Daily Republican., 1879-12-02
THIRD EDITION.
THE PHILADELPHIA FIRE.

loss sA75.OeO, Insurance ssAa,.
eco.
A couple Of kilograms from our Phil
adelphia correspondent, intormed our
readers yesterday that the great paper
ware houses Nos. Is and 70, South
Sixth Street, belonging 10 the Megargee
Brothers were on FIRE. From the Phil
adelphia morning papers We CLEAN the
following particulars of the fire and the
loss attending it
About eleven o'clock yesterday
morning, smoke was discovered issuing
from bag Of waste paper in the base
ment of the five story buildisg, otou-
pied BY A. NJ. Collins, Son & Co., No.
8 Decatur street. The building which
is four stories high is portion OF that
known as the Megargee building. 1t
fronts on Sixth street aud extends half
way back to Decatur, being numberer
Is and 20, and directly faces Miaor
street. This front building is separa'
ted by an alley from the rear poFt'oh,
which fronts on Decatu. street, aud Is
numbered 9 and II. They were Goa
nected by bridges, and were, in fact,
one structure.
The engine which heats both build
ings was placed under the pavement of
Decatur street. 1t was the engineer
who first saw the fire, which started III
the cellar of No. 3. He quickly threw a
bucket of water over the bag Of paper,
and that not putting the fire out, he
seized the bag and dragged it up the
steps and cast it into the street. Upon
his return he found dense mass OF
smoke coming from a pile Of card edi-
tipgs, which usually drop through a
hole in the floor, as they come from the
machines on the first floor. The cut
tings blazed SO suddenly that two card
cutters, who we're in the basement at
the time, were barely able to make
IL cir escape, and in less than ten min
utes the entire Decatur street building
was in flames.
The Fire Department was quickly on
the ground, but were somewhat delay
ed in getting into action on account of
the plug, at the corner of Decatdr and
Jayne streets, not havinga sufficient
head of water to force stream to the
second story of the burning building,
and the engine stationed there was
compelled to leave the plug and go
elsewhere ior water.
The flames spread so rapidly that
the employees OF J. H. Caterson, letter
press printe., who occupied the rest OF
he building, although speedily mott
fed, had to rush for their lives aero
the bridge and through the Sixth street
building. Several of the girls lc t
their bonnets and shawls, which they
had laid aside while at work.
The rear buildings on Decatur street
were soon burning from top to bot ON,
including No. II, which was used by
Megargee Brothers as a storehoase for
paper. 1t at once became apparent
that they could not be saved, and the
firemen turned to the adjoining build
ings and those on the opposite side Of
the street. Members OF the Insurance
Patrol aud employees Of the different
firms we're stationed on the roofs with
buckets of water and kept them well
vet, but the heat was so intense that it
brcame necessary to occasionally turn
streams of water upon the buildings;
beyond the sccrching and blistering of
g few signs and window frames they
were however in no wise injured.
II seemed at one time as if the flames
could not be confined to the Megargee
building, but would spread up Sixth
street, across the same street to Wana'
makers, and across to the west side Of
Decatur street from the rear. The only
casualties reported were serious acci-
dents to two tiremen and slight injuries
to number of others. One of the fire
men, it is feared, will die. The aggrC
gate loss by the fire is placed at $475,-
900, and the insurance at $342, 900.
Though the heat and smoke were so
great, there was no damage Of any
account done to Wanamaker Il Browns
building. TIE windows and doors
were tightly closed, and the stock was
not injured either by water or smoke,
nor was there any damage done to the
building occupied by Howell & Broth
ers, and though it w&s deluged with
water, the stock escaped injury.
Of the Megargee building nothing
but the walls on Sixth street and
portion of the side are standing, the
building and stock being totally de-
stroyed.
Among those present as spectators at
the FIRE was the venerable John NJ. o.
den, the oldest living fremaI in this
city, now in his S9th year. Mr.. Ogden
was one Of the founders Of the United
States Engine Company.
Mrs. Duff, aged %, residing at Ne.
124l Potts street, was Knocked down
at Broad street and Paramount avenue,
yesterday, bv horse which had takeL
fright from an engine on its way to the
fire. She was removed to her hone,
where it was ascertained that she had
received very severe shock.
Up to o late hour last night fremen
were still at the scere throwing water
on the snouldering ruins.
The Meg.rgee building, Nos. Is and
20 South SIKH street, was erected
about twelve years ago by Th odore
Megargte at cost Of nearly $l25, 900.
The firm of Megargee Brothers is COM
posed of P. Doyle, B. F. Holbrc *. J. r.
Megargee, George NJ. Megargee, 7. A.
Megargee, Theodore Megargee and Syl-
vester J. Megargee. Generally the firm
has large quantity Of paper manu-
featuring chemicals on hand, but ye'-
terday they were entirely out of drugs.
They had, however, very large stock
on hand consisting of paper and paper
stock, including all sorts of cotton rags.
The paper stock is not owned entire