Evening journal., 1892-03-18
| BIG MORNING FIRE.
The X. OF p. Hall and It's Contents
Go Up In Smoke.

thing
A FIRE that stirred up the residents Of
Market street and made the business
men wear an anxious look, broke out In
the Smith building, bet Reen Sixth aud
Seventh streets, and before the flames were
extinguished the building was completely
Quilted.
The building is known as the Smith
Building, although It is leased by the
h, OF COMPANY As headquarters for the
knights Of Pythias. The build.
log is o, brick and is four
stories high. On the frst focr were
the offices OF Elliott, johnson & Co.,
and Selak & Young, tobacconists
aud cigar makers On the second door
were the rooms OF the Shields Library
Association, the rooms Of Diller. pool and
billiard table proprietor and the Off ees
of the K Of P. Aall Company. The third
and fourth hocrs contained handsomely
fitted lodge rooms, which were occupied
jointly, by large number OF secret
societies Among these we're: The
Printers Union; Division No. 3s2,
Brotherhood Of l. =. st. Georges Castle,
X. G. E Apollo Castle No. 2 X q b /;
Alpha Council, No 3 Legion Red Cross
Blue Rock Council, No. 33. l.. r @.
Division No A. Carpenters Uulon.
ORIGIN OF THE FIaE.
The cause of the FIRE Is mystery, al
though many believe that IL was OF in
cendiary origin. Police Captain John C.
kersey, who struck the alarm. told the
following story to an EVENING JOURNAL
reporter this morning: 1--WE received
word at the police station lone square be.
low the burned building) at 30
O'clock that smoke was issuing
from the windows Of the Shields
Library Associations rooms and hur-
ried TO the place. When | reached there
nobody could be seen In the neighborhood
and | started to enter The building to in
vestigate Just then l met young man,
apparently intoxicated coming o1t Of
the building. think he is a member Of
the Shields Library Association found
that one entire end Of the associations
roon was on fire and. hurrying down the
street, | struck the alarm
Pro ninent members Of Shields Library
Association we're interviewed and they
said that an investigation had been made
aud they fully believed from the results
Of this that the FIRE originated 10 psrti-
tion on the second floor. member OF the
Friendship Fire Company, which was
first on the scene. tells similar story.
THROUGH SNOW AND ICE.
The fire men worked under great diff
Guilty After their appliances had been
dragged through the deep aud untrodden
snow to the scene, they had to contend
with snow aud ice on all sides They did
not seem to mind the ice-cold
water nor the frigld hose and
wrenohes, but the overhead wires
were 20 much for them Over
100 telephone wires, stretching up and
down the street, were directly between
their stations and the front part Of the
building. They worked heroically, how
ever, and at one time bricks from the
building were falling almost as rapidly as
the icy water.
A score Of streams were directed into
the building from front and rear and the
water poured over the roof and in every
window Ia sheets. It was impossible TO
work the ladders as the building was
practically surrounded by wires. at
about o'clock, a large portion Of the
roof and south wall fell in. After this
the fremen got control OF the flames aud
at z % o'clock the engines were ordered
of by Chief Robinson.
THE Loss AND INSURANCE.
The building was owned by Charles A.
Sparks of Philadelphia, aud WAS insured
for $1,000 Hawkins & Co. have 81, QUO
and r. A. Van Trump s., 600
Elliott, Johnson & Co. have policy Of
$25, 600 in the Van Trump Compiny.
Shields Library Association has q
polio Of Sl3 600 in Gilpn & Co.
Selak q Young are insured for 50 600
j. M. Mather & Co have the viii
ming on Division Nc. l, Uniform Rank
X OF p, insured for 81 600; Apollo
Castle No. ?, $500
The Girard Company OF Philadelphia
has 900 on the Uniform Rank X OF P.
The societies which Occupied c ne room
in conjunction with st. Georges Castle.
/ X. g. E., will lose as follows. Apollo
Castle, No. ?, X q. K 81 900 or over
Alpha Castle, No 1, Legion Of the Red
Cross, loss not known: Blue Rock Coun-
Gil. No 80, Legion Of the Red Cross,
$500
REMNANTS OF THE BOOKS COLLECTED.
William q. Helm, ex. secretary OF 81.
Georges Castle K G E has the books OF
the above named lodges except that Of
Apollo Castls which he delivered TO the
officers this morning. Carpen ters Union
No. 4, which also met In this room. will
lose heavily, bat s1pae OF their priceless
books and accounts we're also saved
OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS DAMAGED.
The insurance Office Of Gilpin Co Of.
was damaged by water The damage is
not known. The company have removed
to the second story Of No 602i Market
street Several other stores aud resi-
dents in that neiehborhood were
dsmaged by smoke and water
MEETINGS TO BE HKLD AS USUAL
Members Of st. Georges Castle, X. G .
E., will meet at the Joseph Jenkins
building, Eighth and Orange streets to-
night, this being the regular mesting
night All the lodges OF Knights Of
PYthias that have been meeting lin the
Smith building, will meet as usual in Du
Pont Post rooms, Tenth and Market
streets.
The con 'ests which have been going on
in the rooms os the Shields Library As
soeiation since the conc usion OF It's
bazaar about a fortnight ago, will
be continued This evening the
judges will meet the contestants
10 the Ancient Order OF Hibernians'
rooms, Seventh and Market streets,
where the voting will go on.
ONE ARREST MADE
Martin O'Toole, a member Of the
Shields Library Association, was arrested
this morning by officer Gum and Aiken,
supposing that he knew something about
the origin Of the coufsgrstion He was
brought to the police station and locked