The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-03
PHlLADELPHIA'S ScoRcHER.
DESTRUCTIvE AND STUBBORN sun
DAY MORNING BLAZE.


The Handsome HazeItIne BuIIaing
and the BuiIdinE of the Americans
Baptist Publication Society Hurn-
ed with other PrOperty-stafement
of the Various Losses and Insur-
ance-A Large Number of Valuable
Stereotype Plates OF the Baptist
Publication Society Probably De-
stroyed-IIard and Effective WORKS
Done by the FIremen.
Philadelphia, Feb. 2-The forcest. mos6
stubborn and most destructive fire that
has visited Philadelphia IN years broks
out at 3.2O o'clock this morning In the
cellar Of the Hazeltlne buildings, No. 1A5
and lflS Chestnut street, and before Il had
been subdued the Hazeltine building and
the American Baptist Publication socie-
tvs building. at Nos. 142O and 1872 Chest-
nut street. were destroyed, the dry goods
store OF Momer LeBoutilller & Co, No.
lil2 and 1i4 Chestnut street. was badly
damaged, and the rear OF the Hotel La
tayette, which faces on Broad street. was
damaged TO the extent Of $4,000 The ap-
proXimate total loss by the fire is s, ,075. COOS
the greater part of which is covered BY
insurance. The cause OF the FIRE Is nos
dennitely known. When the hremen ar.
rived, the Hazeltlne building was already
mass of flames In the interior. The
building was seven stories in hight. with
an ornate front OF brick and terra Gotta.
IL was very substantially built and al
iirst the firemen thought they could cons
me the fire within its walls. The flames.
however spread through the building with
great fury and the fire was soon beyond
the control OF the department. Several
alarms brought nearly every fire company
n the city TO the scene. The flames
iieaPeu up nigh into the air and burst Qua
IN the rear OF the building on Ransouf
street and threatened the handsome club
mouse OF the Union League Club with de-
Fortunately. the wind blew tho flames
mn gnd sparks in another direction. The
rear stories Of the Lafayette hotel tow
eIea hlsh above the Hazeltne building.
and the flames poured over the wall tSs
ward me hotel. by this time most OF the
suSsts N the hotel had been awakened.
1a 1na as tne building seemed In Immediate
Danger, they We're warned to leave Scanf-
iiy clothed men and women poured into
yrOdu tr,,,is. street dragging with them their
ruhks ana bags, All the night cabmen
IN the neighborhood had been attracted
20 the scene, and they garnered a har-
~ o,I Id u9naIs m conveying the guests
were also pressed into service for this
aulty, lll.y ana among those who avalled them
serves OF this sort Of a vehicle was Mavor
forter King OF Atlanta, and the other AZ
ialtans who came on here with the ,libertv
1sii: 1,d - Ihey took possession Of one patrol
another, and they passed the remainder
ot the night IN the Continental hotel.
er dne IRE N the meanw hile had spread
story marble building of the American
btptist Publication Society and this. ton'
WAS soon mass of flames Like the
Hazeltine building, IL extends 2sO feet bani5
from Chestnut to Samson street The Ia
Iayette ns, hotel has. only been recently re-
opened, after having been altered ana re-
furnished at a cost OF $500. 600 '''1 ~
ne nremen directed the most of their
attehtlon toward saving this building II
WIS WIS on nre at least half hundred times
but the department did splendidlv en-
cient work and confined the fiames 10
me rooms on the eighth and ninth floors
IIaclhg the fire, The party wall of the
Hazeltine building towering three stories
above the dry goods store OF Homer Ie-
1,ioda nionsiliier , d Co. fell in upon the latter
place ana crashed through skylight in
ihe center Of the store into the cellar
me hremen, however, poured a great
g Siphihe nm, OF water upon the smoking mass
ti ot pricks ana saved the store from de-
struction. II was not until the Hazeltina
building and Baptist building had been
Sbntl5Te,y ba r5 Ii, destroyed and after FIVE hours
The Hazeltine building was owned bv
Charles II. Hazeltne, an art dealer. The
son Plano Company and the second floor
Dy Mr.. Hazeltine as an art gallery The
gtlsd, resi- OF the building was taken up with
building remains standing The loss ON
the building IS probably $3.50, 900, and Mr..
Hazeltlne claims that his stock Of pic
lures was worth $4,000 The buIidinw
was fully covered by insurance. and there
was partial insurance on the picturea-
j. y. Woodford, manager of the Stetson
company, could not estimate his loss. but
u is probably about $4,000 fully insured
The loss TO the tenants OF the building
Will probably foot up $4,000 more
The loss to the American Baptist Pub
hcation Society is $4,000 on stock and
machinery and $4,000 on the building on
the stock there is an insurance OF s1OoO00
ana on the building $1i5,OO0 In the ceiler
OF the Baptist Publication Society in
vaults, is $500, 900 worth Of plates of pub
locations, and it is not known whether
these have been destroyed. The most Sc
rious loss to the publication society is
the destruction of the valuable library
OF the Baptist Historical Society and
several hundred historical papers OF the
denomination that cannot be replaced.
The tenants of the publication society
building lose about $4,000.
Homer LeBoftillier & Co.'S loss is S75-
900, insured. Tine loss on the Lafayetts
hotel is $4,000 by fire and water This
loss IS covered by Insurance. The hotel is
owned by the Moro Phillips estate and
Is leased by III. G. Smith, a well-known
western hotel man. The hotel was re-
opened this evening for guests.
Eight or nine fremen were injured by
falling bricks, but none of them were
dangerously hurt Frank Hines of Pitts
burg guest at the Lafayette hotel, in
descending the stairs tripped and fell and
broke his arm and several ribs These
were the only casualties.