into certain ciut curvicu rule's in Ciu
uinnuti by wluoli noldto afo I'sdmlcd
from nppointmentn in the i-flicu. le |
Kaid the reHolution hnd for Hoiiiu cause
not been printed , nnd ha fcare'd it had
lot reached the ciiinmittt'e. 1 lu calmed I
.I'lioroul n unrrc.ipondcnco all
, hit the same inlea applion theru , Mr.
Voorhcos deiionnued thn inlcn IIB nrhi-
laiy , witlunit icasop mid witlioiit
leiniiu , and an inutilt to union mil-
eliniH.
eliniH.Mr.
Mr. Ferry rotillod thai , it was taken
up at thu flint muolin of tliu commit
tee ami referred to Poitinaater Gen-
eml .I.UIICH , wliqao leply wna before
thu cijmmitlov' , and that they
now awaiting thu views of hm BUCCCS-
Hor.
Hor.At I o'clock the funding bill uamc
up ,
Mr , Yuat modified Iiin amiiiidment
by striking out thu clantfi ; ro-uiiiictiny
Bectioim 4iriU , and 5,100 of thu re
vised statutes.
Mr. Han ley then addroaiud the
voimto on thu lull ,
Mr , Vest'rt nmundinont wn rojeut-
ed by u vote of 28 to 'M. Mr. Plumb
voted aye and Mr. Davia ( III , ) no. It
wai olher\viae a party vote.
Mr. Plumh'H nmundment requiriuj ;
that jill funds in thu treasury m ex
cess of $1,000,000 should bo unod in
the redemption of M per cent , bonds
was adopted yeas 'M , nays 20 ( Da
vis of Illinois , IiinUa | , Plumb , Haun
dura , nnd Teller voting ayi : mid Jonei
> of Florida and McPherBon nay. )
' Mr. Plumb then withdrew hia othei
" ainendmenta and the senate wemtinU
uxocuttvu HC'tsion and at 4:20 : p , m ,
f aeljournod.
Thu nomination nf Btratham , thi
Lynching pOHtinaatcr over whom i
light win made in October , was lu
ported by Senator Mnhono and con
, finned without an oppoiin-j vote ,
i.v luu
, At 1 p , m. the resolution neliu ; ; tin
it namni of American citizens conlime
ito itu in DrilUh prieons wan taken up. Ad
o drusuctt tvoru made by Meson ) , Dun
neil and Oith. After rather a
debate , in which the chair rebuked
Mr. Robinson , of Now York , for at
tempts to interrupt other speakers ,
Mr. Orth's resolution was unani
mously adopted.
Mr. Robinson's joint resolution
withdrawing public lands ( { ranted rail
roads , but unearned by them , and
opening the snmo to settlement was
withdrawn by him , on the ground'
that it did not cover all grants of that
kind. Ho offered a substitute so
worded as to cover all grants of that
tint in r , except tu the Pacific railroads ,
which ho omitted , because of the fact ,
that I hey wort ) covered by n similar
resolution relating exclusively lo
them ,
_
Robinson's resolution was referred
to tlio judiciary committed , when th
house went into committee of the
whole for the consideration of the '
bill. J
The bill giving buiUlhn ; * and
grounds nt Erie , Pa. , to bo made as a
homo for indigent soldiers ami sailorn ,
to bo supported by the government ,
wns discussed in committee of the
whole , ixiut opposed on the ground
that it was n scheme to got govern
ment support for n portion of the poor
of Pennsylvania , nnd creating a precedent -
codont for n large class of institutions
of thii kind , and no action was taken
on the bill.
Mr. Prcncott gave notice ha would
call un on Thursday the apportion
ment bill , fixing the number of repre
sentatives to each state under tha re
cent census.
Thu peiat route bill , creating a num
ber of postal routes , wns presented
from the committee and passed with
out dobiito.
Adjourned at C p. m.
CAPITAL NOTES.
Nation \Moclutetl I'rcm.
Till : BTUl ItOUTB CASKS.
WASHIMITON , January 31. Tlio
hearing in tliu star route cases in the
police oourt was resumed at 1 o'clock
to-day , Colonel Bliss and Cook for the
i e > vornmont , and Messrs. Wilson , Tot-
, en nnd others for the defense , boim ;
present. Mr. Minnix , ono of the
mrotii'K on C.ibuU's bond , testified in
lis own behalf.
Col. A. Brown , formerly clerk in
, ho im.itolllco department , and alleged
load and front of the star route cases ,
A-jit put on the stand by the defense.
During hi evidence the court inti
mated that if the defense insisted
upon him ruling upon intent ho would
Bond thu cnio to the grand jury , and
let the jury pass upon the law. Wit-
noas , proceeding , said ho knew of a
contractor putting in bids aggregating
over $2,000,000 , nnd offered sureties
of 20,000 in value. At the same
letting ho hnd put up sureties nggro-
gatitm 8400,000 on proposals , amount
ing to 8270,000. Ho protested n ainst
the inaullicicncy of the 920,000
sureties and he waa overruled by the
nctine postmaster general.
Adjourned until 1SJ o'clock to-mor
row.
MISC'KLLAUEODS.
The prtttid'ont MeuUo'thu ? enatopte > * <
day a batch of nominations , embracing
unimportant postmnaterships.
The physicians who attended the
late President Gnrilold will present a
statement of their services without a
bill , and will trust to congress for
their remuneration.
The Now Joraoy delegation in congress -
gross have ordered a act of silver
badges to bo presented to the railroad
employes who wcro in charge of the
trains that conveyed thu late president
to Long Branch nnd hi * remains bock
to this city unit thoncu to Cleveland.
Rcnurtn t'i the commiftsioncr of in
ternal revenue up to the Int inst.
show 7SO)11 ; ! ( ! ! ) gallons of tiunblo
B pints in bunded warehoused , nearly
1,000,000 iillons ; more than nt the
name time lutt jew.
Tlio prcMile'iit and cabinet have
been invited to utttind thu coming
Mmdi Gun nt Ncu Orleans. Accom
panying t ho fiifj.'aveid invitations were
duuirntiuim for the older for each
momhfr. Tlio pividont and cabinet
flout regrets fur not being able to at
tend.
tend.Tlio
Tlio sonnto lo-diy confirmed Leo-
] ) > ld Maritime. . . ' , iiHAistaut United
rimtcs tmitnror at Cincinnati ; Win.
II , Toft , unllnoroi- internal revenue
for the J'jfilt O'.no disrnict ; W. J.
Pnll'u'k , collector of internal icveniie
lor tlio | i'ir it Ptinniylvania district ,
and Postiiiiulum S. W. White-Held , of
Cincinnati , and Cliflbrd Stiatli.uu , of
Lyiiuh'burg , Arn.
OU 1' , UUITBAU.
i.'oovllo ! Hao Virbuslly Given
Up All Hop" of
Success.
W.\Hiu.vuroN , .January 91. Mr.
iivillu ia much diahunr one'd. It in
doubtful if ho will go to the court in
bane , ilno. W. Guiteau haa no hope
of n new trial ,
MIIHOII , tlio soldier who allot at
Guitoau , ia still under confinement
and will probably not be tried until
Gtiiteati is executed ,
Shofby JIU Brothor-ln-Lnw-
Nfttlo'i'l Awuilttutl I'rfM.
Loumviu.i : , Ky. , Jnnunry ill.
This evunini ( , while under tha influ
ence of liquor , L. T. Owens , residing
in the eastern part of the city , threat
ened to kill his wife with an axe ,
Ilor cries brought her brother , Goo.
W. Oyler , un ex-government store
keeper , when Owens turned on him
with the axe. Oyler drew a pistol
and shot Owuii in the neck , producing
probably a fatal wound. Oyler gave
himself up ,
Union Depot lu NunUvJlle.
National Aiwodatccl 1'riw.
NAHIIVIU.I : , Teiin. , January:31. : The
building of n union depot is to bo de-
ftiivud for u tiiui' ,
Indications-
X tloiuIAMoUatoJ 1'rcaa.
WASWINOTOX , February 1 , For the
lo'-'or Missouri valley : Partly clouely
weather , except snow in the noithern
portion , winds generally from north
M west nnd to south'eat , followed
during thu night by e Idcr weather.