The New York herald., 1879-12-02
A PHILADELPHIA FIRE.

| rorAL DESTRUCTION OF TWO HANDSOME BUsI-
NESS BUILDINGS IN SOUTH SIXTH STREET
LOSSES NEARLY QUARTER OF MILLION
| poLLAEs-DIFFICULr WORK FOR THE FIRE
| MEN.
| PHnApEPHIA, Dec. !, 1879.
| The handsome i've story buildings Nos. 1s and 20
South Sixth street, located in the hsart of that dis
trct of the city occupied by paper and old rag
houses were. with their contents. completely de-
! stroyed by fire to-day. At little before eleven
O'Clock this morning smoke was discovered coming
from the cellar the Decatur street side OF Collins
cardboard factory. The alarm ut once sent out.
but before the arrival OF tho steamers
the roaring flames had burst with wicked fury
through the street hoor. This passed they gained
the roof through fo, other floors with astonishing
rapidity. Bent the complete destruction of this
building the flames had worked themselves through
the cellar from its Decatur street end to its Sixth
street 'front.' where they found welcome outlet to
the roof through the open hatchwsys. and when the
first engine arrived flames occupied the premises
Of Nos. Is and 90 South Sixth street. Alarm after
alarm sent until the entire city re department
the ground making concentrated efforts to
confne the flames within the four walls 1t indeed
required their united efforts. they had TO light the
flames aided by strong southwest wind with the weak
that could only be got at time scarcely
reaching to the third floor, and they did not claim
their victory until past one o'clock.
sUPPERERs By THE yIRR.
Nos. Is and 10 South Sixth street form build
ing, fve story double iron and brick structure,
fronting Atty feet Sixth street aud running 200
feet to u small street called Decatur. No. 18
occupied the first and second floors by A. M.
Collins, Son Co.. card manufacturers. and ON the
other floors by John Caterson printer; Il. Gilber
and G. Adams Gidey. card erindors. No. 20 was
occupied on the frst floor by p. Doyle. b. r. Aol-
brook; j. f.. George, T. A. Jr.. 8. j. and Theodore
Megargee, carrying on paper warehouse under tho
hrm name of Megarges Brothers; ON the second
floor by john A. Haddocks job printing
tablishment on the third floor was the work
room Of William Hart, uthographers WHICH
also included the third foor OF No. H.
The remaining floors Of the two stores were occu-
pied by the Megargees and Collin ~ storage rooms
for surplus stock. Adjoining this building on the
north is that occupied by Armstrong 4 Co.. manu-
facturers Of paper bags 10 the south il tho largo
paper warehouse Of Howell Opposite 10 the i'm.
mense clothing house of Wannamaker Brown,
newly painted and decorated with fancy iron signs
which badly scorched. From these surround
ings there q prospect Of disastrous conhagra-
opments and discussing the prospects till long after
the danger had passed. The two principal losers
the Megsrgee Brothers and the Colinses. Megargees
old aud well known hrn and operates dve paper
mills Collins is not old Arm. but in its line OF
business is prominent, turning out millions OF
cards q year.
In the building F. J. W. Johnson law book pub
lishers had large stock of law books stored ready
for the market They estimate their loss at 500 0O0
on which the insurance Is a. follows:-