The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-01-29
A CONFEDERATION.
Nearly Three Million Dollars Worth
Of Philadelphia Properly Destroyed.
John Wanamak-rs Store Was Among
the Buildings That Were Endang cred
-Hir>ch's Umbrella Factory, With
Other Big Concerns, Destroyed.

Otner big Concerns, Destroyed.
PHILADELPHIA, jan 27=0ne OF the
most destructive fires that have visited
this city in recent years broke out
shortly. before z o'clock Tuesday morn
ing In the wholesale and retail grocery
store of Hanscomb Brothers, No. 1917
Market street. This firm occupied
portion of the large building Of Hirsch
& Brothers, UMBRELLA manufacture
ers, which extended from 1909 to
1917 Market street. The flames spread
rapidly throughout the building and
2 to the adjoining properties, all of which
were occupied by mercantile estab-
ishments. The location is in the
heart of the city and directly opposite
the Hirsch building is the extensive
and famous establishment Of John
Wanamaker, and within few hun
dred yards stands the spacious city
hall
In addition to the one thousand or
more employees of Wanamakers, which
includes several hundred girls, there.
were many thousand other toilers at
the time moving toward their respect
i've places of business, and the,result
was that the streets in the vicinity
soon became choked with immense
surgiNg crowds. trI PIT. S
The weather was intensely cold, and
this in a measure deferred the efforts
of the fremen in checking the flames.
The anamaker establishment was at
one time In flames on the Market
street front, but detail of fremen
was quickly put to work in the build
ing and soon checked the progress of
the fire there. The loss by fire and
water to Wanamaker's, however, will
amount to considerable. -
The entire block on the north side of
Market street. from Thirteenth to
Juniper and from Market to Hilbert
street, is practically in ruins. The
fire toward IL o'clock was well under
control and was confined to the block
mentioned. The loss will in all likeli-
hood aggregate $1,000, 900.
The fire started in a bakery, which
was operated by Hanscomb Bros, in
connection with their grocery store.
Hanscomb Bros. occupied a portion Of
the lower floor and basement of the
six-story building leased by Hirsch
Bros, and the flames were first seen
by an employe of the latter firm.
Two employees of the bakery, dazed
from the effects of the smoke, were
rescued and taken to a drug store,
which was subsequently destroyed.
The Hirsch building was also occupied
by benefits restaurant, where 30
girl walters were employed. III
Hirsch Bros. utilized portion of the
lower part of the structure and all of
the upper stories as a salesroom and
mandatory, with nearly 500 hands, a
large percentage of them women and
girls, being employed
Owing to the early hour, however,
but six workmen were in the place,
and they left before the fire became
general A
The intensely cold weather and the
high wind were barrier to the fire.
men, and, although six alarms were
sounded and about all of the city's fire
apparatus soon appeared on the scene,
rapidity. In half hour the
whole block of business estab.
Eshments from Thirteenth to
Juniper street, and from Market to
Hilbert was in danger of destruction
The fremen worked heroically, but
their efforts were futile. The spray
from the streams of water fell over
them and froze, and huge icicles were
formed on the walls and roofs of the
burning structures.
The wind carried the blazing embers
across Market street to Wauamaker's
store, and the clock tower was soon
ablaze. 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 COM
municated to the roof, but it was held
in check, and in comparatively little
time was practically extinguished.
The Market street front of the store
was badly damaged, but the interior
escaped.
Two brave, ice-covered workers were
struck by debris and severely hurt.
The Market street front of the Hirsch
. building, fell at about $50 o'clock, but
no one was hurt
SIMPLE CEREMONY,