The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-26
BIG CONFEDERATION.
GREATEST FIRE In PHILADEL-
PHIAFOR YEARS.
Thirty Buildings Damaged
Loss Probably One Mil
lion Dollars.

lion Dollars.
PHILADELPHIA, March 25.-A fre
broke out tonight in the third floor of
the paint and drug house OF w. II.
Wsmpole & Co., Fourth street, above
Arch. There was a strong wind blow
ing, and the fire rapidly spread in sll d..
recLions, soon becoming one of the most
disastrous that ever visited this city.
The flames rapidly spread north to l25
North Fourth street, occupied by Lone
grove & Co., machinery; l27 by A. T..
Using Il Co., printers, and T. P. & s. S.
Smith, shoe manufacturers, and 129, by
Christian Muller, wine house. South
ward the flames reached l2l, occupied
by James Flynn, white lead and
window glass, No. 1l9; G. II. Royal s.
Co., morocco boot and shoe findings,
upper stories, +. z. A. Harris & Co,
ladies and childrens shoes; No. III by
Cahill & Mclaughlin; upper stories
by Calter Bros, shoe upper manu-
facturers, II. J. Toudy & Co., engrsvers,
and Charles Kaufman, map printer.
Several explosions occurred in the paint
house of Wampole & Co., and a minute
afterwards the front wall fell with o
terrific crush, causing the fire to
communicate to the buildings on the
west side of Fourth street, first
catching the roof OF 126, occupied by A.
Gentzch, paper box manufsctory; thence
to l24, occupied by the U. 5. White
Lead Company; thnce to l22, occupied
by the American Bottling Company, and
then Forth TO l28, occupied by John
Funk's saloon; l30 Martins paint store,
and No. 1872 james iron show case fac.
tory. These buildings were soon envel-
oped in flames, and in the meantime the
roof of No. III, on the east side
OF Fourth street fell, carrying in
the roofs Of the two buildings
below. Several fremen in the latter
building were seriously cut, but it Is not
known that any fatal accidents happened.
The course Of the fire then descended to
No. ll5 North street, occupied by w.
II. Grove, show cases, and Charles A.
Duhring, No. ll3 by f. Prince Hunt,
blank book manufacturer, and No. Ill
by II. A. Burton, wall paper. The
third and fourth floors by Charles Re
nier, looking glasses and picture frames,
and the basement by S. Cole and Walter
z. Mills, bricklayers and jobbers. There
were several more explosions, and by the
time the flames had reached No. ll5, all
the iron fronts from Cherry street TO
that number had fallen. The sparks
were carried eastward, and set on fire
houses on Cherry strret, burning private
dwellings Nos. l39 and SlS. and the ss-
loon of Charles Lees, No. 3l6, the unor-
cupiec building formerly known as the
Golden Fleece Hotel, Nos 80 aHd 3l2,
and the extensive hat factory Of d. p.
Cobberly & Co, No,3OS. These are
nearly or quite total loss.
The flames spread to the south
east corner of Third and Cherry streets
the upper stories, which were all occu-
pied. Spreading further to the east
about the same time, the sparks set fire
to the roof of the store of II. S. Stein.
berger, dealer in feathers, ll5 North
Second street, and spread north to ll3,
occupied BY Thomas, stoves, heaters and
ranges; No. III, occupied by h. Hurl- |
but, lamps, and Nos. ll9, III and l23
four.story stone fronts Of Cooper, Hall &
Co., furniture manufacturers. The Cam
den fire department arrived and gave
all the assistance possible. The st. Elmo
hotel was on fire from sparks in the rear
portion, but beyond causing panic |
among the guests little damage was
done.
At midnight the fire was still burning
furiously and continually breaking out |
in fresh places, so no estomste of the
probable loss can be made, though it is
not expected to be less than 81 100000.
THE fire is under control at last. The |
building burned on the east eide Of
Fourth street was No. l9, bird cage |
factory, and dwelling on the west side.
All the structures from No. l22 to 1872 |
were partly or entirely destroyed on
Cherry street. The only additional losses |
was the destruction No. 328. rag and |
paper warehouse; No 1926 Office fitting
establishment, and 327, paint ship. On
Fourth street, above Cherry, the only
loss ia that oiC. Muller's wine house.
Owing to the multiplicity Of interests
involved, there being in some cases four
or FIVE firms in the same building, it is
utterly impossible to obtain even par
t,sl list of the assurances or losses
About thirty houses in sIl were more
or less damaged by fire or
water, and the total loss is still thought |
TO be about Sl,0OO0OO.
At this hour g A. the fire is still
burning, but is so far under control that
there i. no possible chance tor its fur
ther spreading.