 |
| Part of Schermerhorn block (J. J. Newberry). |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, January 4, 1897.
FIRE AND SMOKE
WROUGHT HAVOC IN THE SCHERMERHORN BUILDING IN THE
NIGHT.
Schermerhorn Building Badly Damaged. G. J. Mager
and Co.’s Loss Over $30,000, Bingham Bros. and Miller’s Stock Damaged by Smoke.
Other Losses. All Fully Insured. Perhaps Burglars Started the Blaze.
Cortland’s first fire in 1897
is now on record and the damage is hard to estimate owing to the large amount
done by smoke, but it will probably approach $40,000.
This morning at 1:30 o’clock
Officer S. N. Gooding was passing through the alley at the rear of the
Schermerhorn block [J. J. Newberry], when he heard a crackling noise. He looked all around, but could not discover anything and went around on
Main-st. when he saw smoke issuing from the clothing store of Bingham Brothers
& Miller. He hastened to the night cafe of B. H. Bosworth and called for
help to locate the fire. Mr. Bosworth went across the street and saw that the dry
goods store of G. J. Mager & Co. also was filled with smoke. He returned to
the engine house, where he pulled box 333 and then rung in a general alarm.
The department was quickly on
the scene and the Water Witch company secured first water. The fire was very difficult
of location. Great clouds of smoke confronted the firemen when the doors of
Mager & Co.’s store were opened and it was impossible to enter. As the greatest
volume of smoke came from the cellar under the store that was thought to be the
location of the fire, though no flames were visible. Water Witch sent a stream
into the cellar from the front and also one from the rear. Orris Hose directed
a stream into the cellar from the front as did the Hitchcocks, and the Emeralds
did so from the rear. The fire was in the rear of the cellar and was slowly
creeping toward the front, and also upstairs.
The inestimable value of the
ball nozzle, the special property of Orris Hose, was shown at this time, for Messrs.
Charles Morris and Charles Griffith, two members of that company, entered the
cellar from the rear with a spray issuing from this nozzle and worked their way
to the front of the cellar, putting out all the fire there, and practically saving
the building from almost total destruction. The fine spray sent out from this
nozzle drove back the smoke before it and enabled the two men to penetrate the
dense smoke, and at the same time extinguish the fire.
Said Chief Arnold to a STANDARD
man this morning:
"Too much cannot be said
in praise of this nozzle. We ought to have more of them."
By this time the flames had
burned through the floor and were in the store proper, and while such effectual
work was being accomplished in the cellar with the ball nozzle, two streams
were directed into the store and soon the fire was extinguished.
The fire was found to have
originated near the furnace in the rear of the cellar, and possibly caught from
the furnace in a pile of dry goods boxes.
In the cellar was stored a large
stock of woolen underwear, cotton goods and oil cloth, all of which is a total
loss. The fire burned through the floor in several places and what goods were
not destroyed by fire were rendered almost worthless by smoke and water. The
walls and ceiling were blackened and in many places charred. Some of the
shelves were burned down.
G. J. Mager & Co. estimate
their loss at over $30,000 and it is covered by an insurance amounting to
$33,500 placed as follows: $13,500 with G. J. Maycumber— in the National
$2,000, Continental $1,000, Royal $l,000, Phenix of Brooklyn $1,000, Phoenix $2 ,000, Hartford $2,000, Aetna
$2,000, Commercial Union $2,500; $11,500 with Theodore Stevenson — in the
Milwaukee $1,500, Westchester $1,000, Manchester $3,000, London and Lancashire
$2,500, Commercial $500, Westchester $1,000; $4,500 with Davis, Jenkins & Hakes— in the Firemen’s Fund $1,500,
Caledonian $1,500, Norwich $1,500; $4,000 with J. A. Nixon—in the Hanover
$2,000, New Hampshire $2,000.
The Schermerhorn block is
itself fully insured, the policies, amounting to $11,000, being placed with G.
J. Maycumber.
Attorney Edwin Duffey's law
library is slightly damaged by smoke, and is fully insured. The same is true of
Attorney E. E. Mellon's library.
The stock of clothing of Bingham
Bros. & Miller is badly damaged by smoke and the loss is hard to estimate,
though it is fully covered by insurance.
Smoke slightly damaged Edgcomb
& Maritt and Hyatt & Tooke,
who occupy the building next north of the block. They are fully insured.
The furnishings in the John L.
Lewis lodge rooms on the third floor of the block were badly damaged by smoke, but
the loss is fully covered by an insurance amounting in all to $2,000.
Mr. George
McKean was exceedingly thoughtful of the brave firemen but suffered a very
painful accident while performing an act of kindness. As soon as the fire broke
out and it became evident that the firemen were to have a struggle, Mr. McKean
began making coffee for them and was in the act of serving it to the firemen at work in the store
when the floor
gave way under him and he was precipitated into the cellar, dislocating his left
shoulder. He was removed to his room and was attended by Dr. Dana.
This was the first fire under the
administration of Chief L. A. Arnold,
and he showed that he was the right man for the place. He seemed everywhere at
the same time.
Edgcomb & Marritt, who were
insured in the New York Central Lloyds, have already received through the local
agent, Pierce, Cone & Bates, a check for the full amount of the loss
claimed by them. This is the first party to get a settlement.
The smoke, which came from the
woolen goods in the cellar, was the most dense that Cortland firemen have been called
upon to face in many years.
Upon July 27, 1893, this same
building was on fire. The fire originated in the dressmaking establishment of
Mrs. H. H. Pomeroy on the second floor. The loss to those on the first floor was
small and was confined to loss by water. On March 14, 1894, occurred another fire
in the same building of which the origin is a mystery. It was first discovered upon
the left side of the hallway, where flames were coming from the carpet room of
G. J. Mager & Co. At this time the firm's stock was damaged to the amount
of $10,000, Bingham & Miller
$3,000, Glann & Clark $2,500, Mrs. Pomeroy, $1,200, E. E. Mellon $500.
The store of Bingham Bros.
& Miller is closed to-day awaiting adjustment by the insurance companies.
The burglar theory is gaining
considerable ground as furnishing a plausible explanation of the origin of the
fire. It has been discovered that the putty had been scraped off and three
panes of glass removed from the door entering Mager & Co.’s cellar from the
rear. There is also evidence of an attempt to enter the store of Bingham Bros.
& Miller, as the putty had been scraped from two panes of glass in their
cellar door, and there are fresh knife marks on this door frame.
How
to Guard Against Burglars.
In times like the present when
local burglars are operating in the town persons with bonds, stocks, mortgages,
and other securities and valuable articles of gold and silver, watches and
jewelry, can find ABSOLUTE PROTECTION for them in the safe deposit vault of The
National bank of Cortland—Boxes rent from
$5 to $10 per year.
WESLEY HOOKER, President.
FELL
THROUGH THE ICE.
Four
Women in the Mill Pond all at the Same Time.
On Saturday afternoon Louise
Clineburg of 9 ½ Pomeroy-st., aged about thirteen years, Bessie Comerfort of Cleveland-st., who is a
little younger, and Jennie Gregg of 28 Cleveland-st., about the same age, were sliding on the
ice upon the mill pond in the rear of the home of Mr. A. Eggleston, 144 Clinton-ave.
The ice was thought to be thick
and strong except for a narrow channel which had been cut for the purpose of
floating down to the icehouse ice cut early in the week farther up the pond.
This channel had skimmed over
with a light coating of ice, but was too thin to be trusted. The children knew this
and intended to keep off of it, but in their play the first women mentioned got
farther over than they thought and fell into the water where it was quite deep.
They came up and grasped the edge of the thin ice and it kept breaking under
them. Jennie Gregg ran off screaming for help.
Mrs. Mary J. Dawson of 150
Clinton-ave. was calling at Mr. Eggleston's and heard the screams. She ran out
on the ice to rescue the children and in her efforts caused the ice to break
again and let her fall in. Miss Jennie Bell, who is employed at Mr. Eggleston’s,
had followed Mrs. Dawson down to the pond and she in turn tried to get them all
out. The ice broke under her and she too fell in. Mrs. Dawson sank twice, but
succeeded in getting hold of strong ice as she came up again. Miss Bell got a
good hold up on strong ice and helped support the children, but none of them
could get out.
The screaming for help
continued and was heard by Mrs. D. C. Todd, who lives across the street. Mrs.
Todd ran over toward the pond calling on the way to Dell Barber, who was at work
at the icehouse. Mr. Barber hurried down and succeeded in rescuing the four people
who were thoroughly chilled. All were close by home, however, and in a very
short time had their wet clothing replaced by dry garments and were taking hot
drinks to prevent their taking cold. They are all doing well at last accounts.
It was very fortunate for all
that the break occurred as it did near the shore where there is no current and
where they would come up as they did just where they went down and were not swept
along under the ice.
Excellent Schermerhorn building photo dated July 2013 at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38956209@N03/9379673529/in/photostream/
No comments:
Post a Comment