New-York tribune., 1885-02-20
HALF A BLOCK DESTROYED.
WAREHOUSES; BURNED IN PHILADELPHIA.
TWO MEN KILLED AND FOUR HURT-LOsSES OF
NEARLY HALF A MILLION.
IBY TELEGRAPH To TIE rRIBUNs.l

lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBUSsl
PHILADELPHIA, Feb 19.-A fire which laid
In ruins nearly half block of great warehouses, killed
two men and seriously injured four Others broke out In
early business hours to-day in the wooen establishment
OF Stevenson Co.. at No. 125 Chestnust in the hear.
of the old business portion OF the city, The building was
afour-story brick structure and had depth of $50 feet
This morning, about o'clock, one OF
the employees entered the store room
to ascertain something about the stock. He remained
there only few minutes, and, after closing the place
returned to the Office the first floor About five
minutes later explosion occurred All OF the windows
in the building were protected with iron shut
tiers, but the force of the explosion ioosened
them and they fell into the street below.
The explosion occurred at an hour when Chestnut.
Second and Front sts filed with pedestrians and
in remarkably short time the vicinity of the place
crowded with people. The inhammable contents
OF the building carried the flames with great
rapdity and the first hose carriage which
reached the spot drove under back wall just
it fell manning both the driver horse. The driver
was John McConrt He was burned and crushed.
Another victim dug out OF the ruins him. The
body was that OF young man. whose face and head
and covered with blood and his legs and arms
were broken. He picked up and carried to build
ing in the vicinity. where he died, He recognized
J. G.. Byer, bOokkeepcr who lived at the American
Hotel. He In the act leaving with the books of
his employer. when the wall fell and he was killed
III nalf an hOur after the ufsl alarm was gwen the
four-story structure gutted from roof
to the cellar aud the flames had spread to the two ad
joining buildings No 123 occupied by IRVINE Beatty,
dealers in wooens and yarns, and No. l2l occupied by
George II. McEadIen & Brothers, cotton brokers' The
inlanmable character of the goods stored In these
structures only added c to the flames and the fire now
assumed such prop rons that the entire block appeared
DO doomed TO destruction, and general alarm was
sounded, which summon d all the lire apparatus in the
city, including Germantown, Malayunk ana Frank;Ord.
The flames spread to No. III, occupied by
Theuleus & Co., wool, and the Camden
WOollen Mills. and No. 1l0. occupied
by f. Setback & co.. wool and yarn merchants and the
Camden Anime bye Works The tin which covered the
fell into street, red bot one Oi the sheets frll
the b tck of rcuIiu and set hs coat fire. Drip
ping molten metal and sparSs fell the
/ roo. Of the Corn EXchangs Bank. at Second and
Chestnut sts., ard the flames necessated the lock
ing up the trepr0Of and the removal of much
| Oiicc furniture to the streets.
Il, II O'Clock the hiiues " re under control. In all
five buildings were completely Ges rOyCd and five were
| badly damaged. Tweny firms suffered losses, and In
| some cases the lO3se- VIII be total
The loss Will exceed $4,000 anl In most cases thc
Insurance is heavy Prob ably ihe heaviest loser will b.
Irvine G. Beatty x Coz 500. 900 $4,000. X. II. Blythe
will lose $4,000 Stevenson 4 Co., over $4,000 The
loss OF NJ 6 oliit d 60. cSor,,, %dl prob s.
| will be Nkely to exceed those flglrcs by several
thousands Tue losses Of r. VI. Grimes. ir. Co. H. X
Bennett Scul * Co.. ,ious y Co.. iI,tIirs Tnomas
L. setback x Co.. Bddlc * NcIs viii, when combined
reach INTO the hundreds Of thousands TIC damage to
the Corn Exchange Bank will he about $1,000.