The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-03
Charles X. HazletOn's Seven-Sto-y
Structure and the Baptist Build
ing Adjoining Burned.
HOTEL LAFAYETTE DAMAGED
UNINSURED PAINTINGS WORTH OVER
100000 DESTROYED.
All the Occupants of the Hotel Res
cued 80 Olga Nethersolc One of the
Coolest Persons I'm the HOstelry.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. o. Chestnut
street. above Broadway, was visited early
this morning by one of the fiercest fires
this city has known for years. The big
seven-story building of Charles III. Hazel
tine, Nos 14l6 and 14fS Chestnut street. and
the adjoining five-story structure of the
American Baptist Publication Society and
the American Baptist Historical Society,
No. 1420, were destroyed. The buildings
damaged by fire and water and falling
walls were the four-story dry-goods house
of Homer, LIE Boutilier Co., Nos 14l2 and
14l4, the dwelling house at 1922. owned by
the Wistar estate, and the Hotel Lafayette.
at Broad and Sansom streets. On either
side of the main entrance to the Hezeltine
building were the piano warerooms of
Hallet & Davis. at No. 1416, and of Stein
way & Co., at No. 14lS. The two Baptist So
cieties lost large and valuable collections
of paintings, books and curios. The de-
tailed losses have not yet been made up
but a conservative estimate places the ag-
gregate at close to s2,000,OO0. 1t is thought
that this is almost fully covered by insur-
alce.
There were about 250 guests in the Lafay-
ette Hotel, which is in the rear of the de-
stroyed buildings. Among these were Por-
ter King, Mayor of Atlanta, Ga, and the
others of his party who escorted the Lib
erty bell home and reached Philadelphia
yesterday. They are Albert Howell, 7. B.
Neal, w. H. Block, John F. Ryan, w. l..
Bell II. l.. Culberson, W. A. Hemphill, A.
ID. Adair, w. X. Dumnock, NJ. l.. Taburt J.
Daniel and p II. Harralson. Olga Neither
sole, the actress, her brother, Louis +.
Nethersole, and Madge Meadows and Maud
Clayton. of her company. were also guests
of the Lafayette. While there was consid-
cradle 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, 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
damaged by smoke and water. 1t had only
recently been opened by a new manage
ment. after thorough renovation.
FLAMES TANNED BY THE WINDS.
1t was shortly before 3 o'clock when po-
licemen Rice and Howard, while patroiiing
their beats at Broad and Chestnut streets,
detected the smell of smoke. They straight
way ran TO the Lafayette Hotel and went
from floor TO floor. looking for fire. When
they reached the sixth a fierce blaze met
their sight. 1t was In the rear OF the Hazel
tine building, which reached dangerously
near to the back of the hotel building.
An alarm was struck Immediately, but be-
fore the first engines 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 second, third and fourth
floors were easy food for the flames The
upper part of the building was known as
the HaZeltine Art Galleries Many leading
artists had studios there and the art col
lections stored under the roof aggregated in
value thousands of dollars. At 4 o'clock
the walls began to collapse. and the flames
spread on the east to Homer, lie Boutillier
& CO. and on the west to the Baptist Publ
cation 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 flying
from the burning buildings on Chestnu,
street, but the blaze was confined to the
eighth and ninth floors. The fire was no,
controlled until long after daybreak, and
lines of hose are still playing on IL.
Mayor King, of Atlanta, when 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 most OF
her effects safely removed before she left
the hotel, with her 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 thai
the lower portion of the building was in nc
immediate danger Among the guests were
| Jennie Steele, of Terre Haute.
The Hazetine building was valued a.
| 100000, and was fully insured. 1t wa!
| erected in 1888. and the first floors were
| fire proof" The loss on paintings on the
second floor is between 100000 and 100000
| uninsured. Among those destroyed wer,
| two by G. III. Selous. valued at $4,000 each
| one by Roberts-Fleury. valued at $4,000
| There were thirty-nine offices in the build
| ing. occupied mainly by artists. lawyers
| and dentists. Drs. Edwards and Curry
dentists, on the third floor, lost a collection
| of South American curios, valued at $4,000
partly insured. Other tenants lost SUM
ranging from $50 to 1900. The vaiuabl
stock of pianos in the stores on the frs
floor was destroyed. but the amount of thi
loss has not yet been estimated.
The Baptist Publishing Society house wa
valued at 100000; insured. The Historica
Society lost ten thousand volumes, values
at 10000, and insured for $4,000. DR.. Way
land, the eminent divine. also lost
valuable private library. on which ther
was no Insurance. and DR.. T. c. Stelmerle
lost $4,000. The losses on the Homer-L
Boutilier and Lafayette Hotel building
have not yet been approximated. Th
| origin of the fire has not been learned