The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-03-01
THE RED DESTROYER.
GREAT FIRES IN THE QUAKER CITY.
Five BiaEes Create Damage to tho Extent
OF Over Million Doliars--A street
Inundated by . River OF
biazing OIL.
A MOTT or TERROR

NNhi w iNhh'e
PmLApErnA, Feb, 2g,--FIyo nres oo-
CURED here during the night, Owing 10 tho
violence Of the wind and tho great distance
between the various alarms, the hremen
found much trouble In keeping the flames
under control. Every fire company In the
city was In service NJ once, The most dis
astrous blaze WAS At the chemical works Of
Powers 4 Wolghtman, tho largest OF tho
kind In the country which were totally Do
htroyed.
The fire was first discovered about ono
O'Clock, but the alarm was not responded to,
because the only engines In the dre district
were already engaged IN combating sml-
lar fire In the wool mills at Second street
and Lehgh avenue, one Of the two engines
which answered the first call came dis
tance Of nearly two miles,
Az 2'la a. ~. a general alarm was
sounded, Tho hremen responded m
promptly ~ possible, but were weary after
working at one FIRE after another, and tho
fires burning In various sections Of the city
made their work appear endless They were
Denumbed with cold, but succeeded In keep
Ing tho nelghborlng buildings soaked with
water By three O'Clock the chemicals
seemed " burn with such extraordinary
iierccneas, and the flro wR evidently
spreading no rapidly, that residents Of the
neghbOrhO0d lott their hou ,es, under tho
impression that terrific explosion waa la.
bic 10 occur al any moment II was diff
cult 10 calm them and induce them not to
risk tho lives OF their children by exposing
them 10 the hltter cold.
At this tins the entire square seemed 20
bc n vast sheet Of flame, aud soon after three
o'clock several explosions Of fusil oil Oc-
cured. The burning fluid ran through tho
streets aud the bremen called upon tho ct.
liens 10 help rescue the engines aud
hOse-carriagea from the river OF blal-
Ing oil. The oil soon burned Itself out
but tho flames had spfond across
the alleyway 10 iiyestOry brick building,
stored with q large quantity Of cOmbusllblo
materials, Up 10 Ave O'Clock the flames
steadily trlumphed over all opposition
From Ave o'clock until noon the progress uf
the FRO WAS confined 70 tho burning Of
the lnnamnNblo matter within tho
confines already described. Some
noghborlng houses had their roofs
and fronts damaged by hre and Hing
walls, but thorough drcnching with water
during tho night prevented their total
destruction, II has been impossible, 80 far
10 obtain from any one connected with the
hrm any idea Of the value Of tho ma
ohlnery or stock The general estimates
however, vary nom sl,OOOOOO to $780,.
900.
The storo Of Coon Bros 4 Co., produce
commission merchants, 20 South Waior
street was damaged 10 the extent OF about
$4,000 About the same time the Echo
carpet mill At Lohgh avenue aud Palothorp
street and three or -four dwellings adjoining
were destroyed, involving loss Of $50, 900,
The other fires were not no serious,
4 $4,000 uLAzE AT Lorraine, o.
Lorraine, o., Fob, 49, Fire damaged
tho Joel Hayden Brass Uompany'a works 70
the extent Of s35, 600, Tue property do.
stroyod was fully Insured.