Telegram-herald., 1891-08-27
AMID FLAME AND SMOKE
The Worden Furniture Factory
Suffers Serious Disaster.
TIE LOSS ESTIMATED At $4,000
Fire Catches In the Thira Floor and
the uppsr Part Of The Baiidiak 10 =
Total Wrsek-A Brave kiremAn
Badly Injured BY . Fall.

Al 90 last evening an dlarm Oh
fire was sounded from box ia, and
simultaneous with the changing of the
huge bell ia the city hall, the eyes OF
the people on the streets were at
traeted toward the southwestern por-
tion of the city by glaring light
which illuminated the heavens with
q tinge OF fiery red. People at once
surmized that the Worden furniture
factory at the corner of Front and
Earle-sts., near the swing bridge, was
furnishing food for flames. Upon ar
giving In the vicinity IL did not take
hong 10 realize that the speculations
were well founded. The huge four
story building was wrapped in IA sheet
OF seething, cracking flames. Al
though the fire department responded
Instantly co the alarm, by the time
the engines and other apparatus had
reached the spot, the devouring
element had made frightful headway,
and the two upper stories were COM
pletely gutted. Ten streams were
poured upon the ill-fated structure
without Cessation, but for two hours
there seemed TO be little progres, made
In subduing the conflagration. The
firemen worked like beavers, and all
over the building could be seen the
brave boys risking their lives in a
mighty effort to gain control OF their
fearful antagonist. The police were
scattered about the premises, keep
ing back the surging mass OF curious
spectators. The flames burst forth
from every window and seemed anx-
ious TO draw within their scorching
clutches the neighboring houses, but
by the almost supeIhuman efforts
and endurance of the firemen this was
prevented. At the expiration of two
hours the battle was virtually won by
the department, and IL was only a
question of time when the charred
timbers of the factory would be all
there was to convey the intelligence
that there had been fire.
When the fire broke out A. f. Wor-
den. with two OF his clerks, Will Con-
rad and VIII McInnis, were at the
works. Mr.. Worden had been feeling
badly and was in the act OF unhitching
his horse in the barn with the inten-
tion of going home. Will Conrad
rushed out of the office and informed
him that the place was on fire. Mr..
Worden started back TO the office.
but sank 10 the ground completely
prostrated. and was carried to
boarding house near by. from which
place he was taken home in a carriage.
His condition was such that he could
give no definite information as to the
loss or the amount of insurance
carried. The fire started in
the cabinet room on the
second floor, and was first discovered
by a workman whose given name is
Charley. He was putting in over time
10 the finishing room on the third
floor when he scented something burn
ing. Glancing around from where he
stood he saw somke coming through
the cracks in the floor. Grasping n
fire grenade he ran down stairs and
discovered the fire in the ceiling lust
above a band saw, about the hanger
which supports the shaft over the ma
chinery. He watched the blaze a sec
ond and then threw the extinguishcr.
Instead OF putting it out the grenade
appeared to give it an impetus, and in
a moment more the entire room was
ablaze. The man became frightened
and ran to the elevator and slid down
Nut tiOit tNp cNOiifo W tht EipuHu.
At the bottom he met William ID.
Young, the nightwatchman, who
turned I'm the alarm.
The building has been standing about
nine years and was built ut a cost OF
Of $4,000. There was $50. 900 worth
OF finished and unfinished furniture on
the inside. and machinery. the value
OF which Is estimated TO be between
$4,000 and $4,000. The goods in
the factory are almost completely de-
stroyed, the building is badly wrecked
and the machinery seriously damaged.
On the above there will be considerable
salvage. The loss. as approximatcd
by the most competent judges obtain
able last might. will reach $4,000,
and ia only partly insured.
A car of furniture which had Just
been loaded. and was standing on the
track. barely escaped destruction. II
was consigned to John Wannamaker,
Philadelphia
There was only one serious accident
reported. Joseph Brown. n half-pay
fireman from No. g engine house. fell
from n thirty foot ladder, which was
leaning against the side of the building
to the ground. breaking one arm. in
turing himself internally and bruising
his face and head considerably.
At 10 O'Clock the fire was NIL out
and the firemen exhausted from their
hard work. The darkness was so in
tense that II was impossible to see
how badly the building was damaged.
though il Is comparatively totally
DESTROYED. The office of the company
WIS not iniured. TIs Trc,aution was
taken. however. 20 remove the fixtures.
books and papers. Mr.. Conrad
guarded them until they were taken
back into the office.
The cause OF the fire IL unknown.
but the supposition IL that the friction
~ the shaft in the hanger caused the
waste On the oil box 10 ignite. At
lis a. m. blaze again broke out
and the alarm was sent in. The de-
partment experienced no particular
difficulty in subduing II.