The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-03
AN IMMENSE BLAZE.
Philadelphia Has a Two Million
Dollar Fire.
WORKS OF ART DESTROYED
And Valuable Manuscripts Belonging
to the Historical Society and
the Baptist Society.

prs.ssalphia. Feb. s-Chestnut street.
sbovs Broad. was visited early this morn
Ing bv one CT the fie-esst fires this city
has known for years. The big severn
stcry building OF Charles n. Haze,tina.
ard the adjoining nve-story structure OF
the Baptist Publication Society, and the
American Baptist Historical Society.
were destroyed. The buildings damaged
by frs and water and falling walls were
the four-story dry goods house Of Homer.
IetcrtilIier g. Co.. the dwelling house at
No. 1l2a, owned by the wistar estate, and
TIE hotel la Fayette, at Broad and SAM
son, streets. The two Baptist societies
lost large and valuable collections OK
paintings. books and cur.os. The detailed
losses have not Yet been made UP. but
conservative estimate places the aggre-
gate at close to s2.ooo000. II Is thought
tina. this is almost fully covered by in
sursrce.
There were about $50 guests in the La
Fayette hotel, which is In the rear OF the
destroyed buildings. Among these were
Porter King, mayor OF Atlanta, Ga, and
the Others Of his party who escorted the
Liberty bell home. and reached Philadel-
phia yesterday. Olga Nethersole, the
actress, her brother Louis Nethersols ard
Madge Meadows and Maud Clayton. OF
her company, were also guests OF the La
Fayette. While there was considerable
confusion In the hotel. the guests, bar
ring a few fainting women, kept cool
heads, and all were removed In safety.
The upper part of the Hazletine build
ing was known as the Hazeltine art gall
leries. Many leading artists had studios
there. and the works of art
stored under the roof aggregat-
ed in value thousands Of dollars.
Al a o'clock this morning the walls began
TO collapse, and the flames spread on the
T.l1 q ~
and on the west to the Baptist Pubkca-
ton Society. A general alarm was turned
in, and the fremen directed most of their
energies to preventing the destruction OF
the entire block, which was for a time
threatened. The upper portion of the La
Fayette hotel was ignited by sparks fly
ing from the burning building on Chest
nut, but the blaze was confined to the
eighth and ninth floors. The fire was not
controlled until long after daybreak, and
lines of hose are still playing upon it. The
Hazeltine building was valued at 500 600.
and was fully insured. 1t was erected in
ISSS and the first two floors were fire.
proof. The loss on paintings on the Sec
ond floor Is between $4,000 and 100000.
uninsured. Among those destroyed Were
two by II. G.. Selous, valued at $4,000
each; and one by Roberts-Fleury, valued
at $1,000. Drs. Edward and Curry. dent
lists on the third floor, lost collection
of South American curios, valued at slo.-
900; partially insured. Other tenants sus-
taired losses ranging from $50 to $1,000.
The valuable stock of pianos in the stores
on the first floor was destroyed. The
Baptist Publication building and stock
were valued at s40o. 900; insurance not Civ
en-. The Historical Society lost 1000 VOL
umes. valued at $4,000. and insured for
$4,000. DR.. Wayland, the eminent divine,
also lost valuable private library, on
which there was no insurance. The losses
on the Homer-LeboutellIer and La Fay
cite hotel buildings have not yet been
aprroximated. The originsof the fire has
not been learned.