Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-18
HAD LOTS OF FIRES.
Three Alarms and Four Burnings
Wake Up the Whole Southside.
PHILLIPS e. CO.'S PLANT SCORCHED.
An Employe Meets With Disaster in
Escaping.
THE FIREMEN DO THE BEST OF WORK

They had more fires to attend to on the
southside yesterday afternoon, between the
hours Of and o'clock, than the depart
ment on both sides of the river knew what
to do with.
Three alarms were turned in from boxes
156, 154 and 147, and aside from these
blaze was discovered in the buildings of
Wolf, Howard & Co.. which was stopped
without the formality OF an alarm being
sent in.
Fortunately, the two frst-named alarms
did not pan out very extensively, but the
last one was for fire in the extensive glass
works of Phillips & Company, located on
South Nineteenth and Mary streets. The re-
suit was that before the flames were checked
one building containing ten-pot fur
mace was entirely destroyed. The fire
was discovered about $50 in the roof of the
building, which was frame structure two
stories high. and about 125x75 feet in d.
mensions. Just how it started no one seems
to know, but in no time it was mass of
flames, the material being as dry and almost
as infammable as powder. Within 10 min
utes after the fire department was summoned
the roof fell in, and shortly afterward the
entire building was total wreck, though
large quantities of material stored in barrels
on the first floor were saved.
A PRETTY GOOD FIGHT IN HAND.
The fire attracted very large crowd Of
people, and for about an hour the fremen
had a large-sized fight in hand. Several
times the adjoining buildings were ignited
by sparks from the wreck, but in each in
stance the fremen proved themselves mas
ters OF the situation, and the damages were
slight.
s. When the excitement was at its highest
word was sent to the fremen that Wolf,
Howard & Co. IS factory, cornor of Twenty
first and Mary streets, was on fire from fly
ing sparks from the Phillips place. Two
lines of hose were promptly laid to the
building, and the fire was extinguished
without any losses worth mentioning.
During the Phillips FIRE a glassblower
named Stepple, who is employed in the
works, rushed into the second story of the
building for the purpose of saving some
tools. The Tapidity OF the fire was such that
when he started to leave he found his way OF
escape entirely cut off. He was completely
surrounded by fire and in desperation ran to
n window with no means of avoiding ter
rible death but leap to the pavement,
some IL or Is feet below. He had no time
to spare, and in jumping lost his balance,
falling heavily upon the pavement, break
ing one leg. A patrol wagon was called
and he was removed to his home, No.
231S Jane street. His injuries are said to
be quite serious.
MEN THROWN OUT OF WORK.
That portion OF the works destroyed gave
employment to % people, ten blowers, ten
boys and men employed about the furnace.
The foreman of the remaining furnace said
last night that the building would be replaced
at once. He said that in all probability
the furnace would be saved. He thought
the loss would reach $15, 900 at the lowest
estimate, and he said the property was fully
covered by insurance.
The alarm from box No. 156 was caused
by small fire which was discovered in
frame dwelling house at the corner of
Twenty-seventh and Jane streets. Steamer
No. 4 responded and promptly oyercame
the trouble. The loss was about $25.
The alarm from box No. 154 was caused
BY small fire in the office of D. o. Cum
ningham & Co. The loss there was trIfling.
Taking the four fires all in bunch they
served to thorough, arouse the people and
at the same time put the fire department to
trump cards. Nine companies were en-
gagged at the Phillips fire, and the situation
became so shaky that two or three steamers
from this side of the river were called into
service.