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Music Trade REVIEW.
The Only Music Trade Paper in America, and the Organ of the Music Trade of this Country.
1879.
83.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES. 15 CENTS.
NEW YORK, FEB. 5 TO 20, 1887.
VOL. X. No. 13.
PUBLISHED • TWICE * EACH + MONTH.
BILL & CARR,
EDITORS AND PKOPBIETOHS.
All ChecltB, Drafts, Money Orders, Postal
ISotew and Mall matter should be
made to
BILL & CARR,
EDITOBS & PBOPRIETOBS.
22 EAST 17th STREET, NEW YORK.
SUBSCBIPTION (including postage) United States and Canada,
$3.00 per year, in advance; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per incli, Rln^le column, per insertion;
unless inserted upon rates made l>y special contract.
Entered at the New York Pott Office at Second Clou Matter.
A PIANO FACTORY ON FIRE.
STIEFF'S WOKKS PAKTIiY DESTROYED—LOSS ESTIMAT-
ED AT $.'50,000.
[Reported for the Baltimore Sun.]
The rear section of Charles M. Stieff s piano facto-
ry was burned Tuesday night, Jan. 18. The building,
which was three stories high, thirty feet wide and one
hundred and fifty feet deep, extended from Con way
street, midway between Howard and Sharp streets,
to Perry street, a small street running between Con-
way and Camden streets. Officer Barnes discovered
flames in the middle of the second story, and turned
in an alarm from box 526, Sharp and Camden streets,
to which engine companies 1, 2, 4, 12, hook and lad-
der companies 1 and 2, and the Salvage Corps re-
sponded. A second and a third alarm quickly follow-
ed, bringing out engines 7, 10, 12, 5, C and 13, and
hook and ladder 4. A high northwest wind prevailed
at the time, and the fire, spreading rapidly through
the building and.bursting through the roof and the win-
dows, sent a heavy shower of sparks over the roofs
of surrounding buildings, Residents of Conway,
Hanover and Terry streets, alarmed at the rapid
spread of the flames, hastily removed their light
bedding and goods from their homes, and sought re-
fuge in neighbors' dwellings.
The ilarm was sounded at 11.20 P.M., and many
people returning from the theatres betook themselves
to the scene, but the police of the southern district >
under the direction of Captain Claiborne and Lieut.
Bruchey, kept the crowds from the immediate vicin-
ity, and allowed the firemen to work unimpeded. The
cars of the People's Line were blocked, and one of
the cars, caught between the ropes on Conway street,
was pushed to the sidewalk. The thermometer at
the time registered but ten degrees above zero, and
the spray from the many lines of hose covered the
sidewalks and the firemen with ice. But the men
worked bravely. As the flames burst from the win-
dows and lighted up the neighborhood, and the
sparks set fire to the roofs of several houses east of
the factory, several people who had stables in the
neighborhood led out their horses. Officer Vaughan
saved six horses and two mules from the stable of
Wickham's bottling establishment adjoining the
burning building on the west.
Between the rear of the bottling establishment and
the building No. 217 Perry street, occupied as drying
rooms for the piano factory, is a yard which was
stored with a quantity of valuable lumber. This in-
flammable material soon caught fire, as did also the
wooden bridge connecting the factory with the dry-
ing-rooms, but three steady streams of water soon
prevented the spread of the fire in that direction, and
two lines of hose, worked from the foot-bridge ad-
joining Perry street, and connecting the branch
building with the main building, which fronts on
Camden street, prevented the spread of the flames
northwardly. A few moments before midnight the
front roof fell with a great crash, carrying the wall
of the third story into Conway street, but the firemen
working in front of the building, warned by the noise,
escaped injury.
After the fall of the wall the front shutters of the
iirst-story windows were broken in by heavy rocks
thrown by the firemen, whom the excessive heat
from the flames, and the possible danger of more of
the wall falling, kept in the middle of the street. In
the meantime ladders had been placed against the
walls of the neighboring houses, the flames were
gradually controlled, and at 1 o'clock A.M. some of
the engines left. The excessive cold had in the
meantime driven the majority of the spectators to
their homes.
The cause of the fire is unknown. No gas was
used in the buildings, as the men employed quit
work before dark. The building was heated by stoves,
and a watchman, Henry Link, was charged with see-
ing that everything was in order before he locked up
at 10 o'clock at night. He left the keys, at 10.30
o'clock last night, at the residence of the superin-
tendent, Mr. Jacob Gross, 143 Camden street, and
could not be found at the time of the fire. No oils or
varnishes were used in the building. Mr. Thomas
Shanley, whooccupiesthedwelling214Conwaystreet,
adjoining the factory on the east, stated, that just
previous to the fire he heard a sound something like
that of an explosion in the building. Mr. Gross, the
superintendent, stated that a stove stood near the
place where the fire originated, but could not ac-
count for the fire, and scouted the idea of an explo-
sion, as there was nothing about the place to cause
one.
In the building were over fifty unfinished piano
cases, and many of the heavy parts of pianos. These
were entirely consumed, as were also the tools of 35
workmen employed in that part of the factory. The
building, which was owned by Mrs. Charles M.
Stieff, was almost destroyed, parts of the walls alone
standing. The present firm consists of Messrs.
George W. Stieff and F. P. Stieff. The latter, who
conducts the business of the firm, was in New York
last night, and the total loss could not be ascertain-
ed, though it probably amounted to $30,000. Mr. G.
W. Stieff stated that the building and stock were in-
sured, though he did not know for what amount.
Many of the men had insured their tools. The roofs
of the dwellings Nos. 212 and 214 Conway street, oc-
cupied by Miss A. M. Bodiman and Mr. Thomas Shan-
ley, were partly burned and the houses were dam-
aged by water. The burned building was but one
square south of the scene of the fire at which several
firemen lost their lives several weeks ago.
LATER INFORMATION.
Louis, $1,750 ; Merchant", of Providence, R. I., $666;
Boatman's Fire and Marine,of Pittsburgh, Pa., $666;
Equitable Fire and Marine, of Providence, R. I.. $666 ;
American Central, of St. Louis, $500; Providence
Washington, of Providence, R. I., $1,600; The City
Insurance Company, of Pittsburg, Pa., $1,000; The
Pelican, of New Orleans, $1,000; British America, of
Toronto, Canada, $,1000.
The insurance on the building is as follows : Roch-
ester German Insurance Company, of New York,
$1,000; Baltimore Fire, of Baltimore, $1,250; Ameri-
can Central, of St. Lonis, $500; German-American,
of New York, $tf>25; Granite State, of Portsmouth. N.
H , $625; Manufacturers' and Merchants', of Pitts-
burg, Pa., $1,250.
The Messrs. Stieff intend to pay the workmen, thir-
ty-five in number, for all unfinished work which was
on hand up to the night of the fire.
TWO LETTERS THAT SPEAK FOR THEM-
SELVES.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. C , January 12, 1887.
MR. E. F. DROOP,
025 Penn Avenue,
Washington, D. C. :
DEAR SIR : I beg to offer my most earnest apology
that your beautiful Piano Cover, which you have sent
me, has been so long unacknowledged by me. The de # -
lay was caused by a misunderstanding, as I supposed
that the President had long ago attended to it. I
have just discovered my mistake, and I wish to thank
you now most cordially for your agreeable remem-
brance.
Very sincerely,
FRANCES FOLSOM CLEVELAND.
MESSRS. T. F. KEAEMER A Co.,
103 East 14th Street,
Near Stelnway Hall. New York :
GENTLEMEN: The Piano Cover alluded to In the
above letter is the same which YOU "-O kfndly dppjprn-
ed upon my nrrlpr for Mrs. President Cleveland's
new Strinway Grand Piano.
This cover surpasses anything in tapte and deeipr
that I have ever seen heretofore, and is a magnifl
cent work of art.
Wishing you further success, I remain,
Yours very truly,
E. F. DROOP.
SENDING CHECK BY HAIL.
N the case of Norman vs. Ricketts, latply decided
by the English Court of Appeal, it appeared that
the plaintiff, a milliner in London, sent to the
defendant, a customer of hers in Suffolk, a letter
saying that she would be obliged by the favor of a
check within a week. On receipt of the letter
the defendant drew a check payable to the
order of the plaintiff and posted it to her address.
The check was stolen in transit and was paid by the
defendent's bankers, the thief having forged the
plaintiff's indorsement. In an action to recover the
amount the defendant pleaded payment. This plea
was sustained by the Court of Appeal. The Master
of the Rolls, who delivered judgment said that
the rule of law required the debtor to go and pay his
creditor, but that where the creditor asks for pay-
ment by check and by post, posting a check to the
right address is payment, though It never reaches
I
The loss is estimated by Messrs. Stieff at $30,000,
of which $20,000 is on stock, and $10,000 on building.
The insurance on stock was as follows: Anglo Ne-
vada, of San Francisco, $2,500; Western Assurance
Company, Toronto, Canada, $2,000; Insurance Com-
pany of Dakota, $1,750; Merchant's Insurance Com-
pany, of New York, $1,000; Union Mutual, of St. Jte destination.