The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-27
MILLION DOLLAR BLAZE.
IN 1T WANAMAKER IS BADLY
MIXED UP.
His Great Store Is Badly Scorched
Cold Weather Adds to the Other
Horrors-Just a Little too Early
TO Catch the Clerks at Work, or
Many Lives Would Have Been
Lost.

u.
Philadelphia, Jan. 26.-One of the
most destructive fires that has visited
this city in recent years broke out
shortly before : o'clock this morning.
in the wholesale and retail grocery
store of Hanscom Bros, No. 1917 Mar
ket street This firm occupied a por-
ton of the large building of Hirsch &
Bros, umbrella manufacturers, which
extended from 1909 to 1917 Mar
ket street. The flames spread rapidly
throughout the building and to the ad-
joining properties. all of which were
occupied by mercantile establishments.
The location is in the heart of the city,
and directly opposite the HirSch build
ing was the extensive and famous es-
adjustment of John Wanamaker, and
within a few hundred wards stands
the spacious city hail. In addition to
the thousand or more EMPLOYEES of
Wanamaker's which included several
hundred girls. there were many thou
sand other toilers at the time moving
toward their respective places of bust
ness, and the result was that the
streets in the vicinity soon became
The proximity of the city hail also
added to the crowd the great army of
CITY clerks and other officials. Mayor
Warwick, Director of Public Works
Thompson and other executive officers
at once began the direction of the po-
lice and firemen. The weather was in
tensely cold, and this in a measure de-
tered the efforts of the firemen in
checking the flames. The Wanamaker
establishment was at one time in
flames on the Market street front, but
detail of firemen was quickly put to
work on the building and soon checked
the progress of the fire there. The en-
tire block on the north side of Mar
ket street, from Thirteenth to Juniper,
and from Market to Filbert streets, is
practically in ruins. %
STARTED IN A BAKERY.
The fire started in a bakery, which
was operated by Hanscom Bros, in
connection with their grocery store,
and which was located in the basement
thereof. Hanscom Bros. occupied
portion of the lower floor and base
ment of the six-story building used by
Hirsch Bros, extensive umbrella manu-
facturerS, and the flames were first
seen by an employee of the latter firm.
Two employees of the bakery, dazed
from the effects of the smoke, We're
rescued and taken to drug store, which
was subsequently destroyed. The
Hirsch building was also occupied by
Dement'S restaurant, where 80 girl
mattresses were employed, all of whom
escaped in safety. Hirsch Bros. util-
lied a portion of the lower part of the
structure and all of the upper stories
as salesroom and mandatory,
nearly 500 hands, large percentage of
them women and girls, being employed
Owing TO the early hour, however, but
six wOrSmen were in the place and
they left before the fire became gen
eral. The intensely cold weather was
a barrier to the fremen, and although
six alarms were sounded and about all
Of the city's fire apparatus soon ap-
peared on the scene, the flames spread
with alarming rapidity. In half an
hour the whole block of business con-
Germs from Thirteenth TO Juniper
streets and from Market to F'ilbert
streets was in danger of destruction. |
The firemen worked hard, but their eff !
iorts were futile. The spray from the
streams of water fell over them and |
,roZe, and huge icicles were formed /
IN the walls and roofs of the burning
structures.
AT o'clock it was clearly evident |
that the block was doomed. and some |
attention was turned to surrounding |
property. AT this time the wind car
ried the blazing embers across Market
street TO Wanamakers store and the
clock tower was soon ablaze The fire
engines did not have sufficient force
to send the water to the tower, and
after burning for some minutes it fell.
The fire then communicated to the roof,
but it. was held in check and in COM
paratively little time was practically
eXtinguished. The Market street front
If the store was badly damaged
SAW THE WALLS TOTTER. |
At 9 o'clock, while the flames were
1t their height, Chief Baxter sent two
engines to the vicinity of F'ilbert and
Juniper street, q small thoroughfare
between Market and Hilbert streets,
md directly IL the rear of Market
street properties. The firemen stationed
here did efficient work to prevent the
lanes from spreading to the building
occupied by the Dunlap Printing COM
ANY and the Collins Carriage COM
amy. The crowd saw the walls totter
md cried for the firemen to run for
heir lives. The brave and ice-coVered
workers. started TO run, but two of
hem were struck by the debris and
everely hurt. The Market street front
f the Hirsch building fell at about $50
clock, but no one was hurt.
The flames ragged fiercely until IL 80
clock, when they were gotten under
ontrol.
The Hirsch building was owned by
he Henry G. Gibson estate. The streets
4 the vicinity of the fire were COW
red with ice, and the trolley and other
Tres in the neighborhood were broken
own. The efficient police regulations,
OWeVer, in keeping the crowds at q