The news & observer., 1897-01-27

long : Saloon, at d. ana Oh, were Lne ldSL
in the row from Market to Filbert street.
III of these buildings were completely
gutted. In many instances nothing il
left standing but the bare walls. The
flames ate their way almost directly
northwest from the rear of Blum Bros
building, quitting the rear of Shovel q
Fryers' big grocery. The rear part of
Nos. Z, 8, II, 13, 10, II, 10, q, % and %
North Juniper street, which buildings
are used as law offices and private resi-
dences, was completely burned out, leav-
ing only the front walls standing in some
cases. The flames communicated with
1902 Filbert street from the rear of Fur
longs saloon and quickly burned out
1902 and 1904, dwellings, occupied by
lawyers.
While the fire was at its height the
flames were discovered on the window
sashes on the side of big City Hall, which
was exposed to the terrible heat. The
City Hall fire department ran a line of
hose to the roof and in a few minutes
had the massive structure free from all
danger.
The walls of Hirsh Bros factory col
lapsed soon after s o'clock. The other
walls left standing resemble huge ice
bergs, being covered with a heavy coat
ing of ice.
Previous to the breaking out of the
big fire, there were two other fires within
half a mile Of Wanamaker's, and just
about the time the fremen had gained
control Of the great conhagration an
alarm coming from q point within four
blocks caused portion Of the army Of
fire-6ghters to scurry away with their
engines.
Between and a. m, an alarm
brought the department to 533 Chestnut
Street, where flames had broken out in
the fifth story of the building, occupied
by O. s. Bunnell, wholesale stationer
The fire was extinguished with loss
of about $4,000. Shortly before 8
o'clock another fire started on the sixth
floor of the big carpet store Of John and
James Dobson, 80S, $40 and 812 Chest
nut street BY hard work the flames
were confined to the sixth story, but the
water soaked through every floor to the
basement The store was filled with
/ expensive carpets, rugs and upholstery
and the loss caused by water and smoke
exceeds 100000. At 1890 a. m, de-
feetive hue started fire in Cochran's
oyster house. 905 Filbert street, four
raging on the same street. This proved
to be only a minor affair, the flames be-
ing consfned to the third story and the
less to $4,000.
The heaviest losers are Hirsh Bros,
who suffer to the extent of about S40O.-
600. The building was owned by the
estate of Henry G. Gibson, the well
known distiller and was valued ut
about $50O000.
Blum Bros, who occupied 1919, viii
| lose about S150,000 on stock; Hansc0m
Bros, $125,000 on stock; Dennetts res
taurant stock and fixtures, $4,000; Ster-
ner & Ball, $4,000; Mizpah, restaurant,
$4,000 Hillmans Drug Company, S75,-
| 600; Marshalls restaurant, $4,000:
| George g. Wells, 600; Shovel &
Fryer, $4,000; James Goodwin, stained
| glass, $4,000; James Dickson, heaters
| and ranges, S5,000 Dunlap Brothers,
| S20O.0OO on building and machinery
Furlongs, $4,000; John Wanamaker,
| 100000; Nickolaekys, $4,000; A. Me-
Cune & Company, $4,000; s. Shull,
drugs, $4,000; Budd Il Kite. $4,000.
The loss on the small buildings viii
reach in the neighborhood of $400,000.
Nearly all the sufferers from to-day's
fire are protected by insurance. While
the fire was at its height an employee
Iof the carpet firm of WINS & Magee.
whose building is in the block below
that devastated by the flames on Market
street, was overcome by the excitement
aud dropped dead.
Shortly before noon n second fireman
was injured He is VIM. German, aged
go years assistant foreman Of Company
No. l. He was struck by falling bricks
and timbers and badly hurt about the
neck and head