Daily Republican., 1885-07-16
PrintworkS"On Fire..
A 92o0.oOO BLAZE AT RHCHwua
AND Ti1GA sTKEETS-SAME
MARLIN FACTORY AND
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

BY the explosion OF gastlino lsmD
IN the boiler room OF Jamt Martin &
Co.'s bleaching and printing works
lloga street, near Richmond ,Phila. ,lasi
evening, fire was etarted by wh icb
nearly S20O,0ce worth Of property was
destroyed. The great heat of the
boilers Is believed to have caused the
explosion. The fire was first observed
directly above the boiler room. Ten
minutes later Il had spread with start.
ing celebrity, and within half an hour
the long brick suiljing was hopelessIy v
involved.
AS soon as the flames were discovered
the watchmen and the fifteen men who
were at the bleaching tanks ende syored
to get 1t under control, but this BEING
impossible, a FIRE alarm was .urned In
from the nearest box. 1t was received
at the Central Station at 8 80, and
twenty-six minutes later second alarm
was sent. The engines were on the
ground quickly, but the water plug
facilities are deficient In that neighbor-
hood, and only two hydrants were
found available. The adjacent wells
and cisterns were tapped, but these were
soon exhausted, and the firemen de-
voted their energies to the saving of
the contents Of the other threatened
buildings.
Adjoining the works were two
modest brick and q single frame house.
These little buildings were two stories
and an attic in height. They were
owned by 8. M. Roeheford, and were
leased 10 tenants. In one, that nearest
the blazing printworks, lay Thomas
Bender, sick with typhoid fever, and
In the next was Mrs. Traske, q Bohe-
milan, suffering from the same disease
The frame residence was the home of
James MCGOWAN. When it became
evident that these three buildings
must necessarily bs involved in the
common ruin, the people were removed,
and all of their portable household
property taken away. Bender was
carried to neighbor's house on Rich
mond street, and Mrs. Traske to friends
in Frankford.
OTHER PLAC Is DAMAGED.
But a few yards distant from the
Martin works was the fertilizinR and
rendering estabi ishment of Maxwell
Berg, and its destruction seemed immi
nent. MIR. Berg and his son hurried to
the fire, and by the aid of willing hands
soon had steam up and their own pri-
vate pumps at work keeping their
buildings soaked with water drawn
from cistern. Ia the stable attached
to their establishment were sixteen
horses, and conSiderable excitement
was caused In getting them out AS it,
hnally resulted, however, Mr.. Berg
sustained no loss beyond a rather
generous soaking.
RUBBER WORKS DESTROYED.
Fire broke out about midnight last
night in tie stable in the rear of Nc
Brides roofing works on South street,
above Twenty fourth. The building
was made of the most 20 . - jtible ms.
terial, and before the Fire Department
could respond to the alarm the flames
had completely destroyed the stables
and spread &c the brick buildings of the
Philadelphia Rubber Works, ad Joining.
People in the vicinity say that the FIRE.
men did not get to work quickly, and
before the second alarm had been sound.
ed the whole establishment was in
iames. 1t wss three stories in height,
fronting for about 100 feet on South
street aud extending through $50 feet TO
Naudain street. Inside was n large
amount ofnew and valuable machinery
and manufactured stock Of rubber
Everything WAS consumed and at q
o'clock only the walls were left stand
NO