The herald., 1896-02-03
TWO MILLIONS DESTROYED
By a Disastrous Fire at PhiIa-
deIphia
TWO SKY SCRAPERS GO UP
Baptist Publication and Historical So.
cieties Badly Damaged
| Piano Companies Lose Stocks and Private In
dividuaIs Libraries and Collections.
| Heavy Insurance Carried
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 2.-Chestnut street,
above Broad, was visited early this morn
ing by one of the fiercest fires this city has
known for years. The big seven-story
block of c. H. Hazeltine, Nos. 1416 and
14l8 Chestnut street, and the adjoining
five-story structure of the Baptist Publica-
ton society and tho American Baptist His
torical society, No. 1920. were destroyed.
The buildings damaged by fire and water
and falling walls were the four-story dry
goods house of Homer, Leboutillier & Co.,
Nos. 1412 und l414; the dwelling house
at 1922, owned by the Wistar estate,
and the Hotel Lafayette at Broad and Sam
some streets. On either side of the main
entrance to the Hazeltine building were
the piano warerooms of Hallett & Davis,
at 1416, and of Steinway u Co., at 141S.
The two Baptist societies lost large and
valuable collections of paintings, books
and curios. The detailed losses have not
yet been made up, but q conservative esti-
mate places the aggregate at close to
100000. 1t is thought that this is al
most fully covered by insurance. Their 9
were about 25O guests in the Lafayette
hotel, which is in the rear Of the destroyed
buildings.
Only the eighth and ninth floors of the
hotel were burned, although the back
part of the building from cellar to roof
were badly damaged by smoke and water.
1t had only been recently opened by new
management, after thorough renovation.
1t was shortly before 3 o'clock when
Policeman Rice and Howard, while patrol
ling their beats, detected the smell of
smoke. They straightway ran to the La
fayette hotel and went from floor to floor
looking for fire. When they reached the
sixth a fierce blaze met their sight. 1t
was in the rear of the Hazeltine
building, which reached dangerously near
the back of the hotel building. An alarm
was struck Immediately, but before the
first engine could reach the scene strong
west wind had carried the flames through
out the entire building. A dozen lines of
hose were turned on the Chestnut-street
front, but the light wood and paper which
stocked the second, third and fourth floors
were easy food for the flames. The upper
part of the building was known as the
Hazeltine art galleries. Many leading ar
lists had studios there, and the arts stored
under the roof aggregated in value thcu-
sands of dollars. At 4 o'clock the walls be-
gan to collapse end the flames spread
on the east of Homer, Leboutil.
lier & Co, and on the west to
the Baptist Publication society. A gen.
eral alarm was turned in and the tiremen
directed most of their energies to prevent
ing the destruction of the entire block,
which was for o time threatened. The
upper portion of the Lafayette hotel was
jgnited by the sparks flying from the burn
ing buildings on Chestnut street. but the
blaze was confined to the eighth and ninth
floors, The fire was not controlled until
after daybreak and lines of hose are still
playing upon it.
The Hazeltine building was valued at
100000 and was fully insured. 1t was
erected in 1883 and the first two floors
were fire proof. The loss on paintings on
the second floor is between $300,O0U and
100000. uninsured.
Among those destroyed were two by H
G. Selous, valued at $4,000 each; one by
Roberts-Fleury, valued at $4,000.
There were 80 officers in the building,
occupied mainly by artists, lawyers and
dentists. Doctors Edward and Curry,
dentists, on the third floor, lost a collec-
ton of South American curios valued at
$4,000, partly insured.
The valuable stock of pianos in the
stores was destroyed, but the amount of
this loss has not vet been estimated.
The Baptist Publication building and
stock were valued at $4OO,OOO; insurance
not given.
The Historical society lost 10000 vol
umes, valued at 100000, and insured for
$4,000.
DR.. Wayland, the eminent divine, also
lost valuable private library, on which
there was no insurance, and DR.. L. G. Stol-
meyer lost $4,000. The losses on the Ho-
mer. Leboutillier and Lafayette buildings
have not yet been estimated. The origin
of the fire has not yet been learned.