BIG FIRE AT MCLEAN, N. Y. AND WILL NOT OBEY ORDERS

Lehigh Valley Railroad Station at McLean, N. Y.

1866 map of McLean, N. Y., several years before the railroad was established here.

Early fire department steamer.

Cortland Evening Standard, Tuesday, October 12, 1897.

BIG FIRE AT MCLEAN.

EIGHT BUILDINGS DESTROYED MONDAY NIGHT.

Help Summoned from Cortland—Steamer and Two Hose Companies Went Over on a Special Train—Claimed that the Loss Will Reach $10,000—Very Little Insurance.

   The village of McLean, Tompkins county, located on the Elmira & Cortland branch of the Auburn division of the Lehigh Valley railroad, six miles west of Cortland, was last evening the scene of the most disastrous fire that has ever visited this village of 500 inhabitants. With the wind blowing a terrific gale, eight buildings were burned to the ground, and others barely escaped.

   It was about 6:30 o'clock when the fire started in the furnace room of the large fruit evaporator owned by Julius Whiting of South Cortland and operated by Frank Dudley. This building was located on the west side of the street extending from the four corners in McLean village to the Lehigh Valley station. The flames soon spread to a series of wooden buildings south which burned like tinder. At the same time two dwelling houses and a woodshop across the mill race to the west caught, and they too went up in smoke.

   Just before 7 o'clock a call was sent to Cortland for help, as McLean has no facilities for fighting fire. Chief Barber of the fire department detailed two companies, Water Witch and Orris Hose to go to the scene. Trainmaster Leonard Goodwin of the Lehigh Valley road prepared a special train as soon as possible, and the fire steamer and Orris Hose cart were loaded upon the flat car, a caboose was attached, and the train carrying the two fire companies and many spectators sped away. The six-mile run was made in less than seven minutes.

   There was some delay in getting started from Cortland, but it proceeded from causes which could not have been obviated. There was not an empty flat car in the Lehigh yard in Cortland at the time. Just at present there is a good call for flat cars for shipping lumber and nearly all the Lehigh Valley's cars are in use. There was a car at the roundhouse that is used in removing cinders from that building, but the car had two-thirds of a load of cinders on when the call for help came. These had to be shoveled off before the car could be utilized. It took very few minutes, however, to load the engine and hose carts, and with the car and caboose crowded with firemen and spectators the train rushed away.

   The whole town was illuminated by the flames, but the most destructive work was over when the Cortland firemen arrived, and only the ruins remained. Several other buildings had caught fire from the flying sparks, but prompt work with the buckets had extinguished them. The firemen soon had water on and began to wet down the flames.

   It was just 8:05 o'clock when the steamer was unloaded from the car and at this time the regular westbound passenger train pulled into the McLean station, having onboard Chief Barber of the Cortland fire department, who had failed to board the special train, so quickly did it pull out from Cortland. At 8:25 o'clock the first stream was thrown on the ruins, and this through Water Witch's hose on the west side of the mill race. The hose was carried across the race by Earl Francis of McLean, who waded through the water which was up to his neck. Orris Hose soon had a stream playing on the ruins east of the mill race next the street.

   As near as can be ascertained the fire was first discovered by a dozen or more persons at the same time.

   R. C. Nelson, the Lehigh Valley station agent was returning from supper, and was opposite the evaporator building when the alarm was first given, and was the first to enter the building. He said that the fire was located directly over the wood furnaces, and flames were creeping through the air shaft, emerging from the cupola. Others who discovered it at the same time were Frank Trapp, a farmer who was driving past at the time, Monroe Thomas of the Dryden House, Edward Cole, A. L. Houghtaling, E. D. Miller and John Stanton.

   The several losses as estimated to a STANDARD man by the owners of the several buildings burned are as follows:

   Julius Whiting, fruit evaporator and contents, $1,300. No insurance.

   A. L. Houghtaling, gristmill, machine shop, blacksmith shop, storehouse for lumber and shingles, barrel manufactory, buildings, stock and machinery, $5,000. On 600 bushels of corn and other grain in gristmill, $500. No insurance.

   E. G. Galloup, building occupied by Edward Cole as a woodshop, $1,000. No insurance.

   Mrs. Emeline McWaters, dwelling, $500. No insurance.

   C. M. Dutcher, dwelling, $1,000. Insured for $600 in the several county cooperative company.

   Mr. Frank Dudley, son-in-law of Proprietor Whiting of the fruit evaporator, stated to a STANDARD man that he left the building at 6 o'clock, and then the fires were very low. Two furnaces burn wood, and the third burns coal. About 600 bushels of apples were in the building, and the process of drying had been begun yesterday. It is his opinion that the fire started from the wood furnaces in some way and, getting into the air shaft, nothing could stop it. As soon as the alarm was given, a bucket brigade was formed, but little could be done to check the flames which rapidly spread to Houghtaling's shops, ten feet south. These buildings were all of wood and were connected. They covered an area of a quarter of an acre. Mr. Houghtaling estimates that he saved about $300 worth of feed and empty barrels, which were rolled into his front yard across the street. By hard work the residence of Henry Van Sickle south of Houghtaling's buildings was saved.

   Across on the west side of the mill race three buildings were burned. The woodworking shop of E. G. Galloup, occupied by Edward Cole. This was a three-story frame building, 40 by 60 feet in size. The two-story frame dwelling of C. M. Dutcher was burned to the ground, as was the small dwelling of Mrs. Emeline McWaters. Nearly all the furniture was removed from the two houses, but was badly damaged in the removal. The furniture was removed from the residence of Mrs. Charles Clark, but the house was saved by keeping wet blankets on the roof and sides.

   The evaporator, which was burned was a two-story wood structure 30 by 50 feet in size, and had a one story addition or lean-to 30 by 40 feet in size. It was formerly used as a skating rink. Only five men were employed, but in former years the evaporator business has given employment to ten men and girls, and had a capacity of paring 180 bushels of apples per day on the four machines. The power for all the machinery in all the buildings was furnished by water in a race made from the creek, which runs southward through the village.

NOTES.

   Twenty-seven years ago the foundry and machine shop was sold for $7,000, but that was in the days when McLean bade fair to be a city and when the foundry business was on the boom.

   The engine which took the special to McLean was No. 13 and it was in charge of Engineer Jack Keenan and two firemen, John Hartnett and Jim Harvey. Engineer Keenan was born in McLean and his old home is there.

Not knowing but that it was burning or at least was in danger, he made the engine do its best that took the steamer over. The result was that every passenger on the train hung on for dear life as the flat car and caboose swung around the curves between Cortland and McLean. The distance from Cortland to McLean is noted on the Lehigh Valleys official time card as 6.56 miles, and the running time was a little less than seven minutes.

  F. B. Miner of The STANDARD and M. T. Roche sat on the driver's seat of the steamer on the way over and they found it somewhat breezy.

   Proprietor Greene of the Elm Tree House served coffee to the firemen. Some one rolled a barrel of new cider fresh from the mill out upon the green at the corners, put in a faucet and told the crowd to help themselves. They did so with alacrity.

   The buildings being very dry, burned rapidly, and the flames leaped far into the sky, lighting up the country for miles around. By 8 o'clock there was a large crowd in McLean. Besides those who went from Cortland on the special train, by carriage and by wheel, large numbers of farmers from all the surrounding country drove to the scene. The crowd was an orderly one, and every one stood ready at a moment's notice to help save other buildings should they ignite. All the houses and buildings in the burnt district were closely watched, but had any of them caught fire after the Cortland steamer arrived, they could undoubtedly have been saved.

   The deafening noise made by the steamer and the manner of its working was something new to the people over there, many of whom had never seen a steamer fire engine in operation before.

   The Cortland firemen reached home about 12:15 A. M.

Charity Hospital, New Orleans.

WILL NOT OBEY ORDERS.

Citizens Fail to Guard Against Spreading Yellow Fever.

BOARD OF HEALTH DESPONDENT.

Unless New Orleans Citizens Change Their Actions the City Will Be Swept by Plague—Edwards and Nitta Yuma Report Deaths.

   NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 12.—From the returns there is little hope in the yellow fever situation. The board of health is daily demonstrating that with a fair show it is possible to restrict and stamp out the disease. But the people who must suffer from a strict application of scientific methods rebel, the result being that the pathway of the board is beset with difficulties. Monday, as on nearly every other day since the fever first appeared here, about 50 per cent of the fatalities were traceable to neglect and a disposition to hide cases.

   Thirty-four new cases and five deaths were reported.

   Four people were found to have been stricken at the Jewish home, a charitable institution.

   Two cases were also reported to have developed at the Hotel Dieu a private hospital. A majority of the new cases presented new foci of infection.

ONE MORE VICTIM

Reported at Nitta Yuma—Two Deaths Occur at Edwards.

   JACKSON, Miss., Oct. 12.—There was one death from yellow fever at Nitta Yuma. There are six cases still under treatment.

   At Edwards five new cases and two deaths were reported.

Houston, Tex., Attacked.

   WASHINGTON, Oct. 12.—Dr. Wyman received a dispatch from Dr. Guiteras reporting three cases of yellow fever and one suspicions case at Houston. These are the first cases that have occurred there.

   At Biloxi, Miss., there were 12 new cases.

   At Scranton, Miss., nine new cases and no deaths.

Five New Cases.

   MOBILE, Oct. 12.—The record shows but five new cases of yellow fever and no deaths.

Sailor Stricken with the Plague.

   BALTIMORE, Oct 12.—Emil Grann, a fireman on the Norwegian steamer [Summerhill], Captain Davis, which arrived here on Saturday, has developed a mild case of yellow fever, contracted in Santiago de Cuba, from which port the vessel sailed.

New York a Dumping Ground.

   NEW YORK, Oct. 12.—The sick and maimed from other states and foreign countries have for a long time been dumped into this city for surgical and medical treatment at the expense of the metropolis. An investigation of 26,561 cases treated outside of the public institutions here, for which the city was held responsible, was recently made by Superintendent Bauer of the department of charities. He finds that of this number 13,276 were either immigrants, residents of other states or people able to pay for treatment at home.

   Upon Superintendent Bauer's report the charity commissioners refused to approve of bills amounting to $1,313,471 for the cases for which the city is in no wise responsible. These bills will most probably have to be settled by the immigration commissioners and the charity commissioners of the places from which the patients came.

STRANGULATED HERNIA

Followed Frank Smith's Attempt to Lift Too Much.

   Frank H. Smith, a farmer residing about two miles south of Cortland toward Virgil, died this morning as a result of lifting too heavily Saturday afternoon. That day he was engaged in loading buckwheat on a wagon. He tried to lift a bag containing three bushels of the heavy grain, and succeeded at the third attempt, but fell back with the expression, "I heard something tear inside of me." He became sick at his stomach, but steadily refused to have medical assistance summoned, believing he would be all right in a day or two. But his family saw that he was gradually growing worse, and this morning sent for Dr. S. J. Sornberger of Cortland. Dr. Sornberger reached the house shortly after 8 o'clock, but before his arrival Mr. Smith had died. The physician says that Mr. Smith probably ruptured the diaphragm in lifting and strangulated hernia resulted which caused his death.

BREVITIES.

   —Eight candidates took the second degree in the O. U. A. M. last night.

   —Lyons and Waterloo will both be applicants before the next legislature for new Normal schools.

   —In police court this morning one tramp was sentenced to ten days in jail and Adolphus Skinner was fined $5 for public intoxication.

   —The first day's registration of the town of Solon on Saturday was 218.

The total registration last year was 216. In 1895 it was 201.

   —We publish to-day on our third page the address yesterday afternoon of Dr. Chauncey M. Depew upon the occasion of the unveiling of the monument at Nashville to Commodore Vanderbilt.

   —Chief Linderman was this morning investigating places where penny-in-the-slot machines might he found. He discovered three in working order. They will be discontinued, probably without any trouble as the law is very strict in this respect.

   —The STANDARD is indebted to Prof. Clinton S. Marsh, superintendent of schools at North Tonawanda, N. Y., for a copy of the catalogue of the public schools of that place. Superintendent Marsh has forty-six teachers under him. He is a former resident of Cortland.

   —New display advertisements to-day are: S. Rosenbloom & Sons, Furniture, etc., page 8; D. McCarthy & Co., Ladies Autumn Outerwear, page 6; C. F. Brown, Toilet Requisites, page 4; Case & Ruggles, Cloaks, page 7; Simmons & Grant, Clothing, page 4; Second National Bank, Report, page 4.

   —William Gardner, who was brought from Syracuse yesterday ill with consumption, died at 5 o'clock this morning at the home of his sister, Mrs. Benjamin Hamilton, 65 Lincoln-ave. The funeral will be held at 1 o'clock Thursday afternoon, and the remains will be taken to Marathon for interment.

   —The semi-weekly edition of The STANDARD was on the street at 7:30 o'clock this morning containing a full account of the big fire at McLean last night and met with a ready sale. The semi-weekly edition goes to press Tuesday and Friday mornings at 7 o'clock and this morning with its account of the fire stood in place of an extra edition.

   —It was widely rumored yesterday afternoon that certain of the Democratic nominees had withdrawn or were about to withdraw and that the same was true of several upon the independent ticket. After running down each of the reports it was found that no such action had been determined upon in either organization and that the whole thing was solely rumor.

   —Mrs. Jennie Fowler Willing addressed five audiences here yesterday in the interest of the Woman's Christian Temperance union's evangelical work and training school in New York City. Her statements made a deep impression and elicited substantial response—Ithaca Journal. Mrs. Willing is a sister of Bishop Fowler and was one of the most prominent of the delegates to the state convention here last week.

   —A physician is authority for the statement that many of the colds with which men are afflicted at this time of the year are due to the fact that it is customary to change one's neckwear during the course of the day; that, for instance, a man will wear an ascot scarf during business hours and in the evening a narrow black or white tie, thus taking the protection from his chest at the time he needs it most.—Ithaca Journal.

   —Principal Herbert W. Knight of the Central Truant school, will generously open a free night school for instruction in the common branches on Friday evening. The school, which is for the benefit of giving ambitious young people, who are handicapped in securing an education, an opportunity to learn, will be held in the large block in the rear of the high school.—Binghamton Republican. Mr. Knight is a former resident of Cortland.

HOMER.

Gleanings of News From Our Twin Village.

   HOMER, Oct. 12.—Mr. Eugene Fisher and family spent Sunday with relatives in McLean.

   Mrs. R. J. Watson and daughter Sarah are making a short visit in Syracuse this week.

   Mr. Ernest Fisk is in Syracuse for a few days taking in the great celebration.

   Mr. Charles Schenck, who has been visiting at Tunkhannock, Pa., for the past week, has returned.

   The new school [pins] for the students and former students of Homer academy have arrived and are very pretty. The shield shaped center, which is encircled at the edge by a silver wreath, is enameled blue and white, which colors have been chosen by the school as school colors. The letters "H. A." appear very prominently upon this shield, as does the date "1819" at the bottom of the shield. There is no doubt that the Homer academy students are keeping pace with other schools for school enthusiasm and love for their alma mater.

   That Mr. William Wey is at all able to be about his work is a wonder, for there are few men who can fall from a three story window to the ground and be about the next day. Mr. Wey has never been known a s a somnambulist, but Saturday night he was given a room on the third floor of Hotel Windsor and when morning came he did not appear. It was soon found that "Willie'' had arisen in his sleep and walked or fallen out of the window and gone to the home of a friend on Cherry-st. There are a few marks on him such as a skinned nose and a bad cut in the back of the head and he complains of a very lame side.

   The Homer Shamrocks were again defeated by the baseball team at Killawog on the Killawog ground. The score for this game was 41 to 1, which is not as good a game as was played the week previous. The Shamrocks battery was Sullivan and Maher. The Shamrocks have arranged for a game with Messengerville to be played next Saturday.

   The pupils of the preparatory department of the academy are dismissed from studies and recitations to-day, owing to the sickness of their teacher, Miss Katharine Cobb.

   The Schenck Brothers are preparing to put in a good stock of ice this winter and have already leased the pond by the stone mill south of the village and they expect to fill not only the icehouses but the one in connection with the milk station.

   Several men and boys went over to McLean last evening when the fire in that place was reported.

   Mr. G. F. Jones drove to Skaneateles and back yesterday on business.

   Rev. Leonard J. Christler and Mr. Harry Davis, Jr., started for Syracuse this morning on their wheels where they will be present at the grand parade to-day.

   The Ladies' Guild of the Episcopal church held a meeting at the home of Mrs. Albert Fisher on Elm-ave. The ladies are divizing a plan by which each pew may be well supplied with prayer books for the use of the congregation.

   Brigadier J. Streeton of Buffalo and Lieutenant Palmer of Amsterdam were in town this morning looking after the interest and condition of the Salvation Army corps at this place. Brigadier Streeton is chief divisional officer of western New York state and northern Pennsylvania, and Lieut. Palmer at one time had charge of the army at this place and in Cortland. They report the army in very good condition and hope to have a regular stationed and competent officer here to take charge of this corps in a short time.