The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-27
.f|DE DESTROYS A BLOCK
Thirty Buildings Destroyed in
Philadslphia's Business Center.
LOSS NEARLY TWO MILLIONS.

LOSS NEARLY TWO MILLIONS
One Man Drops Dead from Excitement and
Two Firemen Iujursd--Ths Big City
Hall Blistered by Heat and Plate Glass
Windows Cracked.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. ga tiny spiral
| Of smoke curled out Of the cellar window
Of a big building on Market street at 8 so
o'clock in the morning. A few hours later
ono Of the most valuable blocks of real es.
tate In the city had been consumed in a
raging flame 1t was the block bounded
by Market, Thirteenth, Filbert and Juniper
streets, in the very heart of the city. A
few steps to the right doomed the massive
city hall around the corner stands the
great Pennsylvania railroad terminal, and
directly across the way John Wanna
makers grsht store stretched from street
to street. So fierce was the flame and so
strong the wind which aided its destruc-
tive work that even this building, distant
the width of Market street, was saved al
most by miracle from total destruction,
and Mr. Wanamaker places his loss at
100000.
The total loss is variously estimated at
from 81 100000 to 100000, but in the
chaos and confusion now existing it is all
but impossible to secure accurate figures
The losses are very generally covered by
insurance
The fire originated In the basement Of
the six story building extending from 1909
to 1877 Market street, occupied in the
lower floors by Hanscom Brothers, gro
GERS and above by the umbrella factory
Of Hirsh g. Bro The smoke was discov-
cred by policeman, who promptly turned
In an alarm, but the fire made such head
way that before the engines could be put
to work the building was q mass of
flames.
With uncomfortable rapidly 1t then
spread In all directions, destroying about
thirty buildings before it had bsen finally
controlled. The fire reached the big tower
Of Wanamaksrs store about an hour after
1t started, and tho energies Of the depart
ment were then almost concentrated upon
saving that building. The tower was,
however, entirely destroyed, together with
the valuable clock chimes; the roof all
along the Market street front was badly
damaged, and great deal Of the stock in
the front Of the store suffered from smoke
and water.
The buildings wholly or partially de-
stroyed were: Market street-l3O3-03,
Potter g. Co., photographers; John Hill
lam, druggist; 1905, G. X. Sterrer, cigars;
1907, H. l.. Roberts & Co., photographers;
l309-17, Hirsh e. Bro, umbrellas; Hans
com Brothers. grocers; A. W. bennett,
restaurant; 1919. Blum Bros, cloaks and
r. a Walls hats. mon 1ohn n;oksnn
ba.to 100, Sho,o,, e. Tura noas
a numbar Of snaI, tbrsa-stoSn str,ot,n.s
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In The ,y,ndoyv frames along the s;yth
go,r of Inc aa - front ~ tho nobl,c bnild.
inos north ,ro1n MarLot STRAIT and I'll.
.1ea5a,, r.o,na 90 aoonsho5 Iii, ~
manH n,ocas tho marbla in tho front ~
tha han r ~ o,ao,-.a Th,s :, nartiouiari1-
trna of tho ,narbIa a.urse diroc,lv ovar
tba entrance IN Tho aast aida Tb,s is
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stronad buua;na ""'
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and thuoatanad tha dastnrot ~
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700 Nc ~ Ave- and ,rater tgh;o, ,ra orar.
tauad IN Tho hni,dino at +bo nortna.st oor.
NOR ~ Innirsr and Fiibsrt strasts Thssa
-aa.uas - -, .,;aa oo,os, ~ a.uoat -
Tho puhlic buildinoo ubaro thay ,yara da
,os;taa In ono ~ tha roo,,,s IN tho soyontb
bonr A1tor Tho flamas ware aotten under
.ontro, thaso raoords ,vara rstnrnsd tn tho /,
huresus ' w. WAY
Nv r,sr dronnad do,a ~ ovo,t.ma,t
,,,,,,,or -, oannot A., ~ 1ooo uau,~ot
,treet Fe,t who was an old man beeame
,rcited while heln,np to oet goods ont Of
,he Store and suecumbed to heart disease.
Ia was \ native of Roston
Two f,reman were ininred nv the fallino
r.l,s ubilo anra,od IN t,rbt;,o tho AZ