The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-09
THE PHILADELPHIA FIRE.
The surDing OF Great Fireproof Ware
housc-Happily, no LOIS OF ife-Fif-
teen Thousand Barrels OF Whiskey
:. Destroyed OF tht Disaster.

One of the most destructive fires that has
visited Philadephia sincs the great conAa gra.
ton of 1850, commenced on Wednesday even
ing ut the bonded warehouse known as the Pat
terson Stores. The following details Of this
disastrous conHagratIon are taken from the
Philadelphia Inquirer
TIE warehouse is. or rather vas, most
substantially built brick, hve-storied structure,
extending on the east side OF Front.street,
from Lombard, about three-fourths Of the way
to PINE street, and reaching back toward the
Delaware RIver, all the way to 'Penn-street.
ough manner in every respect. It was divided
into freproof compartments, eight in number,
eacc section or compartment designated by
letters Of the alph. bet, from A to II inclusive.
Esch section Of the building was as complete
In itself as though it was separate house,
strong party walls being constructed between
sach compartment. Within this vast enclosure
Was stored in bond an immense number OF bar.
rails Of whiskey, moasses, sugar and other mer.
chardlsa. The number OF barrels Of whiskey
kept in bond in this warehouse is variously alone
estimated at from fifteen to twenty th ousand
barrels.
At about O'Clock last evening several per-
sons who were standing near Front and Lon-
bard streets, noticed tnet the Lonbard-atreet
wall Of the section Of the warehouse ct tine cor
ner OF Front and Lombard streets bulged ont
from the perpendicular, and in few minutes
about twenty five feet Of the wall at the third
story fell to the ground, exposing large num-
Der OF barrels OF whlskey. After few min
utes' time. the spectators we're astonished by .
vivid sheet OF fame from the basement to the
roof OF the building, and almost before they
could collect their scattered senses the entire
section OF the warehouse at the locality mem
toned fell to the ground with q crash, and
heavy clouds of smoke and far-upreaching
sheets OF fame burst forth.
Whiie the 6remep were putting ont the
flames Of the section Of the warehouse first de-
stroyed, one or TWO slight explosions were
heard within the burning mass. bhortly aftet
the fre broke out the wmskey escsped from
the building and ran down the cutters Of Lom-
bard-stre,t IN an ignited state, until it reached
the culvert at Penn.street, we're IL poured,
burning, down the common sewer, and came
out iu that condition into the Delaware River
out OF the mouth OF culvert. The iRnited whin
key running from the mouth of the oulvert
on the river set fire to the wharf. snd one or
two vessels in the dock below Lombard-street
had to be hauled into the stream to save them
from taking fire.
The fremen worked manfully to save the
adjoining sectious OF the warehouse, and up TO
8 O'Clock it was thought they had succeeded in
their endeayors. The walls OF the compart'
however, 30 terribly heated thst 1t was found
impossible to prevent the firs from spreading
10 that direction, and at q time when the
flames we're apparently subdued, and tho fire.
mon and others were congratulating them
8 Ives that the worst was over, a sheet OF Rime
burst from the edge OF tho roof OF the section
OF the building next to the cornor one, and it
became apparent at ones that that compart-
ment, il not the entire building, WAS doomed
to destruction.
But 8 few minutes elapsed after the flames
4rss appeared in the second section that caught
ire before the intersection was enveloped,
and the flames and dense back clouds OF
smoke shot upwards. 10 the north OF the
warehouse. and extending to Pine-street, on
the east side of Front ore three or four
old fashioned three-story b-ok houses, ocUu.
pied BY different families, and as soon as 1t
was evident that the lower hor,l05 be
consumed, tho occupants bagan reuN
their goods. furniture, &c. Some OF the resi-
dents on the west sido OF Fronf-street, below
Pine, soon became alarmed, and began moving
their valuables. Shortly before - O'Clock the
Seamen's Home, situated on Front-street,
above Lombard, took fire, but streams were
quickly brought to bear on the roof, and the
d lmes were extngulshed.
There we're about 5000 barrels OF whisky in
section II, all owned by private parties, aud
the tax had been paid upon the whole OK 1t.
The loss upon the whlskey in this and the
other sections is fully covered bv insurance. as
we'll as the buildings the cost OF which was
nearly million dollars. 1t was impossible to
ascertain definitely tho loss, but when 1t is
stated that. IN May last, there was an insur-
ance OF $1,000 000 upon the oontsnts of the
entire building. soma idea may be formed OF
the immense destruction OF property. The
government does not lose under the private
warohousing system when bonded property is
destroyed except it be merchandise upon
which tax has not been paid.
The loss Is generally estimated by the morn
ing papers at over S.. 00J. 900. It is now be-
lieved that no lives we're lost. ALI the accounts
agree that tho frs was carsed by the falling Of
the floors. from the weight OF the whiskey stor-
ed in the building.