Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-01-29
RUIN BY FIRE.
Valuable Property in Various
Cities Licked UP by Flames.
THE QUAKER CITY A GREAT SUFFERER
ConRagration in the Heart of Philadel-
phia Causes Loss of Over S2,5OO,-
OOO--Thirty Buildings burned
Big Fires in Chicago.


fore the flames were under control
property amounting in value to $780,
600 or mole had been destroyed.
Immediately adjoining Hanscom
Bros on the west was the fve-story
building occupied by Blum Bros, man
ufacturers of ladies' cloaks. The flames
spread with almost lightning rapidity,
and Blum Bros building was soon a
mass of flames. The water seemed al
most to freeze before it touched the
buildings, so bitter cold was the
weather.
The next building on the west to be
eaten up by the raging fire was that
occupied by George Marshall as res
taurant; then came the hat manufac-
tory of George B. Wells, at 1923, and the
rear of the wholesale grocery of Show
ell & Prayer, at 1925 Market street.
While the flames were sweeping west
on Market street the umbrella manu-
factory of Hirsch Bros, the largest in
the world, which adjoined benefits res
taurant, caught fire. The inflammable
nature of the immense stock of light
silks added fuel to the seething flames
and in half an hour the beautiful eight
story building extending from 1909 to
1915 Market street was mass OF flames.
Many Firms Burned Out.
On the east of the Hirsch building,
between 1909 and 1901 Market street,
were the following tenants: The Miz-
pah restaurant, 1907; Sterncr & Ball,
wholesale and retail cigar factory, 1905 !:
wholesale and retail confectionery of
A. Nicholacky, 1903; the big drug store
OF a. Hilman at 1901, the upper story
Of which was occupied by Potter Bros.
as a photograph gallery. On the north
side of Hirsch Bros factory, immedi-
ately across Silver street, stood the new
seyen-story building of Dunlap Bros.
the only printing firm in the state with
capacity for printing the big blanket
Australian ballots. This building ex-
tended from 1906 to 1910 Hilbert street
and was 100 feet deep. The first floors
Were occupied by the Collins Carriage
company. The flames swept through
this big structure and cleaned it out
completely. The small buildings on Sill
yer street, which runs west from Thir-
teenth to Juniper, were all destroyed.
Wanamaker's in Danger
At s:15 o'clock fire was discovered in
the tower of John Wanamaker's big
dry goods store. A stream of water
from one of the water towers was run
up to the burning structure, but the
supply of water was either too small
or the structure objective, as the stream
would not reach. The tower contained
handsome clock and chimes. At nine
o'clock the entire tower collapsed, the
clock falling through to The first floor.
Two lines of hose were then raised
on top of the gigantic structure and
the flames, which had threatened to
destroy Philadelphia's most famous
store, were soon under control. The
fire had been confined entirely to the
Market street front and the loss sus-
tanned by Mr.. Wanamaker was princi-
pally in the destruction of the clock
and chimes and the breaking Of all
the plate glass windows on Market
street.
4, Flames Spread.
Up to this time the flames had been
confined to the block bounded by Fill
bert street on the north, Thirteenth
street on the east, Market on the south
and Juniper on the west. The wind
was blowing from the west aid carried
the flames right into the rear OF the
buildings on Thirteenth street. The
first building to catch fire was that OF
Jacob Miller, gents furnishing goods
o North Thirteenth street. Then came
'.he cigar factory of L. Tarbliss g. Co..
at North Thirteenth street; McCune
d Co., manufacturers of picture frames,
10 and 70; d. Pither, dry goods, No. IA;
g. 81. Shull, drugs, No. 16; Heines,
bakers, No. 1S; the Cafe dc Blamberg,
No. 20; Budd & Kite, jewelers., No. 22;
private residence and barber shop. No,
~; Huber G. Weber, dry goods, No. 90.
j. Fl. Stall, jeweler, occupied the first
floor of 2s North Thirteenth, and Viii.
liam II. Steiff, wall paper manufac.
turer, the remainder of the building
Foley's restaurant, at 80 North Thir.
teenth, and james Furlong's saloon, at
Be- and 81, were the last in the row from
Market to Hilbert street ALI of these
buildings were completely burned out
In many instances nothing is left stand.
Ing but the bare walls. The flames ate
their way almost directly northwes,
from the rear of Blum Bros building
destroying the rear of Shovel & Fray
er's big grocery. The rear part of Nos
2, 8, II, Is, Is, II, 10, 81, % and rs NORTH
Juniper street, which buildings are usee
as law Offices and private residences
was completely burned out.
City Hall Saved.
When the fire was at its height flame,
were discovered on the window sashe,
on the side of the big city hall which
was exposed to the terrible heat. TIL,
city hall fire department. ran line o
hose to the roof and in few minute
had the massive structure free from al
danger.
The walls of Hirsch Bros. factory col
lapsed soon after eight o'clock. TIL
other walls left standing resemble,
huge icebergs.
Between three and four o'clock al
alarm brought the department to SO
Chestnut street, where flames ha
broken out in the fifth story of the build
Ing occupied by o. S. Bunnell, whole
sale statloner. ne MS WIS eA1An
1uished with loss of about $10,0 900.
Shortly before six o'clock another FIR
started on the sixth floor OF the big car
pet store OF John & James Dobson, sOe
$40 and S12 Chestnut street. BY har'
work the flames were confined to tn
sixth story, but the water soake'
through every floor to the basement
mr.. ~ ,.a xyoc FLIED with extensive car