Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-26
Serious Fire.

street owned by the estate of the late John ! w. Mansfield and occupied by the Kirschner l printing establishment. and the Moore, ,Sproul l < Nichols paper box factory, and Booemedcs | tS Allen, card printers and Photographers also by A. Traeger's buffet, and the office of the Electric Light company was also in the building on the main floor. Mir. Traeger had his residence on the second floor directly over his place. The fire had gained ccnsid erable headway before the alarm given. In a very few moments the second alarm was struck and the fire department was quickly on the ground, the horses making the usual good time despite the fierce heat of the sun. The flames were bursting out of the top of the building and out of the front windows of the upper stories and dense black volume of smoke rose from the building when the fremen arrived. It being the noon hour the streets in the neighborhood of the burning l building alive with people at the points where view of the fire was to be had, and shop and store girls were numerous among 1 the number. The firemen had hot work and a fierce fire and for few minutes 1t looked as if the fire was to spread across to Brown, Bolton d5 Co.'s and Malley's and to the build 1 ing in the rear occupied by the Electric Light ] Co.,, which stands only few feet away and whence Kirschner obtained the motive power l for his machinery. Center street in front of l the burning building, and as far Temple 1 street, was permeated by fierce heat, which l fairly drove the crowds back and saved the policemen some work for 8 short time The fremen worked bravely. No one could see will all and ! in the midst of the glaring sun and the fierce heat of the fire without giving them great deal of credit. For short time it looked like an unequal battle, but soon the flames began to show that the fremen were supe- rior, and the merchants and business men of the vicinity, whose property would have suffered by spread of the flames, were re- lieved of anxiety. The fire in less than half ! an hour after the firemen began working at it ! was we'll subdued. The heat being so in- l tense in Center street, hose was taken to the \ top of Brown, Bolton & Go. s new one story building, where the 6remen operated on the l burning premises from the front The wind ! being from the southwest drove the flames to | this side. MT. Kirschner, the job printer. ! estimated his loss at first impressions at l about $10,OOO. He printed bills pamphlets, 1 etc., and had just sent to H. H. Peck's bind
 cry 20. GOO fiiers or title pamphlets for the Red ! Jacket Bitters and had 8O.OOO more to print. He had also sent to Peck's part of large ! edition of work issued by Mr. Loveridge, of the Business College.
 The interior of the building was mostly
 ruined above the first story. The building \ A.s1k UVoJI F. 6o <a,,
 years ago, and they removed their furniture
 business to it. occupying it for some years. William H. Leishman put it up and the walls,
 though according to the contract, were too ! narrow and the settling became dangerous. ] It was improved. but loan upon it by the Connecticut Savings bank had to be met.
 The late John w. Mansfield, the treasurer of 1 the bank, bought the building, thus iquidat I ing the debt, and since his death his widow
 has built the rear building now occupied by
 the Electric Light company.
 The insurance on the front building was
 $s, 900, divided as follows, in the office of ! Charles Wilson: Fire Association of Phila-
 delphia, American, Firemen's and Merchants
 of Newark, each $1, 1000; Norwich Union of England and Queen of London, each s., GOO. ! $AesAAA-
 aged, there was $s, 500, of which $5, 500 was
 with Cannon and $3,ooo with sperry
 & Kimberly. John Kirschner was in.
 sured for $s,OOO, S1, 800 of which was
 in the Fire Association of Philadelphia,
 Charles Wilson agent The additional insur.
 anee of Kirschner was with the agency ot
 John G. North, and consisted of $1, 800 with
 the Etna and $2, 400 with the Commercial
 Union of England; total, $4,2O0. This with
 the previous $1 800 makes the total $6,
 Moore, Sproul & Nichols, paper boa
 makers, had $4,OO0 insurance. Their loss
 is estimated at from $5,oOO to 5000. They l will at once resume business. Treger's in
 surance was on his stock and fixtures in tb'
 buffet, first floor; $2, 800 each in the London
 and Guardian, through c. E. Bowers agency
 He had no insurance on his furniture ant
 works of art up stairs.
 Bocemedes & Allen were insured through } North's agency as follows: Hltna, of Hart ford, $2,5o0; Phoenix, of Hartford, 1900 Hartford, of Hartford, $2,50O; Insuranc
 Co. of N. A., Philadelphia, $2, 800; total
 $1O, 1000.
 MT. Trsger's saloon, the largest and mucl
 the finest in the city, costing it is said $15,
 900, was not damaged by fire, but was dam
 aged considerably by water. At sigh o'clock last evening water was still leakin.
 through. MT. Traeger opened the place las May. Mir. Traeger occupied part of the
 floor overhead for his home. having moved
 thither from No. GO Lafayette street. Shed ley Bros. were busy yesterday afternoon re
 moving the fine piano in the saloon back t.
 No. 60 Lafayette street, it being still held by } MT. Traeger. He meets with considerable
 loss on his household goods, which were badl F damaged by water or destroyed by fire. ant E on which he had no insurance. He was ex ] pecting yesterday to have his place ope, t again by Saturday evening.
 The origin of the fire is not precisely known, but is most generally attributed to
 defective fue with which Trager's restauran l range was connected and must have caugh
 in the upper stories, where the fire frs
 showed itself. The range and surrounding f were found intact after the fire, giving un f. mistakable proof that the fire did not star 3 there. Trseger was preparing foundation ] for an additional range, and the chips of tn
 workmen lay soaked on the floor. Ther | was no mark of fire about the room. Tn /. range is connected with an iron box runnin
 under the ceiling to chimney where tn . range formerly stood. This connection wa intact. If the fire caught from this chimne , it must have caught upstairs and nowher a near the range.
 ] Mir. Kirschner, the printer, his foreman , 1 Mr. Banta, and boy were in the buildin
 l when the fire broke out. The two last wer
 eating their dinner and Mir. K. had just rt
 turned from dinner. The boy started t f leave the building and came running back e1 claiming ''The building is all on tire," an sure enough it was and MT. Kirschner, MI y Banta and the boy slid down the rope at th k elevator well to get out, the regular exits bs o ing filled with sunoke.
 J. Murray FairchiId said that there wa ' nothing in the Electric Light company's oi j. flee or factory that could have started 8 fire y The engine was not going; that only zoe . nights. It was manifestly absurd to cred . any part of the damage to the Electric Ligh y company. The company's furniture and fz q | tures in their office in the burned buildin