Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-03-01
PHILADELPHIA'S Big FIRE.
A Half-a-MilliOn Dollar Blaze in
the Business District.
Twelve Buildings, Occupied by Fiji
teen Firms, Destroyed.

The five-story yarn and wool importing
house of Rudolph Blankenburg & Co.,
at No. 13 Bank street, Philadelphia, extend
ing through to numbers Is and 20 Strawberry
street, has been burned out. The fire started
in the basement. and the first intimation
the employees had of it was when
fierce body of flame broke through
the hatchway on the first floor. The
men, women and girls were compelled to
leave everything behind them TO save their
lives. The fire was so rapid that seven girls
on the fifth floor were about 10 jump from
the windows, when prevented by work
man, who compelled them TO take the stair
way, down which they fought their way
through the flame and smoke, reaching the
street in safety, although all of them were
considerably burned and partially suffocated.
In less than five minutes the huge struc-
ture was mass of flame from basement to
roof. The fire spread to the building No. IL,
the first and second floors of which were oc-
cupied by Thompson, Foust q Co., wool
commission merchants, and the upper floors
by Rudolph BlankeDburg & Co. This
building was speedily consumed. Mean
four-story iron building No. - Bank street,
and in a twinklng the entire structure was
mass of fire. Additional alarms were sent
out, and fresh firemen were put at work. In
thirty minutes after the Ere started
seven large wholesale houses in Bank
and Strawberry streets were on fire. In
the latter street tho houses of James
Doak, Jr., wool merchant; the Jewell
Knitting Company; M. r. Raleigh & Co.,
yarns, and Philip J. Walsh, notions, were
burning. William Murphy, colored, and
Joseph Atkinson. who were working on the
fifth floor of the Blankenburg building, made
a rush for the fire.escape but before they
reached it they were surrounded by flames.
They finally got out on the fire escape and
called to the firemen below. Edward DOnO-
hue, of Engine No. %, raised a sixteen
foot ladder, down which the men climbed in
safety. While the fremen were battling
with the fire in Bank and Strawberry
streets, Philip J. Walshs store Nos. 80 and
"a South Second street, which extends
through to Strawberry street, caught fire
and was badly damaged. The drygoods
store of F. S. V. Hall & Sons, No. 26 South
Sc ond street, was also partially destroyed.
Rudolph Bankenburg said: 81 think the
fire was caused by the explosion of the gas
engine which runs the elevator, as a loud re-
port was heard just before the fire was dis
covered. | am insured for 1927, 900, but 1
don't think that will cover my loss"
A rough estimate of the total loss placed
it at 10000, which was covered by insur-
ance to two-thirds extent.
The origin of the fire is mystery, but it
was stated by one of the employees Of Rudolph
Blankenburg & Co., after the fire had been
got under CONTROL that bag of waste paper
in the engine-room in the basement caught
fire and communicated to the woodwork.
There was a strong draught through the
basement at the time, which carried the
flames to the elevator and set the upper
floors aolaZe.