New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-16
CONFEDERATION IN PHILADELPHIA,
A SERIES Of DISASTROUS FIRES.
IMMENSE LOSS OF PROPERTY.
FIREMEN INJURED.
From 7A. PAas<elpAsa Bull,ns. Dee H.

this morning, they were in constant service. One
frglnul confserstioL and several lesser fire. occur
REQ ourrg the night We will furnish the details in
me order OF their importance without regard to their
chronological arran cement:
THE coSTLAcRATros AT FIFTH AND cHysrsrr.sTs.
shortly before II O'Clock the State House hell was
struck IN rapid successon, and the fr-nen imnedi-
e'dy hasteDed to the neie hbood where they found
mat smoke was issuing from the fourth story win
COWS Of the fine block Of bu1iuys on Ches,aut.s.
tbovt Fifth, occupied by Messrs. C.rryl Bsssford
Sshord and others. The flames when fret discover
Cd were cobfDed to the fourth floor Of No. ILL., used
by Mr. Stafford fOS making up Upholstery. The arm)-
~ OF the National Guards ia the tthstory OF the
same bu lding
The flames soon burst through the roof along it,
whole extent, and il evident tao. the ere would
he formidable one. No. 1863, occupied by w. II.
Cary and others, WAS in the same block and as
there Was battlement- all 10 prevent the spread
Of the flames fmoke was seen pouring from the
caves Of th.s building just at IL o'clock the party
wall fell eastward. carrying with muoh Of the VOID
work Of No 1863, and throwing out the eastern gable
end wall Of the latter This wall fell upon the roof
Of the Fottersl Building at the corner Of Fifth and
Cbesfnut-sts., occupies by l. l.. Walker and others,
crushing in and ttowiDg out portion of the wall
Of toe lpt-named building
There were three fremen upon the roof Of Mr.. +.
l.. Walkers fve-siory building at the corner, who
made narrow escapes with their lives. Oae young
man, Immediately upon the falling Of the walls,
jumped from the roof into FIJI h-st his fall vas
broken by awning but he was Injured so seriously
that there great doubts Of his reco very.
ia the street below a lumber Of persons were
more or less IN jured by the falling masses; but the
most iIteDse interest was man fested BY the crowd 10
the fate Of The three gallant ffemen who 10
go down with the broken roof. After the l.pse of
few NONE nts two OF them appeared evidently Sc
verely bruised ard, running along the wall they
capped 10 the roof Of the building adjoining the
rorth. Their appear sBce hailed with enthusis-
tic cheers by those who witnessed their perious
cape. There WIS, however, another unsccounted
for; but the length of time-oDly few minutes but
seemingly al hour-in which he disappeared, caused
the sacdest forebodings. At length hand came in
sight the head followed pext, and in another onent
be stood upon tho broken cOruce His appearance
caused general shout of qualification.
Cfares Canton, a member of the Northern Liber-
ty Hose, WA badly injured about the head, face, and
neck.
Tobias Huber member Of the philadelphia Hose
Co., was badly burnt about the face and hands. He
WAS taken 10 the United States Hotel and was subse
quertly sent home.
Thomas III Peto picture.frame maker, had work.
shop in the rear Of the fifth story Of No. lG9. Mr.
Peto is a member of the Hope Hose Company.
number Of bis fellow members rallied around him
and AT the time the party wall fell they assisting
in removing his stock of goods. The wall fell upon
a stairway upon which a plumber OF them we're st
work and they were bruiIe by the falling ruins and
badly burned by the flames which instantly shot in
through the breach and set the bulldog fire.
Some were rendered iDsensible by their injuries and
they were with the utmost difficulty rescued by their
frieuds. Thomas II. Peto, VIM Lind burg, Francis
1immns, James Coute su and Robert Ryan, all mem
bers Of the Hope Hose Company. were bruised and
lodly burned about the face and hands. All, with
the exception Of the last named carried to their
homes Ryan was taken to the Penns Hospital.
Mr. Couteau was reported missing, but he was af
terward found in the bands Of some members of the
Diligeut Engine Company, who had rescued him from
Lie peTilOus situation and To bis restoration aud
comfort young member of the Hope Hose Com
pany the roof Of the corner bull ling at the tine
I'll IL. had hurt and L.<.
The crushing Of the roof of the building aud
the consequent introduction Of fiery mass Gto il.
dispeled all hope Of coDfung the fire 20 the lmits it
was then devastating, and in very short tine the
flame. which raging Throughout, the upper sto-
res Of Nos. 100 and III also licking out Of the
fifth story windows Of Fot'erals fine block extend
ing from Chestnut st. TO Crocketts SCOUT, distance
Of about 100 feet
spreading with a CELEBRITY, and burning with fury,
that bid dfanCe % all human effort to restrain the
TIE City Hall stShked, and seemed about to kinils
il to flame Frederick Bro vn's unfnished iron buid-
ing on the northeast corner of FTth and Chestnut
STE, wac in imminent danger from its exposed c)u-
cition and large section Of the very heart of the
city seemed doomed to destruction. Fortunately,
the night was caln' and the light northeast wind
that prevailed scarcely waited away the smoke and
cnders Hose was Mt once hosted upon the City
Hall and ,he roof of that building thus kept con-
stantly wet. The fremen nov turned their attention
To The preservation OF the property on the east eide
Of water were required TO effect that object The
row of stores above the Custom House hs to be
stsntly weted to prevent their ignition from the H.
tense heat
II was now hoped that the Gre would be prevented
from destroying the extensive cabinet warehouse OF
George j. Henk els No. l73 Chestnut, st, and the fire.
men poured torrents of water upon It's roof from
Chestnut IF. and introduced hose from Crocketts-
court in the rear Of the building. Soon after IL
o'clock the western gable Of No III tel over upon
Uenkes roof introducing fire into the loft. This Vas,
however eYtirguished. Henkels warehouse and fac
tory were built in the form o. an l., the short limb
beipr on Crock eft SCOUT, and together with the
longer brsoch of the building forming line Of four
story work shops extending from the warsrooms on
Chestnut.tt ba ,k~srd.
Aperfect sea of fire vas now beating against this
factory and despite the sxertions OF the hremen the
flames were seen raging fsrcely along the range of
buildipps running north aud souh. The hrenen
opy r,treated from the roof when driven away by the
flames and they took their position on the top OF the
back end Of the factory which VAS not yet on hre,
and from lis point they continued 70 throw water on
the burnirr mass. This rear factory was only sepa-
rated from Noe loo and III by shallow area upoa
which windows opened from all the buildings. Sad
denly the e burst into the area windows OF the rear
factory and in an instant they poured out throughhe
northern windows OF the third story on Crockets-
court The fremen who were on the ROOF escipei 70
the roof OF building 70 the eastward, whence they
oair ed tho street ladder bad been placed AZ Tue
rear against window sill in the fourth story al
Setacbment of hose was taken up il. when the
flame. burs. from the third story wddo~ s thoss on
the roof of the American Hotel speeulaea on the
probability oi the ds.truoton Of the ladder, when
hey were horriisd to zee two fremen come 10
the window and deliberately throw OF the hose
One OF ihona lssped upon the ladder a1d
moment otter be had pas e1 the .eird-story Noiuns
~ Gsns bur, forth which cut off the reress OF his
comnsni.n by hat means The latter disappeared,
,nS The spectators wsre houhed al the th 'ughi that
he was in TIE InidsSof Games without any way oI
re;resi An esIs.d and the next he was seen
.-,,;ns, from the frsp.door and running along the
roof to plsce Of safety The incident was 'eriA'
inc one TO thofe who witnessed it.
~, =. 49, ..,xera5 an INN epsa Ares aud the