Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-26
SWEPT BY HUNGRY FLAMES
Philadelphia Experiences the Great
est ConfagratiOn of Re-
cent Times.
SEVERAL RIREMEN ARE BADLY INJURED
The Fire Started in the John Wana-
maker Establishment and Spread
to Adjoining Buildings.

New York, Jan. ga fire which started
in the basement of six story building
at 30 Pearl street to-day, brought out the
whole fighting force in the lower section
of the city. The basement was occupied
by Walden Il Co., wholesale liquor deal
ers. The floor above, and adjoining the
building we're occupied by Percy Kent,
dealer in cotton, packing and baling.
The loss to the latter was $4,000, COW
cred by insurance. Walden & Go. will
lose about 100000, only partially insured.
GRAIN ELEVATOR DESTROYED.
Chicago. The large grain elevator of
W. H. Purcell, Mating g. Co. at 133d at.
and the belt line track burned to-day.
Before the department arrived the whole
structure was enveloped in flames and the
firemen we're severely handicapped by a
scarcity of fire plugs and also by the
intense cold. The elevator was recently
rebuilt, and the two former structures
were heavily damaged by fire.
WAY UP IN THE MILLIONS.
Philadelphia. most disastrous
conflagration that has visited this city in
recent years broke out shortly before z
O'Clock this morning in the basement of
big grocery store belonging TO Hanson
Bros, at 1917 Market street., and proper
ty amounting to the value of $2,50O,000
was destroyed before the engines reached
the scene. The rear portion Of Hans
com's, and Deunett's big restaurant, from
whence came the alarm, was saved. I'm
mediately adjoining Hanscom Bros, on
the west, was five story building occu-
pied by Blum Bros, manufacturers of la
dies cloaks This was soon mass of
flames and water seemed to freeze before
it reachd the building. The next build
ing on the west to be eaten was that oc-
cupied BY George Marshall as restau-
rant. Then came the hat factory of g. E.
Wells, and the rear of the wholesale
grocery of Shovel & Fryer, at 1926 Mar.
ket street. While the flames were sweep
ing west on Market street the umbrella
manufactory of Hirsch Bros. the largest
in the world, caught fire. OF an infam-
mable nature the immense stock of light
silks only added fuel to the flames, and in
half an hour the building, extending from
1909 to 1915, with eight stores on Market
street, was one mass of flames.
The wind was blowing from the west,
and carried the flames right into the rear
of the building on 18th street. Fifteen
stores on north 18th street were COM
petely gutted. The flames ate their way
almost directly northwest from the rear
OF Blum Brothers building, quitting the
rear of Shovel & Frier's big grocery
store. The rear part of Nos. to rs
North Juniper street used as law Offices
and private residences, was completely
burned out. The walls of Hirsch Bros.
factory collapsed soon after 8 O'Clock.
Other walls left standing resemble high
ice bergs. Early this morning fire broke
out in the fifth story of building occu-
pied by 0. Il. Bunneil, Wholesale stationer,
on Chestnut street. The loss will be
about $4,000. Shortly before 6 O'Clock
fire started in the big carpet store of
John. and James Dobson, on Chestnut
street. By hard work the flames we're
confined to the sixth story, but the water
soaked through to the basement. Loss
100000.
On the east of the Hirsch building, on
Market street, there were the following
tenants: Mispath restaurant, Sterner &
Boll's cigar factory, Nicolacky's confec.
tionary and big drug store, II. Hillman.
the upper story of which was occupied
by Potter Bros, as a photograph gallery
and on the north side from Hirsch Bros,
and Immediately across Silver street,
stood the new seven story building of
Dunlap Bros. This building extended
from 1906 to 1910 Filbert street. The
first floor was occupied by the Collins
Carriage company. The flames swept
through this structure quitting it com.
pletely together with small buildings on
Silver street, which runs west from 130th
to Juniper streets. These we're all got.
ted.
Three firemen we're caught by falling
wall and Frank Piper was seriously in
jured.
pHrnADELpHIA's 8 FAMOUS STORE THREATENED
Philadelphia.--At 8:15 this morning
Wanamaker's big dry goods store. A
stream from one water tower was run up
to the burning structure but did not
reach the tower which contained hand
some clock and chime. At 9o'clock the
entire tower collapsed, the clock falling
through to the first floor. Two lines of
hose were chem gotten on top of the 81.
gantic structure and the flames which had
threatened to destroy Philadelphia's most
famous store we're soon under control.
The FIRE had been confined entirely to
Market street. The loss sustained by
Wanamaker was principally in the de-
struotion Of the clock and chimes and the