Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-07
CHILDS' BAD LUCK
The Philadelphia Public Ledge
Cffice in Tl.r,es.

DAMAGED ABOUT $4,000 WORTH.
His Fine Library suffers Some Injury, but
His Priceless Collection OF Curios saved
Unhurt-Fricnds in the Craft Prompt
with Offers of Assistance in Getting Out
the Paper, Which VIII BE Printed by
The Record-The Eminent Journalist
Gives the Firennen Sc, 600.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. THE Public
Ledger building, a massive six-story
brown stone front structure on the south
west corner Of Sixth and Chestnut streets.
and running through to Sansom street.
was damaged by fire last night to the ex-
tent OF S2OO,000, of which $I5O,NC0 is sus-
tanned by The Ledger and $4,000 by len
ants. The Ledger's insurance aggregates
SlOOOJ-Sl3O,OOO ON the building and $50
OOO on the contents. The other occupants
are believed TO be fully insured. The col
lection of curios in the private office of
George w. Childs, The Ledeer's owner and
publisher, which are inestimable in value.
were saved. The damage TO the building
Is 100000 About half of the structure
was Quilted by fre and water. The flames
were confined to the fourth floor and ali
above and the portions below were flooded.
First Appearance of the Flames.
1t was shortly after o'clock in the even
ing when fire was discovered in the Old
Court house on the southeast. corner of
Sixth and Chestnut streets. and directly
opposite The Ledger building. A still
was
soon eN'inguished. Mr. Childs watched
the work Of the firemen, and after the fire
was over he left for his home. At this time
number of The LedCer's employees were
IN the business Office talking of the court
house fire and watching the incident scenes.
At $40 Miss Ewing. clerk, saw smoke
coming through the crevices of a partition
IN the west side of the new publication of
nee, and gave the alarm. The clerks and
others hurTiediy applied the cramica! ey-
tnguishers. ana in Few minutes the fire
was su1aued and apparently eytinguished.
Fire in the Elevator shaft
1t was not long. however. before ihe
smoke was again seen and tais time the
flames ieaped up the freight elevator shaft.
which is ten feet square. and reached the
new composing room, which occupies the
NTH and sixth floors, there being no other
outlet along the length of the shaft. The
fire had mysteriou-Iy started in The basa-
ment Of No Goa Chestnut street winch =
a part Of The Ledger Droparsv and ,rLicb
is occupied BY the StqDtIa.f -T,,.,,--.-.' !.
exchange. There ..as no rubbish in the
cellar and no plausible theory As to the
origin can be given II is thCrcEt how
ever. thar it may have been started Inv -
careless workman. general ,ls,.r, -
sounded the flame. soon ervai-,,a4 tho
composing room and che corsposiro,s ~,
number about 40 beat a bas+,- -,-r...
down the stains .s. ..g ..-,.-..., -.
soon after tL.. fannie. sf,,f.i -,,.,..
sharp explosion tbt. ,s,,.l ~ - y a. .
known. and R,.irass Nrs-,r,- -, -
Cook and q number Of cI.-f-. -. =.
into the str..f L- tAa o-,,,.,...
say. .f,.. 49,,
T,ha ,li...,,,.. 5....
the SIKH sfr-.r NO. go, IN 10 "a
prouut actIo1,Itr.. ... -
them y-i.. r,,...
a3.. ,y.s f,,....r ..
imp,s.itI. ia .....
HE lihr,rr ~, a.. 80. nc '"l, M,
dar,ooa,7 - -.. .
rector Butt. .... Ponce SURGEON An