The Dickinson press., 1897-01-30
FIRE FIEND'S WORK
PHILADESPHIA HAS A TllREE.-MIl.-
LlON.DOLLAR CONFEDERATION.
The Most DixnstrOus Fire In Recent
Years Visits Philadelphia nnL
Thirty Businexs Houses Feel Its
Awful Fury-Wanamnkc DiE
Store Saved After U stubborn
Fight.

Philadelphia, Jan. 2S.-'rhemost dis
this city In recent years broke out In
the rear Of the basement Of the base.
ment of the big grocery store Of Hans
com Bros. 1917 Market street, and be-
fore the flames were gotten under con-
troll, property amounting in value to
S2,:OO,0W or more had been destroyed
Immediately adjoining llanscom Bros.
on the west was the fivc-story building
occupied by Blum Bros. minufactur-
ers Of ladies' clOaks. The flames spread
with almost lightning lapitlity, and
Blum Bros. building was soon mass
Of flames. The next building on the
west to he eaten up by the raging fire
was that occupied by George Marshall
as restaurant; then came the hat
.nanufactOry of George B. Wells. Mt
1923, ut the rear Of the wholesale
grocery Of ShOwell Il Fryer. 1925 Mar
ket street.
While the flames were sweeping west
on Market street the umbrella manu-.
factory of Hirsch Bros, the largest in
the world, caught fire and was de-
stroycd.
Wnnn ma ker'a ScIlOrchcll.
At $40 a. III. fire was discovered in
the tower of John Wanamaker'S big
dry goods store. Tho tower contained
Il handsome clock and chimes. AT .
o'clock the entire tower collapsed. the
clock falling through to the first floor.
Two lines Of hose were then gotten ON
top Of the gigantic structure. and the
flames which had threatened to de-
stroy Ihilndclphin's most famous store
were soon under control. Smoke pen.
etratcd almost every portion of the
store. and the damage to delicate dry
goods from. this cause will he heavy
Had the flames licked up Wanamakers
the destruction of the big buildings on
built.
Had the fire occurred an hour or
two later the results would have been
appalling. The burned district Is tho
very heart of the business center Of
the city. across the way from the man.
moth city hall and around the corner
from the Pennsylvania station. The
blaze had not been under way half
hour before the thousands of employees
of the destroyed business houses began
il0cking to the scene to begin their
daily work. Many of the larger estab-
lishments, including Wanamakcrs,
employed Il large number of women
and girls, and had the disaster come
during business hours panic with it's
consequent loss of life would have
been inevitable.
The Losses.
The heaviest losers are Hirsch Bros,
who suffer about $4OO,OOO. The build
ing was valued at $5OO.0tO. Blum
Bros. will lose about $15O.OOO: Hans
com Bros, $125,O0O; Dennct's rcstau-
rant, $75,OOO; Sterner Il Ball, S:O.OOO;
Mizpah restaurant. $15.OOO; Hillman
Drug company, $4,000; Marshall's RES
taurant. $25O0O; George Il. Wells. $2;,-
600; Showell u Fryer, $5O,OU); James
Goodwin. $4,000; James Dickson, $5,-
600; Du llap Bros, $2OO,OOO; Furlong's,
$4,000; Wanamaker. 100000; Nick
olacky's. $15.OOG; A. McCunc Il Co.,
$4O,OOO; s. ii. Hull, $4,000; Budd Il
Kite. S5.NO. The loss on the small
buildings will reach in the neighb0r-
hood of $4OO,OOO Nearly all the suf-
fcrers from the fire are fully protected
by insurance.