St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-01
THE FIRE DEMON.
Philadelphia Yesterday the Scene of
Disastrous CONGREGATIONS.
Powers Weightman's Chemical Works
Completely Destroyed With Loss
of Over Million.
The Streets Turned Into Rivers of Flame
Through the Bursting of the Oils.


Of the wind, and the great distance between
the various alarms, the firemen found much
trouble in keeping the flames under control
The most disastrous was at the chemica
works Of Powers & Weightman, the larges
of the kind in the country, which were totally
destroyed. The loss at this place will be ovel
| 81 ,000 900. The fire was first discovered
about l o'clock, but the alarm was not re-
sponded to, becaue the only engines in that
fire district we're already engaged in combat
ing a similar fire in the wool mills, at Second
and Lehigh avenues. One of the two
engines which answered the first call came a
distance of nearly two miles from the store
of Coon Bros. & Co., produce commission
merchants, No. % South Water street, which
was damaged $1,000. About the same time
the Echo carpet mill at Lehigh avenue and
Palethorpe street, and three or four dwellings
adjoining were destroyed, involving loss of
S25, 900. The other fires were not so serious,
but the frequent alarms served to distract the
tiremen, and to tax the department to its
fullest capacity. Every fire company in the
city was in the service at one time, with one
exception, at Frankfort, left as precaution-
airy measure, to protect the great number of
mills in that section. At 2:15 a. N. gen
eral alarm was sounded, and the tiremen re-
sponded as promptly as possible, but were
weary after working at one fire after another,
and the fires burning in various
sections of the city made their
work appear endless. They were
benumbed with cold but they succeeded in
keeping the neighboring buildings soaked
with water, as the wind enveloped them in
perfect storm of sparks and cinders. By 3
O'Clock the chemicals seemed to burn with
such extraordinary tierceness, and the fire
was evidently spreading so rapidly, that the
residents of the neighborhood left their
houses, under the impression that terrible
explosion was liable to occur at anv moment.
1t was difficult to calm them and induce
them not to risk the lives of their Ichildren
by exposing them in such night.
At this time the entire square seemed to
be a vast sheet Of flame, and soon after three
explosions of fusil oil occurred. The burn
ing fluid ran through the streets, and the
fremen called upon the citizens TO help
to rescue the engines and the hose carriages
from the river of blazing oil. The oil soon
burned itself out, but the flames had spread
across the alley way to the five story brick
building, stored with large quantity of
combustible materials. The building,
with all its contents, was entirely
destroyed. Up to 5 o'clock the flames steadily
triumphed over all opposition, lighting up
the entire city, while the neighboring streets
were blocked with panic stricken residents,
removing their goods to places of safety
From until noon, the progress of the fire
was confined to the burning iniam-
mable matter, within the confines already
described. Some of the neighboring houses
had their roofs and fronts damaged by the
fire and falling walls, but thorough drench-
ing with water during the night prevented
their total destruction.
1t has been impossible, so far, to obtain
from anyone connected with the firm, any
idea of the value of the machinery or stock.
The general estimates, however, vary from
81, 100000 to 81, 100000, and put the insur-
ance at $780, 900, of which S215, 900 is in this
city, and the remainder in New York and
eastern and foreign companies.
The members of the firm will make nc
statement as to the loss or insurance It has
been ascertained that ON one portion of the
property destroyed there is an insurance OF
$500, 900, distributed among large number
of foreign and home companies. The total
loss will greatly exceed the amount of insur-
ance. The firm state, it is impossible to
form an estimate of the loss, owing to the
large number and varying cost and character
of the articles under manufacture. Among
the principal articles are quinine and NOR
phia, iodine, bromide and chloroform. This
was the largest establishment of the kind in
the country, and dealers in quinine in New
York, to-day put up the price from $1.35 to
S1.55 per ounce.