Old World Building Fire, New York City

Below, part of the text from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Journal that accompanies the illustration above.

«Thrilling Scenes and Narrow Escapes from Death.

The fire which, on the 31st ultimo, destroyed the old World building on Park Row, and for a time seriously threatened the Times and other buildings, was marked by several rescues of imperiled lives and ineffectual attempts of escape which thrilled the vast concourse of spectators who had been drawn to the scene. The burnt building was a very large one, covering about twelve city lots, running along Beekman Street from Park Row to Nassau Street, about 250 feet along all three streets. The building was filled with newspaper and other offices. Not a room was without tenant. It was at an hour, too (10 A.M.) when every person was at his desk. The cry of 'Fire!' rang throughout the building with a suddenness that made clerks drop their books and proprietors leave their open safes. A rush was made for the stairs, but they were in one mass of flames. The affrighted creatures rushed hither and thither, and many of them braved the danger and rushed through the flames and the blinding smoke, to be picked up half-dead with fright and suffocation.»

A scene of the fire of the old World Building, on January 31, 1882. Engraving published in the Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, February 11, 1882.

The old Potter Building (the first one), located at 37 Park Row, corner of Beekman Street, was erected in 1857 as Park Building and housed offices of several companies, specially of the publishing industry. The New-York World newspaper had occupied the building from 1860 to 1881. Times Building is on the left and the Evening Mail is on the southeast corner of Beekman Street, on the right. The Temple Court Building is behind it at 3-9 Beekman Street. Continue below...