The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-06
.PHILADELPHIA'S Big FIRE.
A Half-a-MilliOn Dollar Blaze in
the Business District.
Twelve Buildings, Occupied by Eif.
teen Firms, Destroyed.

The fve-story yarn and wool importing
house of Rudolph Blankenburg & Co.,
at No Is Bank street, Philadelphia, extend
ing through to numbers !S and 20Strawberry
treet, has been burned out. The fire started
in the basement and the first intimation
the employees had of it was when a
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 to 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 a mass of flame from basement to
roof. The fire spread to the building No. II,
the first and second floors Of which were oc-
cupied by Thompson, Foust & Co., wool
commission merchants, and the upper floors
by Rudolph Blankenburg & Co. This
building was speedily consumed. Mean.
time the fire ate its way into the
four-story iron building No. 15 Bank street,
and in twinkling the entire structure was
mass of fire. Additional alarms were sent
out, and fresh firemen were put at work. IN
thirty minutes after the fire started
seven large wholesale houses in Bank
and Strawberry streets were on fire. In
the latter street the houses of James
Doak, Jr, wool merchant; the Jewell
Knitting COMPANY; NJ 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
rush for the fire.escape. but before they
reached it they were surrounded by flames.
called to the firemen below. Edward Dono-
hue, of Engine No. ~ raised a sixteen.
foot ladder, down which tn, men climbed in
safety. While the firemen were battling
with the fire in Bank and Strawberry
streets, Philip j. Walsh's store, Nos 32 and
"a South Second street, which extends
through to Strawberry street, caught fire
and was badly damaged. The drygoods
storo of F. S. V. Hall e. Sons, No 26 South
Sc: ond street, was also partially destroyed.
RrdGiph Blankenburg 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 $227, 900, but
don't think that will cover my loss"
A rough estimate of the total loss placed
it at $500, 600, which was covered by lnsur-
ance to a two-thirds extent. >.
The origin of the fire is a mystery, but 1t
was stated by one Of the employees of Rudolph
Blankenburg S5 Co., after the fire had been
got under control, that bag of waste paper
in the engineroom 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 ablaZe.