The morning news., 1897-01-27
DIG FIRE AT PHILADELPHIA.
INV, prILDINGs IN THE HEART OF
THE CITY BURNED.

rstimatcd at $1,5OO,OOO.
Thousand working People
So, ont of EmplOyment-A
raoLseeper Dies From Heart Dis
uroueht on by Excitement
'..o citv Hall Just Outside of the
rire's Limits.
pH,a5elphia, Jan. ga fire, which
I'd at Gas o'clock this morning from
,rer-beated oven in the basement Of
a. .;v-storv iron building 1909 to 1917
,+e.,st street burned over the block
..u5o5 bv Thirteenth street and Juni-
strset and Market and Filbert streets,
3.s.roved or Quilted sixty buildings and
oonspmed property valued at $'5OOVo.
,t,rv small store keepers lost their all
- several thousand working people were
.sr,un out of employment. The damaged
,..nstngs we're generally fully insured.
,rbo fire was the worst that has been
.,nsrisnced in Philadelphia in a genera
ion The scene of the destruction was
,,,ote5 in the very heart of the city.
,,arv of the properties destroyed, esDe-
,iauv on Thirteenth, Juniper and Silver
.+rsots the latter a small thoroughfare
rrnning between Market and Filbert
streets were small old-fashioned dwell
i inc houses, and aside from the loss to
.boir tenants their destruction will prob
oblv he to the ultimate good, if newer and
more modern buildings are erected on their
sites
surrounding this section, though, are
\ manv handsome wholesale stores, and on
the south side Of Market street, directly
onnoste where the fire ragged the terc-
est is located the famous general store of
ex-Postmaster General John Wanamaker.
Though on fire time and again, and while
II the frontage on Market street was badly
q damaged. the store was saved from de-
sruction.
To the west of the fire, but separated
from it by the great width of the street
q and pavement at this point is the great
& nile of white marble buildings used as
the city hall Beyond the cracking of
Il some Of the plate glass windows by the
intense heat, the han escaped unscathed.
While there were a number of minor
casualties among the firemen, no one was
very seriously hurt but one death is
= cbargeabe to the fire. John A. Felt,
/.
firm in the vicinity, dropped dead from
heart disease produced by the excitement
attending the fire.
The building at 1909 to 1917 Market street
4 was occupied on the upper floors by the
Fl umbrella mandatory Of Hirsh Brothers.
Fl They also occupied the lower floor of 1909
as a salesroom.
Dennetts eating cafe occupied two other
rooms on the ground floor and the west
ern room of the building. 1917 Market
street was occupied by Hanscom Bros,
Fl gTocers. The Hanscom Brothers used the
81 basement of their store as a bakery and
in this basement two bakers were at work
81 this morning. Their furnace was over
. heated a little spark flew out, a blaze
"a followed, and almost in an instant the
"a Two Workmen were stretched half con-
seious on the floor by the overpowering
smoke.
The smoke curled it's way up through
the floor and a porter at work sweeping
out the room, dashed into the street call
q ing fire. policeman at the corner rung
IN an alarm, and then went back to the
building to investigate the fire. Some
one hethought themselves of the two
bakers and two young men, employed in
lhe establishment bravely descended
through the smoke and dragged the half
slHocated men out.
me first engine was on the scene three
minutes after the alarm was struck, but
Ae Ire was already bursting through the
looTs. 1t was a fearful morning to fight a
me- Inc thermometer was near zero and
we iIrSt line of hose, as 1t was unreeled,
oufst ana covered everything surrounding
with water that turned to ice the mo-
lent 1t struck The flames gained on the
Aleinen and alarm after alarm was rung
auul every engine in the city was hurry
ing to the scene.
thousands Of workers on their way to
leH PAGES of business were attracted by
-e ILe and the streets in the vicinity
ssuAy became impossible from the Gu
ous ana sursing throng. The police force
ny. & Uae crowd back by hard work and
tt .ler ropes up and the firemen were
NY 10 work at better advantage.
iAe trolley cars were brought to a
'I'S'lli and the deadly wires by which
are run began to snap in the vicinity
we nre and hang down into the street,
to.y'Ahs death to all who came in con-
~ ""H Them. The current, however,
ayerted. '''N ''ii9 uaHsei was
,bot. names in the meanwhile, had eaten
way up through the Hirsch building
r-,.e ..ohe through the roof. Hirsch Bros.
m, about 800 hands, mostly girls,
vbs IeN OF them had arrived at work
6er- '"' iire broke out, those that were
'"SIy made their way to the street
M "e Hames reached the upper sto-
ry"S wind from the west famed the
inv. .'If.ed burning brands of destruc-
M l' roofs Of the surrounding houses.
,rra,. i''" worked under the most dis
i5er.D's conditions, the hosemcn and
anal taking their lives in their
a.oo.a as lhey crawled cautiously up the
her ,1 runss Of their ladders. dragging
noa..i I''n taeir lines of hose which we're
rso, j." solid covering of ice. The
q - around the fire were coated with
nair,,i "e''her men nor horses could
|r.s.cc ,Aeir footing except by the ex-
tbo .le greatest caution. The fronts
ne ,.., Ii IgAnding buildings upon which
eartis'ei mad been played presented a
Ton tb.lr 'sClacle' as they flashed back
SUM- vans lne rays OF the morn
fog,a "Ienen's rubber coats stlffenod
anbel .uem and frequently some bs.
ais. ,.I 'Han was borne away by his com.
athr hurried to the hospital bv The
s ambulances. ~ '"'
was ny OF the fire as IL grew laro
uubo. Uie great quantity OF smoke Thi.
noks "auqlcapped the firemen MI,
tree, times would descend 70 -,
renep M an almost solid cloud ana IN,
reab were driven back gasping foI
as 5oy,.on ESs seen that the Hirsch build,r,