Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-02-06
FIERCE FIRE IN PHILADELPHIA
Nearly Two Millions Involved
in Flames.
CHESTNUT STREET ABOVE BROAD
The Lafayette Hotel Suffers
Seriously.
Handsome Buildings IN the Centre of the
Block completely Destroyed Guests at
the Lafayette Hotel Compelled to Flee
An Exciting Sunday Morning Blaze.


Block completely Destroyed Guests at
the Lafayette Hotel Compelled TO Flee
An Exciting Sunday Morning Blaze.
Philadelphia, Pa, Feb 2. Chestnut
street, above Broad was visited early
this morning by one of the fercest fires
this city has known for years. The
big seven story building of Charles II.
Haseltine, Nos. 1416 and l418 Chestnut
street, and the adjoining fiye-story.
structure of the American Baptist
Publication Society and the American
Baptist Historical Society, No. 1920,
were totally destroyed.
The buildings damaged by fire and
water and falling walls we're the four
story dry goods house of Homer,
LeBoutillier 4 CO., Nos. 14l2 and 1414;
the dwelling house at No. 1422, owned
by the Wistar estate. and the Hotel
Lafayette, at Broad and SAMSON
streets. On either side of the main
entrance to the Haseltine building
we're the piano warerooms OF Hallett y
Davis, at No. 1416, and of Steinway q
Co. at No. 141S. The two Baptist So
cieties lost large and valuable collec-
tions of paintings, books and curios.
The detailed losses have not yet been
made up, but conservative estimate
places the aggregate at close to 81, OOO,-
O00 1t is thought that this is almost
fully covered by insurance.
HOTEL G GUEsTs AROUSED.
| There were about $50 guests in the
Lafayette Hotel, which is in the rear
Of the destroyed buildings. Among
| these were Porter King, mayor of At
| lanta, Ga, and others of his party,
who escorted the Liberty bell home,
and reached Philadelphia yesterday.
Olga Nethersole, the actress, her
brother, Louis +. Nethersole, and
Madge Meadows and Maude Clayton,
of her company, we're also guests of the
Lafayette. While there was considera-
bic confusion in the hotel. the guests,
barring few fainting women, kept
cool heads, and all were removed in
safety The Atlanta party was carried
| in a patrol wagon to the Continental
Hotel, five blocks away, and the
Nethersole party to the Metropole, OPP
posite the Lafayette
Mayor King of Atlanta, aroused from
his bed by the fire, refused to leave the
threatened hotel until he saw that
every member of his party had escaped
safely. Olga Nethersole was one of
the calmest persons in the building
She saw most of her effects safely re
moved before she left the hotel with he
little Collie dog tucked in her arms
Many of the other guests rushed from
their rooms in their night clothes and
would have continued into the street
had assurance not been given that the
lower portion of the building was in no
immediate danger.
Every other hostelry in the city was
thrown open for the reception of the
disturbed guests. Only the eighth and
ninth floors of the hotel were burned,
although the back part of the building
from cellar TO roof was badly damaged
by smoke and water. 1t had only re-
Gently been opened by new manage
ment, after thorough renovation.
1t was shortly before 3 O'Clock when
Policemen Rice and Howard, while
patroling their beats at Broad and
Chestnut streets, detected the smell OF
smoke. They straightway ran to the
LAFAYETTE Hotel and went from floor tu
floor, looking for fire. When they
reached the sixth, fierce blaze met
. their sight. 1t was in the rear of the
Haseltine building, which reached
dangerously near to the back of the
hotel building. An alarm was struck
immediately, but before the fire en-
) zines could reach the scene a strong
west wind had carried the flames
throughout the entire building.
A dozen lines of hose were turned on
, the Chestnut street front, but the light
wood and paper which stocked the
t second third and fourth floors were
easy food for the flames.
The upper part of the building was
known as the Haseltine Art Galleries
a Es.,A.. IL - fhnr
and the art collections stored under the
roof aggregated in value thousands OF
= dollars.
At A o'clock the walls began to col
, lapse and the flames spread on the east
!. to Homer, Lel3outillier Is Co.. and on
the west to the Baptist Publication
, Society. A general alarm was turned
in and the tiremen directed most OF
their energies to preventing the de-
n struction of the entire block, winch
was for time threatened.
The upper portion of the Lafayette
Y Hotel was ignited By sparks flying
from the burning buildings on Chest.
e nut street, but the blaze was confined
] to the eight and ninth floors.
Z The Haseltine building was valued
t at $500, 600 and was fully insured. II
: was erected in 1888 and the first two
: floors were fire proof. The loss on
paintings on the second floor is be-
4 tween $500. 600 and 5400, 600; uninsured.
. Among those destroyed were two by
< G. II. Seous. valued at $50, 600 each
Q one by Roberts Fleury, valued al
t SlO0 600. There were 80 offices in the
building, occupied mainly by artists,
lawyers and dentists, Drs Edwards
i and Curry, dentists, on the third floor.
!. lost a collection of South American
. curios valued at $40, COO; partly in
!, sured. Other tenants lost sums ranging
: from $50 to $1,000.
! The valuable stock of pianos in tht
), stores on the first floor was destroyed,
: but the amount of this loss has not yet
. been estimated.
The Baptist Publication Building
I and stock were valued at Sl00. 600; in
= sured. The Historical Society lost
10. 900 volumes, valued at $500, 600, ano
insured for S25, 600.
Dr. Wayland, the eminent divine,
also lost a valuable private library, or
i which there was no insurance, and DR..
E L. G. Stelmoyer lost 1000.
Bnsy at Edge Moor.
preSidant Harry O. Morse Of the