The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-09
THE PHILADELPHIA FIRE.
The Burning ofa Great Farcproof W. are-
house-Happiiy, mo LcSs or i1e-Fi1-
teen Thousand Barrels or whIskey
Dcstroyed-Desails Of Eat Disaster.

One Of the most destructive fires that has
visited Philadelphia sipce the great confla gra-
tion Of 1850, commenced on Wednesday even
ink at the bonded warehouse known as the Pat.
terson Stores. The Ro.loy.ls details of this
disastrous confagration aSs taken from the
Philadelphia Inquirer
Tke ss-shcsss ;s, CO ;==sstts.soz was, u uosp
substantially built brisk, fse-sroried structure,
from Lombard, about three-f -fourths Of the way
to Pine street, and reaching back toward the
Delaware Rlver, all the way to Penn-atreet
Inc building was constructed in tho most thor
ough manner in every respect. 1t was divided
into freproof compartments, eightin number
eacn section or compartment designated by
letters OF the elphi bet, from to II inolus;ye
Eacn secSlon OF Inc building was as complete
In itself as though it was o separate house.
strong party walls being constructed between
zach compartment. Within this vast enclosure
was stored in bond an immense number OF bar
rsls or whiskey. molasses, *. ar end other mer-
chandse. The number OF barrels OF whiskey
kept IN bond in this warehouse ia variously alone
estimated at from fifteen to twenty tn ousand
barrels.
At about 2 O'Clock last evening several mar.
sons who were standing near Front and Lom-
bard streets, noticed that the Lombari-street
wall OF the section OF the wfreheuse at tae cor
ner OF Front and Lombard. d.streets bu1ged out
from the pen .oendicular, and in o few minutes
about twenty-Ave feet Of the wan at the third
story fell to the ground, exposing large num-
Der OF barrels OF whlskey.s After few min
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 1t the locality men,
sloned fell to the ground With crash, and
heavy clouds Of smoke and far-upreaching
sheets Of fame burst forth.
While the hremen were putting cut the
flames fthe section of the warehouse first de-
stroyed. one Or two slight explosions we're
heard within the burning mass. shortly after
the fire broke out the whiskey escaped from
the building and ran down the cutters Of lom-
nard-strest IN an ignited stste, until it reached
burning, down the com1lonr sewer, and came
oat 10 that condition into the Delaware River
out OF the mouth of culveTt. The iRnited whis-
ssx running from the mopth' Of the culvert
on the river set fire to the wharf, and one Or
two vessels in the dock below L.ombard-street
had to be hauled into the stream to save them
tom taking fire. 1 \
adjoining sections Of the warehouse, and up TO
O'Clock it was thought they had succeeded in
their endesvors. The walls Of the compart-
ment adjoining the destroyed one had become,
impossible to prevent the fire from spreading
ln that direction. and att . time when the
nameS were apparently suhdued, and the Gre- /,
men and others were congratulsting them
9 ives that the worst was over, 8 sheet Of Game
burst from the edge OF the root OF the section
OF the building next to tho corner one, and it
became apparent at once that that conipart-F
me9t. 4 not the entire budding, was doomed
But q fsw minutes elaSssd after the flames
4rst appeared in the SEQ oEsi section that oaurht
nre before the, inters sctipn was enveloped,
and the flames ana dense black clouds of
smoke shot upwards. To Nthe north Of the
warehouse. and extending sto Plne-street. on
the east side of Fr0nt-Street, are three or four
o!o IaShioncdf shroo-storys brick Houses, occu.
pled Dy dlHerent talfltileS. and az soon as it
was evident that the. snRes hause would be
Consumed; the oecnf;ssfl 5%s Began removing
their goods. furniture, i1:. Some OF the resi-
dents on the west side OF Front-street, below
Pine, soon became alarmed, aud began moving
their valuables. Shortly before IA O'Clock the
Seamen's Home, situated on Front-streot.
above ombard, took f1re, but streams were
quickly brought to bear on the roof. and the
himes were extinguished.
There were about 5000 barrels OF whiskay in
section q. all owned by private par,,es, and
the tax had been paid upon the whole OF IT.
The loss upon the whlskey in this and the
other sections is fully covered by insurance. as
we'll as the buildings. the cost Of which was
nearly million dollars. 1t was impossible to
asceri ain deAaitely the loss, but when 1t is
stated that, in May last, there was an insiir-
ence OF SID. 900 GOO upon the contents OF tile
entire building. some idea may be formed of
the immense destruction OF property. The
government docs not lose under the private
warehousing system when bonded property is
destroyed. except it be merchandise upon
which tax has not been paids @
The loss is generally estimated by the morn.
ing papers at over 81. .00O 600. It is now be-
teved that no lives were lost. All the accounts
agree that the fra was caused by the falling of
the floors. from the weight OF the whiskey stor-
ed in the building.