DISASTROUS FIRE AT CORTLAND CART & CARRIAGE COMPANY

On this 1894 panoramic map, the buildings are numbered. The Standard block is 59; Squires block is 36; Messenger House is 22; and the Cortland Cart & Carriage Co. is 9.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, March 11, 1895.

DISASTROUS FIRE.

SIX BUILDINGS GO UP IN BLAZE AND SMOKE.

Entire Plant and Stock of Cortland Cart & Carriage Co. Destroyed.

Loss Estimated at $75,070. Insurance $45,800.

   Cortland was Sunday morning visited by the most disastrous fire which has occurred in this place since the burning of the factory of the Cortland Wagon Co. on the morning of Dec. 5, 1888.  

   The entire plant of the Cortland Cart & Carriage Co. with all its stock and machinery was destroyed, the blacksmith shop of John Hodgson, the livery stable building owned by the estate of the late Wm. P. Randall and a large carriage repair shop owned by the same estate. The livery stable was conducted by C. B. Peck, who saved all his horses and the most of his harnesses, carriages and sleighs. The repair shop was occupied by A. C. Deusenbary, Edwin Chubb and Cornelius Hicks, who saved part of their property. The plant of the Cortland Cart & Carriage Co. was located in a three-story wooden building owned by the Cortland Harness & Carriage Goods Co., in the three-story brick building owned by A. M. Schermerhorn, and in the three-story wooden building owned by Mr. Schermerhorn.

   The origin of the fire is a mystery which will probably never be solved. The first signs of it were detected on the west side of the wooden building occupied by the Cortland Cart & Carriage Co. at a point about half way back from the [Port Watson] street, upon the first floor in the vicinity of the boiler room, and near the elevator shaft. For lack of any better cause it is believed that a spark must have escaped from the fires and have smouldered until it finally broke out into a blaze. Fireman W. E. Skinner was in the boiler-room at 10 o'clock Saturday night and banked his fires as usual. Every thing was all right then. So far as it is known Mr. Skinner was the last person in the building.

   It was just 2:15 A. M., when George Kirke, an employee of C. B. Peck's livery stable, drove a hack down Port Watson-st. from Main-st., returning to the stable. As he approached the carriage factory he discovered a slight blaze through the windows. He shouted "fire" at the top of his lungs. There was a dead stillness on everything at that time, and it was several minutes before any one in the vicinity seemed to respond.

   Officers Monroe, Parker and Jackson had just finished the round of their beats and had come together upon the corner of Main and Railroad-sts. They stood talking there when they heard the first cry of fire upon the still air. Officers Monroe and Parker started upon a full run for the source of the cry. Officer Jackson hurried across the street to pull fire alarm box 333 in front of Fireman's hall. Officer Jackson worked away at the box for some time, but could not open it. Mr. Bickford yesterday discovered that the cause of the difficulty was that two of the five springs in the lock were broken. They were repaired on Sunday.

   Meanwhile Officers Monroe and Parker had arrived at the scene of the fire. Officer Monroe says that at that time the blaze was springing up the elevator shaft, but the place on the floor where the fire was burning could easily have been covered by two overcoats. In a few minutes more, box 432 at the Messenger House corner was pulled by Arch Lucy. The fire department responded promptly. The Excelsior Hook and Ladder company was quickly assembled at the engine house, but it was impossible to move their heavy truck without a team, and there was a delay here of over ten minutes, which proved fatal to the possibility of extinguishing the fire. We are informed by members of the Excelsior company who rushed down to the fire to be on hand when the truck should arrive with its team that the automatic sprinklers with which the building was fitted, and which were working perfectly, had practically extinguished the fire in the first floor. The flames, however, had got into the elevator shaft where there were no sprinklers and had mounted to the paint shop on the third floor. Even then they had made no headway up there and if a ladder had been at hand so that two or three men with the chemical fire extinguishers with which the hook and ladder truck is fitted could have got up there they think there is no doubt but that the fire could quickly have been put out. When the hook and ladder truck did arrive it was too late to do this.

   The wooden building was a bad place for a fire. The third floor was used exclusively as a paint shop. The second floor was used for a trim shop. The first floor was used as a showroom and as a machine shop. When the fire got started in the paintroom it spread with great velocity in every direction. Five streams of water were quickly turned upon the burning building. The Emeralds and Hitchcocks each had one stream from a hydrant in front of the Farmers' hotel. The Water Witch had two streams from the hydrant on the corner of Main and Tompkins-sts. The Orris had one stream from the hydrant on the corner of Church and Port Watson-sts. Within a very few minutes the whole building was one mass of flames. The wind was strong from the south and the flames were swept half way across the street toward the houses on the opposite side.

   This was one of the hottest fires ever known in Cortland. From the outset W. P. Roberts, coachman for E. H. Brewer, began playing on the front of Mr. Brewer's house with a garden hose. Soon it was necessary to use a hose from the fire department for the protection of Mr. Brewer's house and another one for the protection of the house on the [Church St.] corner occupied by Dr. H. P. Johnson. Then the fire got so hot that it was impossible for anyone to stand unprotected in front of these houses. The blinds of the houses were closed up tight. Some large barn doors were brought up to shield the pipemen and at frequent intervals the hose was turned on the pipemen themselves to relieve the terrible heat, but the water continued to flow upon the two houses, and though they are badly scorched they were saved. At just the right time the wind shifted toward the west and drove the flames farther down the street.

   John Hodgson's brick blacksmith shop was next the wooden building and this was quickly enveloped in flames.

   The brick building also used by the Cart and Carriage Co. was separated from the Hodgson shop by an alley sixteen feet wide and in a very few minutes this building was so filled with smoke as to prevent the removal of any property. Mr. P. O. Wheeler, vice-president and secretary, lives on Church-st. near the fire and was one of the first persons to be aroused. He saw that there was every prospect of the brick building going and hurried to get the books out of the safe in the office. He saved everything that was in the safe, but in his haste over looked the order book which was in a roll top desk with other memoranda. This was a great loss, as it contained over $25,000 of orders. L. I.  Hatfield, the president and treasurer of the company, who lives on Tompkins-st., never heard the alarm and was only aroused when some one came to call him. The buildings were nearly down by that time.

   A small quantity of stock was removed from the first floor of the brick, but this will not reach $1,000 in value. At this time the factory was full of stock, finished and well advanced in building. The agents had just gone out upon the road, and shipping had been begun only last week. They were now employing 55 men and expected within a few days to put on ten more. Many of the men lost valuable tools which were not insured, the value of which is estimated at from $1,500 to $2,000.

   With the fall of the first floor in the wooden building the four-inch main which fed the sprinkler system with which the factory was provided was broken off and a four-inch stream of water was poured into the center of the factory and soon went into the cellar where it did no possible good. The main which goes down Port Watson-st. is six inches in diameter, and when this four-inch main caused that much to run to waste, it dreadfully weakened the head upon the water used by the department. The two streams used by the Water Witch company which came from the corner of Tompkins-st. had plenty of head, but all streams on the Port Watson-st. main lacked force. The steamer was then sent for and located itself at the fire well on the corner by the Keator block, from which it sent one powerful stream down to the fire.

   Meanwhile C. B. Peck had been removing from the livery stable all his horses, and the sleighs, carriages, robes and harnesses which were on the first floor. A number of the carriages were being painted on the second floor and these could not be got out. Mr. Peck lost 300 bushels of oats, five tons of hay and one ton of straw, besides the wagons and sleighs in the second floor.

   The next building to go was the carriage repair shop which stood next to the [last]. This was occupied by A. C. Deusenbary as a woodworker, by Cornelius Hicks as a blacksmith, and by Edwin Chubb as a painter. They saved part of their property, but lost some. The blacksmith shop of W. R. Hill was several times on fire, but a stream of water was turned on it, and the fire was stopped here.

   The sparks and live embers flew far and wide. Over on Church-st. the double house owned by T. H. Wickwire and occupied by H. M. Lane and F. J. Peck caught fire and a large hole was burned in the roof. Erwin Townsend went up on a ladder and extinguished it. In descending he fell, turning a complete somersault. His foot caught in a rung of the ladder and a man below him broke his fall somewhat. His back and ankle were badly strained, but he is able to be around again.

   A house on State-st. belonging to Mrs. S. M. Byram and occupied by C. L. Hoyt caught fire, but it was extinguished before much damage was done.

   Dr. F. J. Cheney's new house had the roof scorched in a number of places, but the embers were discovered and quickly flooded with water.

   John Hodgson's house, close to the wooden building where the fire started, was somewhat scorched, but a close watch was kept upon it and plenty of water was used whenever there was need.

   The fire started about 2:15, and by 5 o'clock all of the buildings were down. The walls of the brick building stood for a time, but fell in at about 4:30 with a great crash. The chimneys went over soon after. The fire department kept [playing] upon ruins until about 8 o'clock Sunday morning when the corporation hands relieved them, and these kept a stream of water going the greater part of the day and evening. A tremendous crowd of people were out to see the fire when it was raging its worst, and all day Sunday the ruins were viewed by others.

   The Cortland Cart and Carriage Co. estimate their loss at $45,000. Their insurance amounts to $25,200 and is placed with G. J. Maycumber as follows: L. L. & G. $4,500; Hartford $2,000; Home $4,500; German American $2,000; Springfield $2,000; Imperial $1,500; American $1,500; Continental $1,500; National $2,300; American Central $1,200; Royal $1,200; Franklin $1,100.

   The three-story wooden building was owned by the Cortland Harness and Carriage Goods Co., and was valued at $10,000. The insurance was $8,000 and was placed with the Lloyd's of New York in the following companies: Equitable $1,500; Mutual $6,500.

   John Hodgson had $1,100 insurance on his house, $100 on his barn, $200 on his furniture, placed with G. J. Maycumber. The house is considerably scorched. He had no insurance whatever on his blacksmith shop or contents, He estimates his loss at $2,000.

   The loss on the three-story brick building owned by A. M. Schermerhorn is estimated at $11,000. Mr. Schermerhorn had an insurance of $7,000 upon it placed with G J. Maycumber as follows: Aetna $2,500; Phoenix $2,500; L. L. & G. $2,000.

   The loss on the three-story wooden building owned by A. M. Schermerhorn is estimated at $1,500. There is an insurance of $1,000 on it placed with Theodore Stevenson in the Commercial Union.

   The loss on the livery stable building owned by the estate of W. P. Randall is estimated at $1,700. There was an insurance of $1,000 placed with James A. Nixon in the New Hampshire.

   The loss on the repair shop also owned by the estate of W. P. Randall is estimated at $800. There was a policy of $500 placed upon it with James A. Nixon in the North British and Mercantile.

   C. B. Peck estimates his loss at $1,000. Insurance $2,000, placed with G. J. Maycumber.

   It is estimated that the loss on the tools of the employees of the Cortland Cart and Carriage Co. was $2,000. No insurance.

   Cornelius Hicks saved all of his property.

   A. C. Deusenbary estimates his loss at $50 and Edwin Chubb his loss at $20. No insurance on either.

  

NOTES.

   Chief Bosworth has his face badly scorched and his ears blistered trying to save some hose that the fire was injuring. Two lengths of hose were ruined.

   The trees in front of Mr. Brewer's house across the street from the burning buildings at one time caught fire and the green wood was burning from the bottom to the top of the trees.

   The Cortland Cart and Carriage Co. has been in existence for seven years. Its capital stock is $25,000. The directors are L. I. Hatfield, P. O. Wheeler, Ira Hatfield, H. Malmberg and C. R. Burdick. The officers are L. I. Hatfield, president and treasurer; P. O. Wheeler, vice-president and secretary. The company hopes to be able to resume business shortly.

   The old livery stable was the first building erected in this part of the town, and was put up about 1820. It was first used as Crandall's wagon shop.

   The repair shop was a barn built by Asabel Lyman and stood at the head of Church-st. until 1845, when North Church-st. was opened. The new street was to go right through the barn and the building was moved to the other end of Church-st. and converted into a shop.

   C. B. Peck has opened his livery stables in the Central House barn.