Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-02-20
BANK ST. In FLAMES.
100000 LOST BY A FIERCE AND
STUBBORN FIRE.
Blankenburg s. Company's Building and
Adjoining Structures Burned Out
Marrow Escapes Dur
Ing tho Blaze.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20.-By the ig-
nitlpg OF waste papsr accumulated around
the eDgine-room in the basement OF the
pre- misses occupied by Rudolph Blanken-
burg 81 Co., at No. 13 Bank street, fire
broke out in that establishment yesterday
aud spread TO the surrounding buildings,
and was extinguished only after upward
of AGO. 90 worth of property had been
burn d into ashes or SO damaged as to be
rendered worthle 8.
THE START OF THE FLAMES.
TWAS about 80 O'Clock in the MORN
ipg that the engiueer in Mr.. Blanken-
burg's place went into the cellar and
found 1t to he in ilsmes. He notified Mr..
Blankenburg and Mr.. Rommel, his part
ner, and bell was rung by them as a
signal for the girle, who were engaged In
packing goods on the top hoor, to stop
work, Soon ihe flames had communi-
Gated to the elevator shafr, licked up the
woodwork and leaped to the upper floors,
filing them with smoke. Lewis Grace, q
forem IN in the shipping department, no.
ticed that the girls had not come down
stairs, and, pulling his coat over his
head, he crawled up the stairs, which were
then beginning to crackle from the heat.
He found the girls huddled up in cor
ner, SO badly frightened that they could
not speak or understand his orders to Zee
from the building. He was obliged to
push them down the stairs.
FIGHTING THE FIRE.
From Blakenburg g. Co.'S building the
flames extended to that of Thompson,
ust s. Co., next door, When the fire
had taken firm hold on this place 1t was
noticed that two men were standing on
the fire-eschpe on the top floor, and it was
apparent that If they were not rescued
they must jump to the street or perish in
the flames. Director Stokley ordered a
ladder run up Immediately. Edward
Donoghue, of Engine Company No. 2,
seized hook-ladder and began the peri
lous ascent, climbing from one fire-escape
to another until he reached them. He
was lust in time to prevent the men from
Jumping to the street. In a few moments
ladder reached them, and they de-
Ecended in safety.
MORE ENGINES TO THE RESCUE.
The second alarm brought engines
hich attacked the blaze from the rear,
on strawberry street, where things were
beginning to get uncomfortably warm.
| No. 15 Bank street was the next building
to take fire. In 1t was large quantity oi
goods belonging to BlankenburS II Co.,
on the upper floors, the ground floor
being unoccupied. One by one The floors
in Blapkenburg 81 Co.'s place fell into
the cellar with deafening roar.
In about an hour the rear wall of the
building, on Strawberry street, bulged
out near the second floor windows, and
hundreds of tons of bricks and mortal
covered the narrow thoroughfare to the
1 4 80 Al Ixaa
narrow escapes from being crushed
Gillingham had his hip badly bruised
and his clothes torn by flying bricks.
THE BUILDINGS BURNED OUT.
The building at No. Bank street, OF.
cupied by the NJ. Raleigh estate, dealers
in braids and bindings, and Sheiner &
Boyer, knit goods manufacturers, was
the next TO take fire. The flames burned
away portion Of the roof, but could not
penetrate the heavy party walls, and the
loss to The occupants was caused mainly
| by smoke and water. No. IA Strawberry
street, which was occupied by j. w.
Lynch and the Jewel Knitting Company,
was burned out In very short while on
account of The inflRlninable nature of the
stock.
The rear OF Philip ]. Walsh's store,
which fronts on Second street, was at
tackled by the flames, and large guam
tity of furniture and bedding was burned
up in addition to considerable damage by
water. James j. Doak u Co. also sus-
taintd a considerable loss, their place on
Strawberry street being badly burr ed =,
although not entirely destroyed
During the progress of the fire Director
Stokley ran In and out OF the burning
buildings directing the movements of the
dremen. Before he had been at the scene
an hour he was as wet as If he had been
hauled out of the river.
UNDER CONTROL AT LAST.
At o'clock the firemen considered
that they had the fire fairly under con-
troll, but the heap of debris was blazing
fiercely, and three engines remained on
the ground all night and poured q steady
stream of water into the ruined build
ings. 1t is likely that the walls lett stand
ing will be torn down to-day, as they are
considered dangerous.
All the stores and wholesale houses in
the vicinity of the fire we're utilized by
those who saved goods from the burning
buildings tor storage purposes. Tempo
rary offices at No. 80 South Third street
have been secured by Blankenburg &
Co.