Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-03
s1,075,O0O FIRE
In HazeItine and Adjoining Buildings
at Philadelphia.
Hottest and Most Destructive Bl.zc in Quaker
City for Years.

Philadelphia, Feb 1.-The fercest. most
stubborn and most destructive fire that
has visited Philadelphia In years, broke
out mt 500, this morning, in the cellar of
the Hazeltine building, 14lG and 1ilS
Chestnut street, and before it was sub
dued, the Hazeltine building and the
American Baptist Publication Society )
building, 1920 and 1422 Chestnut street.
were destroyed. the dry goods store Of
Homer Leboutillier g. Co, 14l2 and l414
Chestnut street, was badly damaged, and
the rear of Hotel Lafayette, which faced
on Broad street, was damaged s75, 900.
The approximate total loss by The fire is
81, O75, 900; the greater part of which is
covered by insurance. The cause Of the
fire is not definitely known.
When the firemen arrived the IIazeltine
building was already mass of flames in
the interior. The building was seven
stories IN height, with an ornate front of
brick and terra Gotta. IL was very sub
stantially built, and at first the flremep
thought they could coniine the fire within
Its walls. The flames spread through the
building with great fury and be fire was
| soon beyond the control of the flrcmen ON
the ground Several alarms brought
nearly every fire company In the city %
the scene. The flames leaped high into
the air and burst out in the rear Of the
building on Sansom street, and threatened
the handsome clubhouse Of the Union
League Club with destruction, but forth
pately the wind blew the flames and
sparks in another direction.
The rear stories of the Lafayette hotel
lowered high above the Hazetine build
ing and the flames leapcd over the wall to-
ward the hotel BY this time most Of thu
guests in the hotel had been awakened,
and as the building seemed in imminent
| danger, they were warned to leave.
Scantily clothed, the men and women
poured out into Broad street. dragging
with them their trunk and bags. The
night cabmcn gathered harvest Of dol
lars in conveying the guests TO other
hotels Police patrol wagons were pressed
into service for this dury.
The fire spread from the Hazcltine build
ing % the four story marble building -
the Baptist Publication Society, and thie
was soon a mass ot flames Like the
Hazcltine building, iJ extended 2SH feet
I back from Chestnut street To SAMSON
street The Lafayette hotel was only re
Gently reopened after being altered and
refurnIshed at q cost Of s5O1 000. II was
% fire ri least 81 time but the depart
ment did splendid work and confined the
flames 10 rooms on the eighth and ninth
floors, facing the fire.
The party wall of the Hazeltine build
ing towering three stories above the dry
goods store Of Homer I.ehoutillier & Co.
fell in upon the latter place and crashed
through the skylight in the center Of the
store into the cellar. The fircmen poured
= great volume OF water upon the smok
ing mass OF bricks and saved the store
from destruction. II was not until the
Hazeltine building and thr Baptist build
ing were entirely destroyed, and after FIVE
hours hard work. that the FIRE was sub
ducd.
The Hazeltlne building WAS owned by
Charles 4. Hazeltue, art dealer The
ground floors were occupied by the Stct-
son Piano Co, and the secood floor by Mr.
Hazeltne a. an art gallery. The rest Of
the building was taken up with studios
sud offices. Only the front wall of the
building remains standing. The loss on
the building Is probably $3.50 000, and Mr.
aazeltne claims that his stock of pictures
vas worth Sl50ooQ The building was
fully insured. aud there was partial in
surance on the pictures J. b Woodford
manager Of the Stetson Co could not esti-
mate his loss, hut II is probably about
SIS GOO; fnlly insured.
The loss to the tenants Of the building
will probably foot up S25, 600 more. The
loss TO the American Baptist Publication
Society Is $3.50, 900 on stock and machin.
cry, and $3.50, 900 on binding; insurance
on stock, 5000 coo, and building. $Il5.-
geo. In the cellar Of the Baptist Publila
ton Society in vaults is $500, 600 worth Of
, plates Of publications, but 1t is not known
whether these were destroyed. The most
serious loss to the Publication Society i.
the destruction of the valuable library of
{ the Baptist Historical Society ana
several hundred historical papers OF the
, denomination that cannot be replaced.
The tenants of the Publication Society s
building lose about $50. GOO Homer lie
boutillier & Cos. loss is So. 900: covered
by insurance. The loss on the LAFAYETTE
hotel is IS, coo by fire and water. This
loss is covered by insurance The hotel
was owned by the Moro Phillips estate.
ana leased by H. G. Smith, Il well known
Western hotel man The hotel was re-
opened, this evening, for guests Eight
or nine firemen were njured by falling
bricks, but mono Were dangerously hurt.
, a guest at Lafayette hotel, in descending
the stairs, tripped and fell, and broke an
arm and several ribs. This was the only
- casualty