USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady County, New York : its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 14
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On the Common Council Journal of Nov. 16th and 17th, occurs this minute :
"Nov. 16th .- The market corner Union and College streets to be repaired at the cost of the occupants therein.
Nov. 16 and 17-A great fire has raged in this city for two days ; all the western part of the city is burned ; hundreds of citizens ren- dered homeless. Sixteen watchmen put out each night in the city and paid $1 per night to watch after the great fire."
In the Schenectady Cabinet of Nov. 24th, 1819, is the following record of the awful conflagration :
SCHENECTADY, Nov. 24th, 1819.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE-On Wednesday morning last, between the hours of four and five, a fire broke out in this city, the most destruc- tive we have ever witnessed. It originated in Mr. Haight's currying shop in Water street, and communicated from thence to Mr. Moyston's dwelling house and store, which stood on the opposite side of the same street. These, with some of the adjoining build- ings, were soon reduced to ashes. A strong southeast wind fed the fury of the raging element, so that it could not be arrested until it had crossed State street, and swept away, in its desolating course, almost every building between that street and the Mohawk Bridge which, having been on fire in several places, was with difficulty saved. Thus, in about the space of six hours, the western part of
155
AFTER THE FIRE.
our city exhibited a melancholy scene of devastation and ruin. The cellars of the buildings consumed continued to sinoke and burn for several days following. From the fortunate circumstance of the wind continuing to blow in one direction, the ruin was not so far spread as it otherwise would have been, and owing to this, and the unremitting exertions of some individuals, the buildings on the west side of Church street with two or three exceptions, were not inater- ially injured. Many persons were much injured and bruised while lending their aid to save the furniture, etc., of the unhappy sufferers. The number of buildings destroyed, including barns and outhouses, is about one hundred and sixty, of which at least ninety are dwelling houses, stores and offices, as may be seen by the subjoined statement. Besides the buildings, (not more than seven of which were insured) we have to lament the loss of much valuable property, such as fruit trees, furniture, etc., and a great quantity of grain and provisions, and the tale will scarcely be half told, when we add that not a few have been literally burnt out of their homes and cast, without shel- ter or the ineans of subsistence, at this inclement season of the year, upon the charity and protection of their friends ; yea, some have lost their all. No correct estimate of the loss can be forined, but we shall not exceed the bounds of truth if we say it is somewhere near $150,000.
The indefatigable labor of all, but more particularly of strangers and of the students of Union College, in rescuing property from the devouring flames, merits the warmest thanks.
Amid the sincerest feeling of regret, we rejoice, and we do it with emotion of gratitude to the Supreme Disposer of events that, during this awful visitation of His providence, no lives have been lost. We also feel great satisfaction in stating that the corporation of this city is pursuing measures for the relief of the sufferers.
The following is a list, as correct as could be ascertained, of the buildings consumed, and of the persons by whom they were owned or occupied, to-wit :
In Water Street-A building occupied by Isaac Haight as a currier's shop, and owned by Nathan Garnsey, Jr. Five houses and a store owned by John Brown and occupied by A. R. Murford, B. and I.
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SCHENECTADY COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
Vrooman, M. Crane and Waster, and I. Sheffield, B. Miller and the Misses McClure and Currey ; a dwelling house occupied by P. Murray and owned by John S. Vrooman ; a barn occupied and owned by John Brown.
In State Street-John H. Moyston's dwelling house, store and barn ; John S. Vrooman's brick dwelling house ; a large brick dwell- ing house, store and shop of John Brown ; a store of William Lyman ; a large brick dwelling house, store, barn and outhouses of D. & H. R. Martin; I. DeGraff, Esqr's dwelling house, barn and outhouses ; a barn occupied by J. Wasson and owned by the heirs of James Brad- shaw, deceased.
In Church Street-John Prouty's frame dwelling house, office and outhouses ; a barn occupied by Mrs. Vredenburgh and owned by the heirs of Dr. C. Vrooman ; the Schenectady Female Academy, owned by Joseph Horsfall; a barn belonging to the widow Elizabeth Vroo- man, and one belonging to M. T. E. Veeder, Esq.
In Union Street-A dwelling house occupied by Milo Sinith and owned by widow Nancy Beekman ; a dwelling house occupied by Mr. Petit and owned by widow Cathaline DeGraff ; a spacious build- ing occupied by E. DeVendel as a dwelling house and boarding school, with a barn and outhouses, owned by Mr. M. Vicar ; a store occupied by Wm. B. Walton & Co., a brick dwelling house and barn occupied by Dr. Isaac Schermerhorn, all owned by Wmn. Girvan, Esq .; widow Mary Teller's dwelling house and barn ; the Mohawk Turn- pike Co's office, the law office of N. F. Beck, Esq., DeGraff, Walton & Co's store and outhouses on the corner of Union and Washington streets, all owned by Win. Girvan, Esq.
In Washington Street-The dwelling house, store and barn of Cornelius Z. Van Santvoord ; a store occupied by Henry Topping and owned by the widow F. Veeder ; two offices occupied by Henry V. Fonda, Esq., and by Vrooman & Schermerhorn, and owned by them ; the dwelling house of the widow F. Veeder, a blacksmith shop owned by her and occupied by Jacob S. Vrooman ; the tavern of Richard Freeman ; the dwelling house and County Clerk's office of Jellis A. Fonda ; the dwelling house of the widow Nancy Beek- man ; a dwelling house and barn of Stephen Lush, occupied by J.
I57
BUILDINGS BURNED.
McMichael for a dwelling and Richard McMichael & Co., as a store ; a shop occupied by Giles Clute as a shoe store and owned by Steplien Lush ; Eri Lusher's elegant brick dwelling house, store and barn ; a dwelling house occupied by Mr. Hicks and Mrs. Stevens, owned by Eri Lusher ; the dwelling house, store and barn of James I. Car- ley ; the large dwelling house, shop and barn, unoccupied, owned by Jacob S. Glen ; a building occupied by Toll & Brooks as a store and by Seth Thayer and R. C. Jackson as a dwelling house, occupied by Mrs. Sophia Willard, David Allen and Mrs. Wiley, owned by the heirs of John Fisher, deceased ; a dwelling house, store, barn and several outhouses occupied by Mrs. Peek and J. B. Van Eps ; a dwell- ing house and store occupied by Josiah Stiles, owned by J. B. Van Eps ; David Hearsay's dwelling house, shop, barn and outhouses ; a store occupied by Kennedy Farrell, owned by D. Hearsay ; the dwelling house and barn of George Cooper; the brick dwelling house, store and barn owned by Joseph C. Yates, formerly by Robert Loague ; the dwelling house and store occupied by Samuel Lee, owned by the widow E. Prince ; the dwelling house, store, barn and outhouses of Gen. A. Oothout; Giles Clute's tavern and barn; the dwelling house occupied by Alexander Van Eps, E. Townsend and G. Van Valkenburgh, owned by widow Bradt; the house and barn of J. V. Ryley, Esq.
Corner of Washington and Front Streets-Andrew N. Van Pat- ten's tavern, store, barn and sheds ; M. Van Guysling's store.
In Front Street-The bakery of Mrs. Gill ; a dwelling house occu- pied by Tobias V. Cuyler, owned by A. N. Van Patten ; Dr. D. I. Toll's dwelling house ; a dwelling house of A. N. Van Patten, unoccupied; the dwelling house and barn occupied by John S. Ten Eyck, owned by Frederick Van Patten ; a store occupied by Mrs. Hart as a dwell- ing house and a barn owned by Joseph C. Yates, Esq. ; a dwelling house, store, barn and tannery occupied by Henry E. Telter, owned by Charles Kane, Esq. ; a dwelling house and outhouses occupied by the widow Van Ingen, owned by Gershom Van Vorst ; a dwelling house and outhouses owned and occupied by widow Elizabeth Prince.
The above account of the sufferers was furnished by a committee appointed for that purpose, and we believe it to be generally correct.
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SCHENECTADY COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
The subscriber having witnessed the great exertions of the citizens of this city, and the students of Union College, in the late distress- ing fire, cannot refrain fromn expressing his thanks for the assistance they rendered in subduing the devouring element ; particularly those whose personal and manly exertions, rescued his property from the flames. He knows the names of only a few. He regrets that he cannot particularize then so as to thank them in person .- Nov. 17th, 1819.
JOHN SANDERS.
A. G. Fonda acknowledges with gratitude the spirited exertions of his friends and fellow citizens, and particularly of the students of Union College, in saving his property from fire on Wednesday morn- ing last .- Nov. 22.
David Tomlinson offers his gratitude to his friends, fellow citizens, officers and students of Union College, for their kind exertions, through Divine Providence, in saving his buildings and other prop- erty from fire yesterday morning .- Nov. 18th, 1819.
B. M. Mumford tenders his most grateful acknolwedgments to the citizens of Schenectady generally, and to the students of Union Col- lege in particular, for their indefatigable exertions in saving his property from destruction during the late awful and calamitous fire in this city .- Nov. 22.
D. & H. R. Martin offer their grateful thanks to those who aided them during the distressing conflagration on the 17th, and whose exertions saved a great portion of their effects from the flames .- Nov. 22.
Samuel Lee tenders his thanks to his fellow-citizens, particularly to his friends in the fourth ward, for their unwearied exertions in saving his property from the devouring flames on Wednesday last .- Nov. 22.
William Lyman respectfully tenders his most grateful acknowl- edgments to his fellow-citizens, and his friends from the adjacent towns, for their unwearied exertions in saving his property from destruction by the late fire .- Nov. 22.
Mrs. Margaret Suter takes this method to return her thanks to her
I59
APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE.
friends for the preservation of her property during the late fire .- Nov. 22.
Abraham Van Eps tenders his grateful acknowledgments to his fellow citizens, and the students of Union College, for their spirited exertions in saving his property from the devouring flames on Wednesday morning last .- Nov. 22.
Since the late fire in Schenectady, one of the proprietors of this paper has visited that city, and inspected the ruins. They present a most melancholy and awful scene of ruin and desolation; and the personal distress of many of the sufferers is great beyond descrip- tion. Widows and orphan children, and many others, who were in the possession of respectable property, and in the enjoyment of inost of the comforts and conveniences of life, are reduced to wretched- ness, to penury and want, and their forlorn situation at the present season, makes an irresistible appeal to the sympathy, the benevolence and the charity of their fellow citizens. It is an appeal made to one of the noblest faculties of the human inind, and cannot and will not be made in vain. This city has often drank deep of the cup of affliction which their fellow citizens of Schenectady are now called to partake of, and they know well how to commisserate their situa- tion and to minister to their necessities."
It is impossible, without the work of months in the County Clerk's office, to point out to-day the location of the various houses which are burnt, but the following certainly were saved : the resi- dence of John Sanders, now occupied by Ex-District Attorney Daniel Naylon. The residence of Dr. Alexander G. Fonda, which was taken down at the time the new county building was erected on Union street ; the residence of Benjamin Mumford on Washington street, now believed to be in the ownership of the Hon. Edward W. Paige ; so also, was the house now owned in the Swartfigure family, and of historic interest as belonging in old days to Jacob Glen, and as having been the house where Washington stayed during his visit in Schenectady. The residence of Ex-Judge Yates was spared. So it seems, were about all the great storage and forwarding houses along the bank of the river, for the Yates' and Mynderse, DeGraff, Walton & Co., were standing fifty years ago.
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SCHENECTADY COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
There were but three fire companies in the town, as appears from the common council record, and the appliances were utterly ineffi- cient to meet the emergency. Everybody in those days was supplied with leather fire buckets, many of which are still in possession of the old families as mementoes of that day.
The city was then divided into fire districts, and each householder had these leather buckets, then called leather bags. On heretofore occasions, every man owning these buckets was requested at the head of the fire company in his district, and had to go into service. In case of his obstinance he was fined heavily. Companies 1, 2 and 3, and the fire bag people, were all that could meet the impending day. To the honor of the old Union be it said, that the students of the college turned out unasked and fought for two days with the fire raging, winning the gratitude of the citizens. Union then had a fire engine of its own, an old cart shaped thing on two wheels and with levers that were perpendicular to the pole of the carriage, and that did brave work, the students pumping at it day and night.
The homeless and houseless people, two hundred families and inore, suffered terribly. It is difficult to locate the buildings described in the article of the Cabinet. This is about the best account of the fire that can be obtained. There are but two or three people in Schenec- tady who were living then, and they were inere children. The cause of the origin of the fire appears in a later issue of the paper. As it contains many facts, and is such valuable information, that, though published at that early day, when so much had not been learned as we know now, this paper still contains so many facts and suggestions, and is written with so much intelligence and knowledge of the subject, that it inakes it very valuable to us, even in this cen- tury of tremendous advance in experience and knowledge. Extracts from this article are therefore quoted.
" SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION .- The late dreadful fire in this city will, we trust, continue to excite the commiseration of the benevo- lent in favor of the unfortunate sufferers. Such a calamity addresses itself to every charitable feeling of the lieart, and calls loudly for the exercise of that Christian charity, which is always ready to supply the wants and to cheer the woe of the afflicted.
161
PROBABLE CAUSE OF FIRE.
But our attention ought to be directed to an examination of the cause of this disaster. A knowledge of this may enable us to guard against future danger, and to prevent a recurrence of a similar calamity.
The facts, as we have received them from Mr. Haight, in whose shop the fire originated, and in whose statements we place entire con- fidence, are these: According to his usual practice, he transferred his business from the shop where the fire commenced, at about six o'clock of the evening previous, to another shop that he also occu- pied ; that no fire or candle had been in the shop after that time ; that at nine o'clock of the same evening, he visited the shop and found everything in safety. The next morning as he was about to commence his labor for the day, he discovered three out of four rooms on fire in the inside, and that there was no appearance of fire on the outside of the building. Mr. H., further states, that there was in the building a quantity of corn in the ear, a number of hides untanned and undressed, and a quantity of oil ; that in one of the rooms there were a number of skins of leather which had been oiled and hung up during the day ; that the oil used was liver oil and oil expressed from the feet of cattle, called by him neats foot oil; there was also in one of the rooms a large quantity of slacked lime. Mr. H. men- tions that it had been perfectly slacked some time before, and that no water was, or had been near it.
It is a well known fact that oil is highly combustible ; it is not, however, as extensively known, that oil spread upon any animal or vegetable substance, will produce spontaneous combustion. The case of the storehouse of sails at Brest, establishes the fact, that such may be its effect. There are also many other cases, for which we refer to the work already quoted ; it is therefore possible that the oil which was constantly used in the shop of Mr. H., may accidentally have been spilled on some animal or vegetable substance and produced the combustion ; at all events, the fire may have commenced from the oiled skins which were in the shop. In confirmation of this, we would merely state that the spontaneous inflammation of essential or volatile oils and that of some fat oils, particularly when mixed with nitrous acid, is well known.
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SCHENECTADY COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
But there are other facts to which attention should be paid, and a knowledge of which is highly important to the community. Corn heaped up has sometimes produced inflammation, as also hay laid up damp. Nor is this a discovery of our day. Vanieri, an Italian who flourished in the seventeenth century, adverts to this circumstance as well known and established. These inflammations always take place when the inatter heaped up preserves a certain degree of humid- ity, which is necessary to excite a fermentation ; it is in this way that a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Peters- burg, in giving a detail of the circumstances which attended a fire in a Russian frigate in April, 1781, caused by a bundle of matting containing Russian lamp black, prepared from fir soot, moistened with hemp oil varnish, says: 'The spontaneous accession of various matters from the vegetable kingdom, as wet hay, corn and mnadder, and at times wet meal and malt, are well known.' We close with one more authority, Bartholdi, a celebrated French chemist, in an account of spontaneous inflammation, enumerates ten causes, two of which are the following : 'The fermentation of animal and vegetable substances, heaped up in a large mass, which are either too dry or too moist, as hay, dung, &c.' 'The accumulation of wool, cotton and other animal and vegetable substances, covered with an oily matter and particularly a drying oil.'"
" Under each of these, he produces instances to confirm his asser- tions. The animal and vegetable substances, if heaped upon each other, while they retain their moisture, enter into ferinentation, a change is effected in their composition, and they often become so much heated as to inflame; they are thus decomposed, and in conse- quence, heat is produced."
"It may be impertinent here to add, that the oils which Mr. H. mentions were of the kind called fixed oils, those obtained partly from animals and partly from vegetables, by simple expres- sions. Of the fixed oils, those which remain transparent, after they become solid from exposure to the action of the air, are called drying oils ; those that become opaque are called fat oils."
" There is one more circumstance to which we would call the attention of the public. Wool stuff and pieces of cloth which were
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A MATTER OF CAUTION.
not scoured, have taken fire when folded up and even during the time of their conveyance from one place to another, when heaped upon each other. Wool when neither wet or oiled, if piled up, has frequently been known to inflame spontaneously."
" These facts we have thought proper to present to the public. Whether the fire in this city originated in this way, we leave to the decision of those more competent than ourselves to determine on a scientific question of this kind. For their benefit we have given Mr. H's statement at length. We only say it appears highly proba- ble. At all events, it is important that the community should be apprised of the existence of instances of such a nature. It will not only tend to increase the vigilance of individuals, and awaken their attention to objects which have hitherto been neglected ; but, to say the least, it may frequently prevent unjust and illiberal insinuations. The reputation of the innocent man may thus be assailed by calumny, and his peace destroyed by unmerited suspicion."
CHAPTER XVI.
THE RAILROADS.
Schenectady is the pioneer of the world in railroad traffic, as she is now its leader in the more marvelous, apparently the conquering science of electricity.
On the 29th of July, 1830, the ceremony of breaking ground for the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad took place near Schenectady, with a silver spade by Stephen Van Rensselaer. In September it was announced the stock had risen ten per cent., and the editor of the Albany Advertiser predicted that trains would run from Albany to Schenectady in three-quarters of an hour, and reach Utica from Albany in four hours. The latter was a somewhat startling predic- tion at this time, when we consider that the utmost exertions of the stages barely overcame the distance in twelve hours.
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SCHENECTADY COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.
By the 25th of July, 1831, twelve months from the time when the ceremony of breaking ground was performed, the road was com- pleted from the junction of the western turnpike and Lydius street, Albany, to the brow of the liill at Schenectady, a distance of twelve and a half iniles. Some defects in the first locomotive used, called the DeWitt Clinton, prevented a trial before the 3d of August. On this day a trip was made in one hour and forty-five minutes, and on the roth they ran two trains each way, with coke as fuel, making a part of the trip at the rate of thirty miles an hour.
The passenger cars were simply coach bodies placed upon the trucks for temporary use, according seats for fifteen or eighteen per- sons. August 13 a large company assembled to take a trip on the railroad, but the DeWitt Clinton engine, built at the West Point foundry, in New York, proved defective in her boiler, and was returned for repairs. At this trial, and in previous ones, coal or coke had been used for fuel, but wood was finally adopted. On the 9th of September the DeWitt Clinton was again put upon the rail, and succeeded in drawing a train over the road in forty-five minutes. It was not until the 22d of September that the directors advertised to take passengers, although city officials and other dignitaries had passed over the road both by steain and horse power early in August. The road was still uncompleted and used only from the junction, as it was called, two miles from the foot of State street, in Albany, from which place passengers were taken to the train by stage coaches. The other terminus of the road was still at the bluff overlooking Schenectady, where passengers were again transferred to stages. The distance traversed was less than thirteen miles.
The precise time when the directors of the road left, prepared to . crown the success of their labors by a grand excursion, was. on the 24tlı of September, 1831. To this demonstration, by invitation, came the state and city officials and a number of eminent citizens of New York. The train, drawn by the DeWitt Clinton, started off with three cars and returned with five cars, making the return trip in thirty-five minutes.
There is a picture of the depot built by the Mokawk and Hudson now in the possession of Mr. Henry Ramsay of this city, whose
165
THE OLD DEPOT.
father was then chief engineer of Western Incline. It was a very small corporation for the Hon. Henry Ramsay to handle, for he was one of the most eminent men of his profession. His inerit was sub- sequently recognized, as he attained its highest rank in the position of State Engineer. The drawing is the work of Engineer Ramsay himself. The beauty, convenience and comfort of the structure is surprising. From the foot of the inclined plane, of which more here- after, the cars were drawn by horses. Looking north fromn State street, the Givens Hotel was on the right, the residence of Wil- liam C. Young, superintendent of the road, on the left. The depot itself stood apparently (the picture is not on a scale) about 100 feet north of the building line of State street, a handsome barricade crowned with large and highly ornamented lamps closed the way. From the southwest corner of the depot a really tasty and elegant veranda ran south along the east wall of the Givens Hotel at a right angle westward on State street across its front. Resolve Givens evidently had a pull. Everything around the depot went his way. The same style of elegant corridors extended from the southeast cor- ner of the building parallel with the Givens veranda to the corner of Superintendent Young's house and turning at right angles went eastward along its front so as to enclose it. In this latter building were the business offices of the road. The passenger, baggage and express rooms were under a large roofed enclosure similar, though much smaller than the Troy depot before its recent destruction. Its front was a conception of decided beauty. It was evidently designed by somebody familiar with the remains of the Forum at Rome, and the Pantheon at Athens, for there is a combination of the styles of both, very modest and unpretentious, as in such a small building it should be, but the effect was both striking and pleasing. At the inner angles of the corridors or verandas in State street were the public entrances. The depot, the hotel and Mr. Young's house were burned down in 1843. The Givens was rebuilt in the old tavern style, that so many of us easily remember, on the site now occupied by the stately Edison. An architecturally miserable, unsightly, in- convenient, little horror took its place. The mercy of this chronicle
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