Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-02-26
ras paInADhtrHlA BINn
Finally Gotten Under Control-De.
tafiB-Fhe Loss Half Milton o.


,, Finally Gotten Under Control-De
tafiB-Fhe Loss Half a Milton o.
More
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1910 q. m,-l
desiructivs fire ia now burning fiefpely pi
Chestnut street between Font ant
Second streets, a locality devoted 10 laTg
warehouses and business housss. Thre
buildings are now in flames. Segera
! persons are believed to have been killed
and injured.
DIG q m,-The FIRE ia spreso ing, snt
now extends from the Corn Exchange 1,
LetitiA street, about half block Of verJ
valuable buildings. The Corn Rxchsng,
National Bank, on the corner OF Second
and Chestnut, has caught fire and Ii
burning In the upper stories. The famet
have crossed Chestnut street and many
large business houses on the other side
are in imminent danger.
The fire originated in some manner as
yet unknown In the fvs.storied brick
structure No 12b Chestnut street, occu-
pied by Stephenson & Co., Gstz & STRAIT
ton, Richard A. Blythe and Garsed & Co.,
all dsalers in cotton and wool.
After the FIRE was discovered and flames
burst from the windows, the front Of the
upper three stories fell out and crashed
down into the street. The loud noise
thus made caused rumor that an explo-
sion also occurred, bu. 1t is not yet
known whether or not there were any
explosives in the building. When the
wall fell, q laborer whose name Ia said to
be John Mckay, was engaged In removing
. safe from the adjoining building. He
was buried by the falling bricks and in
stantly killed. The horse attached
to the hose cart standing in
front Of the building was also
killed. The flames spread rapidly to the
buildings on the east and Nos. 1873 and
121 Chestnut street were enveloped In
flames. The former building is occupied
by Irvine G. Beatty & Co., dealers in
worsted yarns, the latter by George Il.
MoFadden Il Co., cotton dealers.
10 36 .. m.-The fourth alarm has
been sent out for the fire.
30 far as known now two men have
been killed at the scene OF the ire--John
Mckay, or Mccormick, driver Of hose
cart aud J. @. Blyer, aged l8 years.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 19.-At9 16 O'Clock
this morning fire broke out Ia the four.
storied brick building, No. 125 Chestnut
treet, used ss cotton and woolen ware
house and, although four different alarms
were sounded and every available engioe
was brought into play, 1t spread rapidly.
There seemed to be scarcity Of water
and, as tie vicinity Of the fire ia com.
posed almost entirely Of cotton and
wooden establishments stocked with mosi
in1amabls material, the efforts OF fremsl
seemed to have no effsot on the fire.
Soon after flames burst out, there wa,
an explosion whioa blew out the iIo
shutters and, ss appsarei attrrsard
weakened the front wall.
About half an hour after the FIRE con
menced, the upper half OF the front Wa
of the burniug bui!cing buleed ont 81.
crashed down the Chestnut street Iave
ment. Joseph K Blyler, Is years OLD
was caught in the wreck and instantly
killed.
After the wall fell, flames burst out
ftrcsr, and the cloud Of sparks and hot
clnders blackened and soorohed buildings
on the opposite side OF the street. The
fremen then turned their attention to
the latter buildings and saved them from
lhreatened destruction.
The second serious accident was occA,
stoned by the falling OF the wall Of the
warehouse, No. 1913 Chestnut street,
to which place FIRE had spread
inst as the wall fell, John |
MJCourt drove up with hose cart trail
lag hose, and the debris buried driver,
horse and cart. MoCourt when taken out |
was found to have his leg broken
in two places, his head seriously cut si d |
to be other1iee injured He is not ex-
psoted 10 live. Tbe horse was so badly
ttiured that It had to be- killed, and she |
hose cart was smsshsd.
oAe OF the bniidings near by was
stocked with fireworks, ard whom tae
h4mse reached them, one explosion after |
another added to the difficulties OF the |
situation. The fire spread generally east
ward toward the Delaware river, bui |
a'so caught the Corn Rxchaugs Na.ioual |
Bank, on the corner Of Sseond anc Chest
nut streets. This building was, however,
saved from total destruction.
The fire then threstened great
numbsr of buildings on Lstitia
street, aud the fremer, fading it only
waate of water 30 attempt to
extiDguish the FIRE In huildings
already burning, turred their at
tsDticD to preventing the spread
of the flames. In this they we're suoosss
iul, aud at IL 80 m, all danger Of
further spread OF fire was considered past,
although the ruins burned fnriously.
Nine large business houses have been
almost completely burned ou., six were
much damaged, and four more incurred
losses which it will take many thousands
of dollars to repair.
Toe burned buildings on Chestnut
street are: Stephenson & Co No 1876
Bsatty & Co, No 1873 K L Il. Back &
Co., No. III Thielins & Co., l19 CAM
den woolen works aud G. Il. McF 4dden
& Co No III.
These include all the buildings on the
north side OF Chestnut street between
Second and Lstitia streets, except the
Corn Exchange Bank.
On Second street Homer & Sons' build
ing, No. AZ, was totally destroyed, and
thas Of Pdkin & Thomas, No. a5, badly
damaged.
On Lstitia street, the first building to
take fire was that OF Bennett & Co, Nc.
80, and the flames quickly spread to
Beddill & Weiss, No. 80, Josaph W.Scuils,
No. 28, aud an empty warehouse, No. 26
The corner building occupied by Ran
dolph & Jenks So a cotton warehouse, was
then igpitsd, thus completing ths square
The loss ia eatimated all the way from
$400, 900 to $3.50, 900.
=
Dir. Gibbons RO iemaBd.
Philadelphia Lodger's New York lett r.
NHaA Aa Nat,. n =. 1