The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-01-27
PHILADELPIlIA'S BIG FIRE
PROPERTY WORTH SsOOO, ,OOO DES-
 TROYED.

"hhhInhker's EsthDlishment was ADlaZe and It's Destruction was Narrowly Averted-A Whole Block was Practically
 Swept Away-Mr. Wanamaker Aids the
 Bremen.
 Philadelphia, Jan. 26.-A great fire such as has not been witnessed here for years threw the city into conster- nation this morning. The fire started in Hanscom Bros large grocery store in the center of a block of large build ings. The flames spread with great rapidity, famed by the fierce winds and soon the whole block was on fire and involved, before o'clock, the whole north front of Market street, Blum's cloak factory, Showell & Frier's s and the smaller buildings, ending in a drug store and laboratory at the corner or Thirteenth street.
 Already the wind had shifted some what to the north and the flames be- gan to hck the cornice of the front of John Wanamaker's great store on the south side of Market street and curl
 
 every available engine in the depart nlent was in the scene.
 By this time thousands of people packed the streets shivering in the in- tense cold of the morning. There was great apprehension about Wanamak- CTS store.
 Finally the flames attacked the big clock tower, and soon the tower With it's chime of bells fell to the street. The fire department then turned al- most its entire attention to saving the Wanamaker building Stream after stream of water was turned on it, and by 10 o'clock the flames were out and the danger of it's restruction averted
 The damage that was done to the building was not great, but quite a good deal of stock was ruined by the water.
 The fire in the meantime had spread rapidly over the block in which Il started. The firemen succeeded by the greatest effort in confning the blaze | to this block. The block, however, was razed to the ground. By noon the fire | was under control and the square was a mass of ruins.
 The engines continued pouring water on the ruins, however, until late In the | day.
 The Hirsh building was owned by tht | Henry c. Gibson estate, and its ap- proximate value was $50O,O00.
 The total loss. it was estimated al noon, would aggregate probably S2,ooo,' 900. The Messrs. Hirsh were unaple te | give their loss or to state the amour | of their insurance. The various properties in the plocf l that were either destroyed or paol9 ] damaged, no structure escaping injury were in addition to the Hirsh bulio | ing, as follows:
 Hillan's drug store, 1901 Marke' street; J. Nicolay's x Co.,, confectioh l CTS, 1903 Market: Sterner x Ball, clgar' and tobacco, 1905 Market; H. l.. ROD erts X, Co. and the Mlzpah restaurant 1907 Market: (Hirsh building, l3o9 te 1917 Market); Blum Bros, cloak manu facturers, 1919 Market; Marshalfs res l taurant, 1921 Market; Wells nat store 1923 Market; James Dickson, heats ahf Alfred Goodwin, stained glass, 1925 Mar ket; Showen & Frysr, grocers, Marke and Juniper streets; Jacob Miller,
 North Thirteenth street, mems furnish ing store: F. Jarbliss, cigars and to bacco, 8 North Thirteenth; Alexande McCune, pictures, 10 and F Nortl | Thirteenth; F. Pitber, notions and sta tionery, 14 North Thirteenth; A. Heines bakery, and the Cafe de Blumberg, l | and 20 North Thirteenth; Budd & Kite jewellers, p North Thirteenth; barbe shop at "A North Thirteenth; Huber { Weber opticians, 26 North Thirteenth J. H. Stoll, jeweller, second floor, ant William F. Steif, wall paper, 2S Nortl Thirteenth; Foley, oyster house, 3 North Thirteenth; Gallagher & Loug helm, leather, 32 North Thirteenth Furlong's saloon, Thirteenth and Fiji bert; the building 1904 Hilbert street occupied by a dozen tenants; the seven story building 13o5-1310 Hilbert street.
 A dozen business places on the eas side of Thirteenth street, and betweel Market and Hilbert streets, were dam aged, principally by smoke and water
 The streets in the vicinity of the fir were covered with ice, and the myriad of trolley and other wires in the neigh borhood were broken down.
 I John Wanamaker was on hand whe
 the fire started and personally directe the efforts which resulted in his grea store being saved from ruin. He a times stood in water knee deep direct ing the fire department attached to hi store.
 Mir Wanamaker said at noon that hi loss would amount to $100 900, but tha seven-eighths of his store would b