Many Millions Lost

New York, Oct. 19.- One of the ! moet destructive fires this city has seen since the fire of 1878 occnrred Wednesday evening. It extended from St. Raphael's Catholio church on Fortieth street to the north side of Forty-second 8treet. The loss will amount wel! up into the millions. The fire was discovered at 8:10 p. m. by a watehman einployed by Williain Campbell & Company, wholesale manufacturera of wall paper, j{ 512 to 518 West Forty-second street and 505 to 513 Weet Forty-first street. The fire started in the boibrhouse and had gained great headway before it was diseovered. It spread to the adjoining building, occupied by Nevins & Haviland. also wall paper manufacturéis, on Tenth avenue and Forty-second street. Both firms were entirely bnrned out. Other buildings burned were 560 Forty-second street. occupied by Dr. Leighton; 508 West Forty-second street. occupied by J. Wheelhan: 520 West Forty-second street. a dwelling occupied by F. V. Buskirk: 524 West Forty secoud street, occupied by Arthur Short; 526 West Eorty-second Btreet, ocoupied by McGuire, all of which wer totally destroyed. The boardinghonse of Mrs. McRoney at 524 Weet Forty-second street was partly destroyed. The loss sustained by Campbell & Compauy is estimated at $500,000, but Mr. Campbell says that it will, as near as he can figure, reach $2,000,000. Nfivins & Haviland lost $175,000 and George A. Shastav & Sons $250,000. The glare of the conflagration illuminated the whole city. Factories. tenement houses and private dwellings were burned to the ground, and the efforts of the firemen were directed early to preventing the spread of the fire over a still larger territory. The fire originated in the engineroom of Campbell & Company, manufacturera of wall paper. Sexton, the watchman, who discovered the fire, ran tor a firealarm box and sent in an alarm. He then ran back to the building to warn four other men who were working there. He feil in the hallway, overeóme by snioke, and a policeniau pulled him out, where he soon revived. In a minute the whole building was in flames, for its inflammable eontents proved the ricnest kind of fuel, while a strong breeze helped on the destruction. The damage by the fire on West Forty-fir8t street in the rear of the Campbell faciory was about equal to that in West Forty-second street. The immense 6-8tory cabinet works of George Schastay & Sons, manufacturera, south side, was caught by the flames in the early stages of the conflagration and succumbed completely. V. Loewers Gambrinus' brewery on the north side of the street was saved, but the enginehouseconnected with it was destroyed. Lolwers' stable and 15 horses that were stabled there were bnrned and two tenement houses on the north side were consumed. In the rear of the cabinet workg of Schastey & Sons, fronting Fortieth street, is St, Raphael's. An assistant priest was holding services in the church in the presence of a large congregation. He was in the act of pronouncing the benediction when "the church caught fire from the rafters. The congregation dispersed quietly. The building was not much damaged. The vestments, etc, were taken to a place of safety. When the fire started there were in the Campbell factory four men. who were working overtfme. The?' were Richard Stefera, James Bambrick, John Brill and a man whose name is not known. Whether they escapea with their lives is not known.