TURNED INTO A FARCE AND FIRE IN SHERMERHORN BLOCK

State Armory, Washington Ave., Albany, N. Y.

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, January 4, 1897.

TURNED INTO A FARCE.

Touch of Comedy In the Albany Celebration.

COMPLAINTS OF EXCLUSIVENESS.

To Remedy This Guardsmen Propose to Give a Cheap Second Edition of the State Ball For the Benefit of the General Public.

   ALBANY, Jan. 4.—The proposed celebration of Albany's centenary as capital of the state upon Jan. 6, and for which the state appropriated $2,500 and the city $5,000, is in rather a muddled condition, not altogether devoid of very ludicrous features.

   It was intended to have a big public celebration with a great gathering of guardsmen, but the projection of a so-called state ball, an affair of a very exclusive nature except to those paying $10, has interfered sadly with the arrangement, and outside of the afternoon exercises at which Chauncey M. Depew, William H. McElroy and Governor Morton are to speak, there will be nothing of a very public nature except the distribution of sandwiches in the public park in front of the Capitol.

   The ball is to take place in the state armory in defiance of the deposed General McLewee's opinion that it is not proper to loan armories for such occasions, and the decorations are very gorgeous as now completed.

   The ball is to cost $10,000 and the tickets are to cost $10 and $5 each.

   The guardsmen's parade will not take place. The Tenth battalion of Albany decided they could not parade because their armory was inaccessible while in use for the ball. The local militia refusing, all the others declined.

   There was a great deal of criticism about the affair being turned into an exclusive social event and the comedy touch has been put on matters by the announcement that the battalion had agreed with the decorators for the ball to keep up the decorations for one extra day and had decided to give a ball at the nominal admission fee of 50 cents, open to all comers.

   Brigadier General Oliver, who is at the head of the ball committee of the centennial, is highly indignant and talks of issuing an order to stop the latter affair, but the militiamen assert that he cannot do this.

   The general public is laughing over the matter and there is much speculation over the result.

DULL TIME AT ALBANY.

Little Stir Preceding the Opening of the Legislature.

   ALBANY, Jan. 4.—Such a dull time preceding the opening of the legislature has seldom been witnessed in many years.

   The absence of the legislators, especially the country members, from the scene is due in some measure to the change made by the new constitution in having the first session upon Wednesday instead of upon Tuesday, as has been the custom for a decade.

   There is really no need of the legislators making their appearance much before Tuesday afternoon, the day of the evening upon which the caucuses are to be held, for the slates have all been prepared and there had not as yet been heard a whisper against them except so far as concerns the United States senatorship, a matter that will not be decided in the caucuses of Tuesday night.

   James M. E. O'Grady of Monroe will be selected as speaker and Daniel Finn of New York will get the complimentary nomination from the Democrats and will by virtue of that be the leader of that party upon the floor.

   The lieutenant governor has decided not to enforce his prerogative of appointing new committees.

   The first session occurring upon the date set for the celebration of Albany's

centenary as the capital of the state will be very brief.

   Both houses will meet at noon and will select their officers as named by the caucuses.

   Lieutenant Governor Woodruff will make a brief speech in assuming the chair in the senate and Assemblyman O'Grady will do the same in the assembly.

   The message of the governor will then be presented and read, and at the conclusion the regular order of business will be taken up and when disposed of an adjournment will be taken for a week.

Variety Actress Commits Suicide.

   CINCINNATI, Jan. 4. — Miss Hadley, daughter of an undertaker at Rochester, committed suicide here. She was known here as Belle Howard Morgan, and while with Weber & Fields' vaudeville company as Belle Weber. She was addicted to morphine and took an overdose with suicidal intent. She left letters to her mother and others. She died in the patrol wagon while on the way to the hospital. She was well educated and ranked high in vaudeville performances.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

A Strange School.

   It is little one person can do to help the world if he dabbles in every reformatory scheme that comes his way. But if he begins by surveying the field, then selects his own particular work and sticks to it exclusively year after year, at the close of his labors here below he will see that he has done something for mankind.

   Seven years ago Miss Florence Hathorn began teaching a school in the boys' department of the Chicago common jail. She has stuck to it. The youths are of the average age of 14, none of them over 16. They are confined in the county jail while awaiting trial and sentence for various misdemeanors. They remain there for periods ranging from a day to a year and a half. Thus the class changes from day to day.

   The teacher, of course, can give them no systematic scholastic training, such as more fortunate children outside get. She does the best she can, mostly in the way of oral instruction. They will stand no maudlin sympathy or goody good preaching. But if they understand that a teacher is genuinely their friend, as Miss Hathorn is, they give her their confidence, so far as such boys can give anybody confidence.

   They are the street boys who run wild. They exhibit mental peculiarities different from those of the child with a good home and regular training. They are deficient mentally in some ways, which their teacher attributes to years of smoking and insufficient nourishment. They seem not capable of sustained intellectual effort. They are, however, unusually quick in geography, just as a wild Bedouin might be. Rather oddly, too, they are quick in mental arithmetic. They know much more of criminal and civil law than the average boy of their age does, more than some respectable men learn in all their lives.

   The school is under the auspices, of the Chicago Woman's club. The ladies, so far as possible, follow up the youths after they are released. In a number of instances they have been able to permanently reclaim these wild boys.

Schermerhorn block, minus Mager & Co. in north section, depicted in 1897 ad.

FIRE AND SMOKE

WROUGHT HAVOC IN SCHERMERHORN BUILDING IN THE NIGHT.

Schermerhorn Building Badly Damaged. G. J. Mager & Co.'s loss Over $30,000, Bigham Bros. & 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, 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 café of B. H. Bosworth and called for help to locate the fire. Mr. Bosworth went across the street and saw that the drygoods store of G. J. Mager & Co. also was filled with smoke. He returned to the engine house, where he pulled box 333 and then rang 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 Hitchcock's, 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 up stairs. The inestimable value of the ball nozzle, the special property of Orris Hose, was shown at this time, for 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 drygoods' boxes.

   In the cellar was stored a large stock of woolen underwear, cotton goods and oilcloth, all of which is a total loss. The fire burned through the floor in several places and what goods were not destroyed 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 $1,000, Phenix of Brooklyn $1,000, Phenix $2,000, Hartford $2,000, Aeta $2,000, Commercial Union $2,500; $11,500 with Theodore Stevenson, in the Milwaukee $1,500, Westchester $3,000, 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, Calidonian $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 Duffy'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 to $2,900.

   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. Danna.

   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 & Maritt, 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 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 carpetroom 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 the cellar door, and there are fresh knife marks on the door frame.

BREVITIES.

   —Grover Relief corps will meet to-morrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock.

   —The Normal [School] will reopen to-morrow morning after the Holiday vacation.

   —The L. C. B. A., will hold a regular meeting to-night in C. M. B. A. hall.

   —The annual banquet of Emerald Hose Co. will occur at the Cortland House, Tuesday evening, Jan. 5.

   —New advertisements to-day are—Arena Pub. Co., prospectus, page 6; O. A. Brazie, blank books, page 4; Warner Rood, "A Railroad Ticket," page 5.

   —Mrs. Nancy Brooks, who was injured by a fall Nov. 25, and suffered complete paralysis, died last Thursday evening at her home near Virgil. The funeral was held yesterday.

   —There will be a meeting of the newly elected board of governors of the C. A. A. to-night at 8 o'clock. All members are requested to be present, as important business will be transacted.

   —An official notice has been issued from the office of the superintendent of the Auburn division of the Lehigh Valley railroad company stating that taking effect Jan. 1. 1897, all passenger trains will stop or signal to leave and receive passengers at Elmira Heights.

   —Host Henry D. Freer of the Ithaca hotel, gave his regular dinner to his bachelor friends yesterday. The number of those eligible at this New Year's day function has decreased to four: Mayor Todd, Supt. Hibbard, Ex-District Attorney Jennings and the genial host himself. Only a few years ago and before Dan Cupid worked his arrows on the susceptible, this gathering was wont to be large and jolly.—Ithaca Journal, Saturday.