The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-17
CONFEDERATION.

Destructive Fire IN the Fifteenth Ward-Tbe
Immense Cotton MIN Of James r. Bruner a.
Sons In Rnlns-Loss over s2OO,OOO.
About o'clock this morning a fire broke ont
in the third story Of the new mill Of James p
Bruner q Sons, situated on the north side of
Hamilton street, between Twenty-third and
Twenty-fourtb streets, and in less than one hour,
the structure, an eight-story brick, was in ruins
The mill property extends from Twenty-third to
Twenty-fourth streets, running back to small
street called Linn. When In full operation the
firm employs about 500 hands, but of late diff
cultiee have surrounded the firm, and when thu,
fire occurred there we're but about 100 or 15O
hands employed.
The new building, the one destroyed had a
frontage of about 200 feet on Hamilton street.
built in the shape of the letter i, the smaller
this, in what is called the weaving-room, the
fire originated but from what cause is not now
known. There were no hands employed in this
portion of the premises; those working occupied
the second, third, and fourth stories of the
Hamilton street front. The first intimaton they
had of the fire was the strong smell of smoke,
which was first perceived by one of their num-
Der engaged on the fourth story, who imme-
diately rushed down stairs and informed the
engineer, who at once stopped the engine.
The flames speedily worked their way MP
wards and the upper floors giving way the inn
mense weight of machinery stored therein was
precipitated eaTthward covering all the lower
iloors with them, together with an immense
mass of burning material, which soon served to
kindle fires In all the rooms. The wind blowing
strongly from the south served the purposes as
il were, of steam fan and aid the fiery demon
in his work of destruction. At 10 o'clock
the flames had devoured the whole
interior, and went shooting upwards towards
the sky, and half an hour thereafter the Ham,
ilton street wall fell with deafening crash
into the street, carrying the roof with it. and
scattering fre-brands far and near. From the
start the fremen, who were early on the ground,
saw that all attempts to save the new mill were
futile, and therefore turned their attention to
the old building, OF stone, rough-cast, Eve stories
in height. Through their untiring eXertions this
building was saved. The adjoining properties
were also in imminent danger or destruction and
the constant application of water alone saved
them. Running off Twenty-fourth street, be-
tween Hamilton and Line streets, is a small
court called Spring Mill alley. built up on either
side of three-story brick tenements; the occu-
pants OF these were obliged to remove their
furniture and other effects as speedily as pos
sible, there being fears entertained that the
western wall of the mill would give way and
crush them. Fortunately such was not the case.
The whole OF the houses, however, are badly
damaged by water. Fire Marshal Blackburn
was carly at the scene, but no clue as to the
OriginatiOn of the fire has been found.
The loss sustained by the firm is not ascer-
tainable although they were all present. They
state, however, that they are fully insured their
books, papers, etc. are all preserved, they being
stored in the old building, Twenty-third street
end. The firm consists of James p II. Nagee
and J. Stanley Bruner. During the war they car
ried on very heavy business, and the property
just destroyed was the result of the accumulated
labors of years. Of late they have not been
manufacturing very extensively. For more than
year past they have not employed their full
complement Of hands, and but short time ago
their female operatives struck in body, they
asserting that they had not received their pay
for some months previous. Rumors were also
current that an attachment was about being
made by the Sheriff. but for the truth of this we
do not vouch.
Had all the hands been at work an immense
loss of life would more than probably have been
the result, as all communication was almost in
stantly cut off from the fourth, fifth, sixth, and
seventh stories.
The loss on machinery is in itself small for
tune, the building having been filed with the
most improved and valuable kind, whilst the
structure itself could not have been worth less
than 100000.
The firm, although sustaining total loss of
over 5000 000 are fully insured in Philadelphia,
New York, New England, and English COM
panies.
ASSURANCES.
The following are the insurances on the destroyed
building machinery, and stock