The herald., 1897-01-27
B[|ZZARD'S BREATH
FANS THE FLAMES
Licking Up Philadelphia
Property
THE WORST FIRE IN RECENT YEARS
Rolls Up a Heavy Bill of Dam.
ages
TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
Will Scarcely Cover Losses on Buildings
and Stocks
TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
Will Scarcely Cover Losses on Buildings
and Stocks
Wauamaker's Fsmous Establishment Barely
Escapes Total Destruction
The Firemen Badly Hampered by Cold,
Which Froze the Water in the
Air-Other Fires in Various
Parts of the Country.

Aiiih<ADILI IllA, Jan. GA tiny
spiral of smoke curled out of the cellar
window of big building on Market
street at $3.50 o'clock this morning A
few hours later one of the most valuable
blocks in the city had been consumed
In raging flame. 1t was the block bound
ed by Market Thirteenth. Filbert and
juniper streets, in the very heart of the
city. "A few steps to the right looms the
massive city hall; around the corner
STANDS the Pennsylvania railroad termi-
nal. and directly across the way Joh,
Wanamaker's great store stretches from,
street to street. So fierce was the flame
and so strong the wind which aided its
destructive work that even this building
distant the width of Market street was
saved almost by miracle from total de-
struction, and Mr.. Wanamaker tonight
places his loss at 100000. The total losN
is variously estimated at from 81, 900, 900
to $4,000 900, but in the chaos and confu-
sion 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 1917 Market street, occupied on
the lower floors by Hanson Brothers, and
on the floors above by the umbrella fac
tory of Hirsch Brothers.
With uncomfortable rapidity 1t sprea d
In all directions. destroying about thirty
buildings before it was controlled The
fire reached the big tower on Wanamak
ers store about an hour after it started,
and the engines of the department went
to work to save that building The tow
er was destroyed. together with the val
uaDle clock and chimes. The roof all
along Market street was damaged, and
a great deal of stock in the front of the
store suffered from smoke and water.
Several firemen were injured, but none
seriously, and one man dropped dead of
excitement
The flames were first discovered by
John Wagn% a reserve policemen. Be
fore the p.gtnes reached the scene the
entire rear portion of Hanscom's store
and Dennett's big restaurant were
ablaze. The second alarm was sent in
and in few moments later a general
alarm. Immediately adjoining the Han
scom Brothers on the west was five
story BUILDING occupied by Blum Broth
ers. manufacturers of ladies' cloaks.
This was soon mass of flames. The wa
ter seemed to freeze ilmost before it
touched the buildings. The next build
ing. on the west to be eaten up was that
occupied by George Marshall as a res
taurant; then came the hat manufac-
tory of G. E. Wells and the rear of the
Wholesale grocery of Showell & Fryer,
1925 Market
While the flames were sweeping west
on Market street, the umbrella manu-
factory of Hirsch Brothers, the largest
in the world, which adjoined the res
taurant caught fire. The infammable
nf a n it,,t,, .
terial added fuel to the flames, and in
half an hour the building extending
from 1909 to 1916, eight stores on Market
street. was a seething mass of flames
On the east of the Hirsch building, be-
tween 1909 arAl 1901 Market street, were
1.-The following tenants: Mizpah restau-
rant, Sterne & Ball, cigar factory; Nick
olacky, confectionery, and the big drug
store of II. Hilhman, 1901, the upper story
or which was occupied by Potter Broth
ers as photograph gallery.
On the north side of Hirsch Brothers,
Immediately across Silver street. stood
the new seven-story building of Dunlap
Bros. This building extended from 1906
TO 1910 Filbert street and was 100 feet
oeep The first floor was occupied by
the Collins Carriage company. The
flames swept through this structure,
Euttir's 1t completely, The small build
ings on Silver street, which runs west
from l3S to Juniper street, were all gut
ted. The shop of Contractor Lewis Hav-
ems was caught by falling wall Frank
l'lper or Engine company Nl 80 was the
only man seriously hurt
The wind was blowing from the west
ana carried the flames into the rear of
the buildings on Thirteenth street. The
hrst building there to catch fire was that
OF Jacob Miller, gents furnishings. Fiji
teen other shops and stores on North
Thirteenth street were gutted The
flames ate their way almost directly
northwest from the rear of Blum Bros
building, cutting the rear of Shovel G.
Fryer's big grocery store The rear mart
of Nos. 20 to 25 North Juniper street,
used as law offices and private resi-
dences, was completely burned ont
While the fire was at it's height flames
were discovered on the wirriow s,ashes of
the big city hall. The city hall fire de-
partment ran line to the roof and in a
few minutes had the structure free from
dianger. Then fire started in the big car
pet store of John and James Hobson.
Chestnut street. BY hard work the
flames were confined to the sixth story.
but the water soaked through to the
basement. Lose 800, 900.
1t was while almost the entire depart.
ment was battling against the fire at
Hobson's that an alarm was sounded
from Thirteenth and, Chestnut streets
Everybody in Philadelphia who heard
of an alarm from this locality instinct
lively crded, "Wanamaker's." The great