Evening star., 1897-01-26

ed on the sixth floor of the big carpet store
of John & James Dobson. Sos, $40 and 81.
! Chestnut street. Ply hard work the flames
were confined to the sixth story, but the
water soaked through every floor to the
| basement. The store filled with ex.
| pensive carpets. rugs and upholstery, and
| the loss caused by water and smok5 ex-
| ceeded 100000.
AT 10:3o am a defective flue started a
| hre in Cochrans oyster house, g05 Filbert
street, four blocks from where the big fire
was raging on the same street. This proved
| to be only a minor affair, the flames being
| confined to the third stcry, and the loss to
| 5000.
1t was while almost the entire depart
ment was battling against the fire at Dob
sons that an alarm was sounded from 18th
| ana Chestnut streets. Everybody in Phla.
.eipnia who hears of an alarm from this
locality mStinctvely cries "Wanamaker' -
Inc great store covers the entire block
bounded by Chestnut, Market 18th and
Junirer streets, and as the building Was
constructed years ago, many CT the fire
proof features of more modern structures
are lacking. The firemen soon found, how
ever, that the iiames had attacked the
block opposite Wanamaker's or the north,
separated from the big store by Marke t
streets width of 12o feet.
Saving Wanamakcr's.
When it was apparent that the block
originally attacked was doomed, squads Of
tailed to try and save Wanamaker's. This
structure, with the goods piled up within
its four walls, represented a money value
Of over S1o,tO0,oo0. Despite the efforts of
the city hremen, reinforced by Wanamak-
ers fire brigade. the high wind prevailing
forced the flames across Market street
after they had been fought off for an hour
and ! alf. The fire first caught in the
nigh tower on the Market street corner.
This supported a big clock and chimes
which rang out every half hour. Little
patches OF fame made their appearanca
along the edge Of the roof of the main
structure, and the excitement among the
hremen was intense. All knew that if the
names IN Wanamaker's once got beyond
control there was no telling where the con-
fla grafton would stop.
All breathed deep sigh of relief there
fcre, when the announcement was made
that beycnd the destruction OF the tower
tHe ScorHhlnS of paint and woodwork rn
the Market street front and the cracking
Oh the Dig plate glass windows, the ire
would not further damage Wanamaker's
smoke penetrated almost every portion of
the store, and the damage to delicate dry
goods from this cause will be heavy. Had
the flames enveloped Wanamaker's moth
ing could possibly have prevented the de-
s1ructlon @ OF scores of big buildings on
Chestnut street, which is narrow and close
ly built.
Mr.. Wanamaker Not Disturbed.
Mr.. Wanamaker was early on the sca,o
At present he employees 400 people and as
many men in this army of employees as
"ould De OF use in fighting the flames were
admitted to the store. The admirable pre-
cautions that the infammabie nature of
the structure had made necessary rendered
tne work OF the trained fire brigade easv
and at the same time effective. Mr.. Wana
maker said to an Associated Press renortar
az $50 am: THE fire is confined To 1ba
Market street end Of my store and three
hours after the firemen are out of the nIaco
seven-eighths Of the store will be ready
for business" S'u'
concerned man in the great crowd az IL
quletiy made his way from one part of tho
estaolshment to another directing tba
movements of his employees. Mr. Wana
n aker does his own insuring, and his lcss
is therefore covered in this way.
A Spectator Falls Dead.
Thrilling incidents were not wanting
While the fire was at its height an em-
ploye Of the carpet firm of WINS. Die,z G.
Magee, whose building is in the block he
low that devastated by the flames on Mar
ket street, was overcome by the excite
ment and suddenly dropped dead
James Furlong, proprietor of the saloon
al the corner of Juniper and Filbert streets
is critically Ill of pneumonia When the
flames began to eat their way to his place
squad Of hrenien carried him from bje
sick bed into the bleak streets, and he was
hurriedly taken to a nearby hotel, The ex-
element and shock may cost him his life
Shortly before noon a second fireman was
injured. He is William German, aged th.r
ty-two years, assistant foreman of COM
pany No. 1. He was struck by falling
(Continued on Eleventh Parel