The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-26
A VANAMAKER BLAZE.
Fearfully Destructive Fire
on Market Street,
Philadelphia.
This Morn
ing.
FROST AIDS THE FLAMES
Two Firemen Hurt Perhaps Some
Lives Lost-over a Mil
lion Of Damage.
FROST AIDS THE FLAMES

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 2e, 1ss7-one of
the most destructive fires that has visited
this city in recent years broke out short
ly before seven o'clock this morning in
the wholesale and retail grocery store of
Hanscoin Bros, No. 1,317 Market street.
This firm occupied portion of the large
building of Hirsh & Bros, umbrella man
ufacturers, which extended from No. 1909
to No. 1,S17 Market street. The flames
spread rapidly throughout the building
and to the adjoining property. all Of which
We're occupied by mercantile establish
ments. The location is in the heart of
the city and directly opposite the Hirsh
building was the extensive and famous
establishment of John Wanamaker, and
within few hundred yards stands the
spacious City Hall. In addition to the
thousand or more employees of
Wanamaker's, which include several
hundred girls, there were many thousand
other toilers at the time moving towards
their respective places of business and
the result was that the streets in the
vicinity soon became choked with i'm
mense surging crowds. The proximity
of the City Hall also added to the crowd
the great army of city clerks and other
officials. Mayor Warwick, Director of
Public Works Thompson, and other execu-
tive officers at once began the direction
OF the police and iremen. Police ropes
were stretched at points of a block in
every direction and the crowd was gradu-
ally forced beyond them, and the fire
men thus obtained better control of af-
fairs and could more readily reach the
points of vantage with their streams.
The weather was intensely cold, however
and this in a measure deferred their eff
forts in checking the flames.
The Wanamaker establishment was at
one time in flames on its market street
front, but detail of firemen were quick
ly put to work on the building and soon
checked the progress of the fire there.
The loss by fire and water at Wana-
makers, however, will amount to con-
siderable. The entire block on the north
side of Market street from Thirteenth to
Juniper and from Market to Filbert
streets is practically in ruins. The fire
towards eleven O'Clock was well under
control and was confined to the block
mentioned, though constant work of the
firemen will be necessary for several
hours. The loss will in all likelihood
aggregate over a million dollars.
Ihe fire started in a bakery which was
operated by HanScOm Bros, in connec-
tion with their grocery store, and which
was located in the basement thereof
Hanscorn Brothers occupied a portion of
the lower floor and basement of the six
story building, leased by Hirsh Bros, ex-
tenslye umbrella manufacturers, and the
flames were first seen by an employe Of
the latter firm. A crowd soon collected
and 1t being rumored that several bakers
in fho
several rescuers attempted to descend the
stairway. The smoke was too dense,
however, and they were driven back FL
naliy Two young men dashed down the
stairway and succeeded In reaching the
basement. In few minutes they ap-
peared with two bakers who were dazed
from the effects of the smoke. The res
cued employees were taken to drug store
which was subsequently destroyed and
where they received medical attention
the Hirsch building was also occupied
by Dennett's restaurant where. thirty
whom escaped in safety Hirsch and
Brothers utilized a portion of the lower
part OF the structure and all of the upper
STORES s s;S salesroom and manufactory
nearly 5oO hands, a large. percentage Of
them women and girls being employed
Owing to the early hour, however but
SIX 81 Mor5men NO We're In the place before
The intensely cold weather and a high
wind wsts barrier to the firemen and
although six alarms were sounded and
about all of the city's fire apparatus soon
appeared on the scene, the flames spread
with alarming rapidity. In a half hour
the whole block of business establish
ments from Thirteenth to Juniper streets
and from Market to Filbert streets, was
in danger of destruction. The firemen
worked heroically, but their efforts were
futile The spray from the streams of
icicles were formed on the walls and roofs
OF the burning structures. At three
o'clock 1t was clearly evident that the
block was doomed and some attention
was turned to surrounding property. At
this time the wind carried the blazing
embers across Market street to Wana-
makers store and the clock tower was
soon abaze. The fire engines did not
have sufficient force to send the water
to the tower and after burning for some
minutes it fell. The fire then communi-
Gated to the roof, but it was held in
eas1 aas prav aod IL bef Tbs Mnr time
ket street front of the store was badly
damaged, but the interior of the estab-
lishment escaped the ravages of fire,
though considerable damage was done by
water
At nine o'clock, while the flames were
at their height, Chief of the Fire Depart
ment Baxter sent two engines to the vi
cinity of Filbert and Juniper streets, and
several lines of hose were run into Sill
yer street, a small thoroughfare, between
Market and Fdlbert streets and directly in
the rear of the Market street properties.
The firernen stationed there did effective
work and they would probably have pre-
vented the flames from communicating to
the seven story building fronting on Fill
bert street, and occupied by the Dunkp
Printing Company and the Collins Car
riage Company, had not a portion of the
walls Of the Hirsch building fell
The crowd saw the walls totter and
cried for the hremen to run for their
lives. The brave and ice covered workers
started to run, but two or three of them
were struck by the debris and severely
hurt Their names could not be ascer-
tanned. The Market street front of the
Hirsch building fell about half-past six
o'clock, but no one was hurt.
The, flames ragged 1ercely until 1880
control. The engines continued pouring
water or the ruins. however. until late
in the day. 1t was reported that three
employees of the Dunlap Printing Com
pany were also injured, but no particu-
lars of this could be obtained.
The Hirsch building was owned by the
mate value was $5O0OO0. The properly
is believed to have been fully covered BY
Insurance..
The total loss, it was estimated at noon
will aggregate probably 50, 600, ,000 The
MessFs. HirSch were unable to give thar
loss or to state the amount OF their in
A dozen business places on the east
side of Thirteenth street and between
Market and Filbert Streets were damag-
ed, principally by smoke and water.
The streets in the vicinity OF the fire
were covered with Ice and the myriads
of trolley and other wires in the neigh