Evening journal., 1896-02-03
PHILADELPHIA'S BLAZE
Nearly $2,ooo,ooo of Property
Destroyed by Fire.
MARROW ESCAPE OF HOTEL GUESTS

tion Society Buildings In Ruins.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 3.-Chestnut street
above Broad was visited by ono Of the
flercest fires this city has known for years.
The big seven story building of Charles II.
Haseltine, 1416 and 141s Chestnut street,
and the adjoining five story structure Of
the American Baptist Publication society
and the American Baptist Historical So
ciety, 1920, wero totally destroyed. The
buildings damaged by fire and water and
falling walls were the four story dry goods
house of Homer, Leboutillier & Co., 1412
and 1414; the dwelling house at 1922,
owned by tho Wistar estate. and the Hotel
Lafayette, at Broad and SAMSON streets.
On either side of the main entrance TO
tho Haezltine building were the piano
warerooms of Hallett & Davis, at l416,
and of Steinwny g. Co., at 14l6. The two
Baptist societies lost large and valuable
collections Of paintings, books and curios.
An estimate of the losses places the ag
gregate at close TO s2, 100000 1t is thought
that this Is almost fully covered by insur-
ance.
There were about 250 guests In the La
fayette hotel, which is in the rear Of the
destroyed buildings. Among these were
Porter King, mayor Of Atlanta and the
others Of his party who escorted the Lib
orty bell home. They arc Albert Howell
T. b. Neal, W. H. Block, John f. Ryan,
W. l.. Culberson, W. A. Hemphill, A. ID.
Adair, W. r. Dumnock, NJ. l.. Taburt, ].
Daniel and p. II. Harralson.
olga Nethersole One of the Guests.
Olga Nethersole, the actress, and Louis
f. Nethersole and Madge Meadows and
Maud Clayton of her company were also
81 I q
| considerable confusion in the hotel most
Of the guests, barring a few fainting wom-
en-. kept cool heads, and all were removed
in safety. The Atlanta party was carried
in patrol wagon TO the Continental hotel,
| five blocks away, and the Nethersole party
to the Metropole, opposite the Lafayette.
/ 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 recently been opened
by a new management after thorough rem
ovation.
While patrolling their beats, at Broad
and Chestnut streets, Policemen Rice and
| Howard detected the smell Of smoke
They straightaway ran TO the Lafayette ho-
| tol and went from floor TO floor, looking
/ for fire When they reached the sixth, a
l fierce blaze met their sight.
1t was in the rear of tho Haseltlne build
| ing, which reached dangerously near to
l the back of the hotel building An alarm
was struck Immediately, but before the
| first engines could reach the scene a strong
west wind had carried the flames through
out the entire building
Art Gallery on Fire.
Hose was 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
| Haseltine art galleries Many leading art
lists had studios there and the art collec-
tions stored under the roof aggregated in
value thousands of dollars. The walls
soon began to collapse, and tho flames
spread on the cast to Homer, Leboutillier
q Co. and on the west TO the Baptist Pub
lication society.
A general alarm was turned in, and the
flremon directed most of their energies to
| preventing the destruction of the entire
block, which was for time threatened.
Tho upper portion of the Lafayette hotel
was ignited by flying sparks from tho
burning buildings on Chestnut street, but
the blaze was confined to the eighth and
ninth floors.
Mayor King of Atlanta, reused 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 removed before she left
the hotel with her little collie dog tucked
e IL. . -. .
rushed from their rooms I'm their night
clothes and would have continued into the
street had assurances not been given that
the lower portion of the building was in
no immediate danger.
The Principal Losses.
The Haseltino building was valued at
$500. 600 and was fully insured. 1t was
erected in 1885, and the first two floors
were fireproof. The loss on paintings on
the second floor is between $500, 600 and
s4OO 600; uninsured Among those' de
stroved were two by q. II. Selous, valued
at 500, 900 each; one by Roberts Fleury,
/ valued at $4,000. There were 80 Offices
in tho building, occupied mainly by art-
lists. lawyers and dentists. Drs. Edwards
| and Curry, dentists, on the third iloor,
| lost a collection of South American curios
| valued at $40 600; partly insured. Other
tenants lost sums ranging from $50 to
1900.
The valuable stock Of pianos in the
stores on the first floor was destroyed. But
the amount Of this loss has not yet been
! estimated.
The Baptist Publication building and
stock were valued at s800,000i insured
The Baptist Historical society lost 10, 0Ol
volumes, valued at 5000, 600, which were
insured for S25, 600.
Dr. Wayland, the eminent divine, also
lost a valuable private library, on which
there was no insurance, and DIR. / G.
Stelmoyer lost s. 1000.
Tho loss on tho Lafayette hotel Is esti
mated at $780, 0OO Homer, Lcbcutilliel
& Co.'s loss is so. 600. Tho tenants o
the Publication society's building los'
about S25, 900.
Eight or nine freinen were injured by
, falling bricks, but noneof them were dan
gerously hurt Frank Hines Of Pittsburg
; a guest at the Lafayette hotel, In descend
ing the stairs. tripped and fell and broki
! | his arm and several ribs. These were III
] only casualties.
The origin of the fire has not yet beer