The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-27
Wanamaker'S Famous Store Mar
rOwly Escaped Destruction.
~ TREMENDOUS FIRE RAVAGED
THE BUSINESS CENTER OF PHIL
ADELPHIA YESTERDAY, CAUS-
ING A LOSS OF NEARLY TWO
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS-THE
F1REMEN MADE A GALLANT
FIGHT AGAINST THE FLAMES -
MANY OTHER FIRES.


Philadelphia, Pa Jan. 26.-The fire
which started at 6:45 O'Clock this morn
ing from an overheated oven i'm the base
ment of the sX-story iron building, 1909
to 13lI Market street, burned over the
block bounded by Thirteenth, Juniper,
Market and Hilbert streets, quilted sixty
builuings and consumed property valued
lost their all, and several hundred work
ing people were thrown out of employ
ment The damaged buildings were gen
orally fully insured.
The fire was the worst that has been
experienced i'll Philadelphia in Il genera.
ton. The scene of the destruction was
located in the heart of the city. Many of
the properties destroyed, especially on
Thirteenth, Juniper and Silver streets,
the latter II small thoroughfare, were
small, old fashioned dwelling houses,
Their destruction will probably be to the
ultimate good, if new and more modern
buildings are erected, but it is hard on
the tenants.
Surrounding this section there are
many Wholesale stores: and on the south
side of Market street, directly opposite
where the fire ragged, is located the famous
store OF eX-Postmaster General Wanama.
ker. Though on fire time and again, and
while the front on Market street was
badly damaged, the store was saved from
destruction
To the west of the fire, hut separated
from 1T by the great width of the street
aud pavement ut this point, is the grea;
pile of white marble buildings used rs the
city hall.
Beyond the cracking OF some OF the
la trln mi, .,
the hall escaped unscathed.
While there was Il number of minor
casualties among the iircmcn, no one was
very seriously hurt, but one death is
chargeablc TO the fire. John A. Felt, 4,
Eook-keeper in the employ IF IL firm near
the fire, dropped dead from heart disease,
produced by the excitement.
The building ut 1909 to 1917 Market
street was occupied on the upper doors
by the umbrella factory OF IIrsh Bros.
They also occupied the lower floor of 1909
rs Il salcsroOm. Deunctt's eating cafe
occupied two other rooms on the ground
floor, and the western room of No. 1877
Market street was occupied by Hanscom
Bros. grocers. The Hnnsrom Bros used
the basement Of their store ts II bakery,
and in this basement two bakers were at
work this morning. Their furnace was
overhcatcd, II little spark flew out. Il
blaze relieved, ana almost in an instant
the two workmcn were stretched uncon.
scious on the floor Ly the overpowcring
smoke. The smoke curlcd its way up
through the floor, and II porter ut work
sweeping out the room dashed into the
street calling ''Firc.'' y policeman at
the corner rung in an alarm, and then
went back to the building to investigate
the fire. Some one bethought themselves
of the two bakers. and two young men
descended through the smoke and drag
Ged the half sutlocate,i men out.
The first engine was on the scene three
minutes after the alarm was struck. but
the fire was already through three floors.
The thermometer was near zero and
the first line Of hose burst and covered
everything surrounding with water, that
turned TO ice the moment it struck. The
flames gained on the iiremen, and alarm
otter alarm was rung i'll until every en-
CINE in the city was hurrying to the
scene.
Thousands o. workers on their way To
their places of business We're attracted To
the place OF fire. and the vicinity soon
became impossible. The police got the
crowds back by great efforts and 90,
their fire ropes up. The trolley cars were
brought to II standstil, ana the deadly
wires by which they are ran began to
snap in the vicinity Of the fire, threaten.
ing to deal death to those who came in
contact with them The current was
turned off, and this danger was avoided.
The flames noN had eaten their WAY mp
through the llirsh building and broke
through the room. This firm employed
about fifty hands, mostly girls y strong
wind from the west famed the fire and
carried burning brands of destruction to
the roofs OF the surrounding houses.
The iiremcn worked under the most
discouraging conditions, the hosenIen and
laddcrmen taking their lives in their
hands rs they crawlcd cautiously up the
cy-coated run2s Of the ladders. dragging
after them their lines of hose, which was
cncased in solid covering of ice. The
streets around the fire were coated with
ice, and neither men nor horses could
maintain their footing except by the eX
erclsc of the greatest caution
The fronts upon the surrounding build
ings upon which the water had been
played, presented IL beautiful spectacle as
they flashed back from their icy walls the
rays of the morning sun. The hrcmen's
rubber coats stiifencd around them, and
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