Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-10-06
A HALF MILLION FIRE.
sunNlKa OF A sronAeE WAREHOUSE.
II raKes Fire on SUNDAY Morning In Phiis
dslphsa Whils FiIied with Furniture.
Plate ana ueheY HOusNhoId Enects


1t Takes FIRE on SUNDAY morning In Phiia.
dslpn,a Whils Fiiied with Furniture.
Plate ANA Usher Household Enects.
Heacook's storage warehouse, said to
have been the largest establishment Of its
kind In Philadelphia, was burned Sunday
morning. 1t was brick structure, six
stories in height with frontage Of SO feet
on Brown street and extended back to
Atmore street, 124 feet. Jacob Z. Ridg-
way built the warehouse three years ago at
q cost of s36 900 and rented 1t to Mr.. Hea-
cook on ten years. lease.
The building contained about 100 rooms
and was stocked from the basement to the
roof with household furniture Of all
kinds, belonging to about COO different
persons, all of whom had deposited goods
there varying from q small trunk to
twenty cart loads of furniture. On the
first floor there were sixty or seventy
pianos and some forty large mirrors.
More than half the brick wall on the
west side Of the warehouse fell with a
crash about six O'Clock in the morning,
completely demolishing two three story
brick dwellings, Nos. 1891 and 1928 Brown
street, occupied respectively by the
families of Mr.. Worth and Samuel
Deney, and owned by the Baird estate.
Three three-story brick houses, imme
diately in the rear Of these, fronting on
Baird court, and occupied by the families
Of John Hayes, Joseph Baird and Michael
Black, were also demolished by the falling
walls. These, too, belonged to the Baird
estate. Three houses, fronting on Atmore
street. Nos. 1922, 1924 and 1896, also
owned by the Baird estate, and tenanted
by William Kuappel, Frank O'Long and
Mrs. Georgiana Dunnat, were badly
damaged by the fall.
Ten minutes later large portion of the
wall on the east side gave way, carrying
with it to destruction the two story dwell
ling of II. Bevan, No. 1915 Brown stree
cracking the walls of John Whartman's
house, No. 1918 Brown, completely raising
Daniel Donavan's house, No. 1914 Atmors
street, and damaging the dwelling Of Polio,
Officer Matthew Sheridan, adjoining it OF
the east.
Fortunately the occupants of all thes,
houses had anticipated the danger and re
moved to a safe distance, though in many
cases considerable household furniture wal
destroyed. That no lives were lost, no
any person injured worth speaking of, il
little less than miracle.
While there are many reports current n
to the origin of the fire mono of them coul(
be confirmed. Mr.. Heacock stated tha
the watchman, whose duty it also is t,
keep the establishment clean, had in
formed him that he had made tour o
| the building just before the fire was dis
covered, and found everything all right
Some think that the fire was caused b,
spontaneous combustion.
The building owned by Mr.. Ridgway
was insured in several companies for $50,
| 900. Mr.. Heacock estimated the loss OF
| the contents at S40O, 900, and thinks the,
| are insured for not less than S150, 600
Many of the owners had placed the insur
| auce themselves on the goods. A number
however had the insurance effected through
Mr.. Heacock, who had about $50, 900 in
sured on these goods, divided pro rat
among the following companies Western
OF New York ; Germania, Sun, London
Lancaster and Greenwich, of London
Ph@nix, of Brooklyn Queen and Royal
Of Montreal Springfield, of Springfield
Mass, and Lumbermen's, Reliance ant
Merchants of Philadelphia.
Among the heaviest losers are James ID
Thompson, II. FL. Adams, Prof. Mallette
Samuel L. Fox, Mrs. Benjamin Rowland
j. E. Zsublin and Rachel Wetherill. MI
| Harry l.. Taggart, of the Sunday Time,
lost 50, 900 worth of furniture, uninsured
which had been placed in the building bu
four days ago. George w. Grier ais
sustained \ loss of $1,000. 1t is state
that only about one-third Of the person
owning furniture stored in the warehous
had their property insured.
The loss on surrounding building
demolished or damaged by falling wall
is estimated at $4,000; /; partially in
sured.
Eight persons were employed in tn
warehouse. The principal loss sustaine'
by Mr.. Heacock is in the shape of uncol
lected rent on the goods destroyed
amounting to $4,000 or $4,000. Hi
books were taken intact from safe in tn
office.