The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-27
RAVAGED BY FLAMES.
Costly Conflagration in the City
of Philadelphia.
LOSS, TWO AND A HALF MILLION.

Block Bounded by Thirteenth, Juniper,
Market and Filbert Streets Goes Up i'm
Smoke Tower on Wanamaker's Big
Building Catches Fire and Coilapses-
Business Portion of Nebraska Town
Licked Up by Flames-Other Blazes.
Philadelphia, Jan. 27.-The most dis
astrous conflagration that has visited
this city in recent years broke out
shortly before o'clock Tuesday MORN
ing in the rear of the basement of the
big grocery store of Hanscom Bros,
1917 Market street. and before the flames
were gotten under control, property
amounting in value to 81. 900 or more
had been destroyed. The flames were
first discovered by John Wagner, re-
serve policeman who was passing the
big building at $3.50 o'clock. He i'm
mediately turned in an alarm. Before
the engines reached the scene the entire
rear portion of the Hanscom & Dem
nett's big restaurant was ablaze. "A
second alarm was then sent in, and
| few moments later general alarm
was sounded. Immediately adjoining
Hanscom Bros. on the west, was the
FIVE story building occupied by Blum
| Bros, manufacturers of ladies' cloaks.
| The flames spread with almost light
ming rapidity and Blum Bros. building
was soon mass Of flames. The water
seemed almost to freeze'sfbefore 1t
touched the buildings, so bitter cold was
the weather.
Other Buildings Catch Fire.
The next building on the west 10 be
eaten up by the raging fire was that
occupied by George Marshall as a res
taurant; then came the manufactory OF
George b. Wells at 1928, and the rear OF
the wholesale grocery of Showell d
Fryer at 1925 Market street. While the
flames were sweeping west on Market
street. the umbrella manufactory OF
Hirsch Bros, the largest in the world
which adjoined Dennett's restaurant
caught fire. The inrlammable nature
of the immense stock of hght
silks added fuel to the seething hames'
and in half an hour the beautiful eight
story building extending from 1909 to
1915 Market street, Vas mass ol
flames. on the east of the Hirsch pullu'
ing. between 1909 and 1901 Marker
J street were the following tenants Inc
Mizpah restaurant, 1907; Sterner
} Rail-. wholesale and retail cigar rae
, tory, 1905: wholesale and retail con
fectionery of A. Nickolacky, 1903 anc
! the big drug store of II. Hiliman
1901. the upper story of which was oc
) cupied by Potter Bros. as photograph
gallery
D Big Printing House Quilted.
n On the north side of Hirsch Bros
factory, Immediately across ollVe
street. stood the new seven-story pulid
ing of Dunlap Bros, the only prlntln'
!. firm in the state with capacity 10
: printing the big blanket Australian pal pa
> lots. This building extended from lou
to 1910 Filbert street, and was loo Zee
deem. The first floors were occupied o.
the Collins Carriage company. IN
names swept through this big structur
and gutted 1t completely Inc siiia
buildings on Silver street, which run
4 west from Thirteenth to Juniper, wer
ALL gutted The shop or Cohtrac'o
Lewis Havens caught fire from the rea
of Blum Bros, and three firemen wei
caught by a falling wall. Frank fipt
of engine company 80 was the only ma
seriously injured. At S:15 a. M III
was discovered in the tower OF Jon
Wanamaker's big dry goods store.
stream of water from one OF the wat'
towers was run up to the burnir
- structure. but the supply OF water wa
either too small or the apparatus q
fective as the stream would not reac
The tower contained handsome cio'
and chimes.
Il Collapse of the Tower.
y Ata o'clock the entire tower collapse
the clock falling through to the hr
ooor. Two lines Of hose were then &c
ten on top of the gigantic structure al
the flames which had threatened
ve destroy Philadelphia's most Iamo
% store was soon under control. The n
"a had been confined entirely to the Ma
- ket street front and the loss sustain
:" hv Mr.. wanamaker was principally
the destruction Of his clock and chim
and the breaking Of all the large pls
class windows on Market street.
roof of the building was ablaze at o
time and It seemed as though the ent
Or structure was doomed. but the ne
% onerated by the employees of the
asto oh,ishment kept the fire WIFI