St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-14
Philadelphia Visited by the
Most Destructive Conflagra-
tion in Many Years.
The Turning and Planning Mill
Of H. T. Atkinson Goes
Up in Smoke.
Carey Bros Extensive Wall
Paper Mandatory Is
Also Burned.
Firemen Compelled to Drop
Their Hose and Flee for
Their Lives.

PHILADELPHIA, July 13.-One of the
most destructive fires that has occurred
in this city for several years broke
out about o'clock this morning in the
turning and planning mill of IL. T..
Atkinson at Tenth street and SusqueI
hanna avenue. The wind, blowing from
theS outhweSt, carried the flames across
Tenth street to the east side, and Att
kinson's lumber yard also caught
fire. While the firemen were at
work fighting the flames which were
devouring Atkinson's two properties.
the wind veered around to the SOUTH
east. and the flames, fed by piles Of
dry lumber which surrounded the PLAN
ing mill, were carried against the eX-
tenSive wall paper manufacturing es!
tablishment of Carey Bros, which was
separated from Atkinson's mill prop
erty by narrow street. In anticipa-
tiOn of the flames attacking the wall
paper factory about a dozen of tha
employees, 4. who had been sum-
moned to the building, stood with
hose in hand ready to pour
water upon the blaze, but as soon as the
fire gained an entrance to the building
it spread with such startling rapidity
that the men were compelled to drop
their hose and flee for their lives. The
upper floors were filled with paper,
which had been printed and spread on
racks to dry, and this burned almost
like powder. Long flaming sheets were
caught by the wind and carried
Blazing Through the Air
a distance of half mile or more. In-,
side of half an hour from the time the
flames attacked Carey Bros. establish-.
ment that magnificent building was q
mass of ruins. The building extended
from Tenth to Eleventh streets, dis
tance of 800 feet, and from Nevada to
Colana streets, 120 feet, and was five
stories high. Scarcely any attempt was
made by the firemen to check the flames
in Carey Bros. building, ,as they realized
their efforts would be of no avail. They
devoted themselves to saving the prop
erty which surrounded it. Rows OF
small houses occupied mainly by em-
ployes of Carey Bros. stood to the east
and north of the blazing structure, and
it was only by almost superhuman eff
forts that these were saved. The fronts
of all of them were scorched and blis-
tered, and the furniture in those on
Nevada street was soaked with
water. When the north wall fell
the bricks piled up against these hOuseS
and the frightened occupants made
their escape from the rear, and women
and children. half-dressed, ran through
the streets, terrOr-stricken. ThOuSandS
of people surrounded the burning props
erty and gazed at the gorgeous effec1
produced by the combustion of the coh
Oring materials used in the manufacture
of the wall paper. Meanwhile the plans
ing mill had been completely destroyed
by flames The firemen succeeded in
quenching the flames In the lumbeE
yard after its contents had been partly
destroyed. No such
Complete Destruction
by fire has been seen here for years.
Carey Bros. estimate their los S at $685.
600, the building costing 100000. and
their stock, machinery, patterns, de.
signs, ETC., being worth 100000. Their
insurance is s2O2.0OO. Mr.. Atkinson
places his loss at between S75, 200 and
$4,000 on his planning mill property,
stable and lumber yard. His insur ance
foots up S26,5O0. Dwelling houses
on Nevada street were dam-
aged ~ to the extent of $4,000,
and other small losses to the surrounding
property will aggregate $1,000 more,
making the total near 100000. The
origin of the fire is mystery. Carey
Bros factory was probably the most
complete establishment of it's kind in
the United States, if not In the world.
The firm consisted of Theodore and r:
Davis Carey. of Philadelphia, and
latter being special partner. ALI
grades of wall paper were manu.
factured, from the cheapest to the
finest. The storerooms were packed
with goods intended tor the trade of the
coming fall and spring. A great effort
was made to save the designs. John
Trumpe, foreman of the designing de1
partment, rushed into the burning
building, determined to rescue his
sketches and designs, but he was over
come by smoke and made a narrow es-
cape from the place. The only
casualty befell John Hicks. employed
by AtklnSOn, Wnlio removing mules
from the stable, was kicked in the side
by one of them and three of his ribs
were fractured. About 200 men and
women were employed by Carey Bros.
The firm considered that their build~
ing was about as near fre-proof as it
was possible to make it. The stairways
and elevator shafts were solidly
bricked up and iron doors separated
the rooms. The complete fire brigade
was maintained, and it was portion Of
this brigade that stood ready to battle
with the flames the moment they should
made their appearance.