Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-28

out shortly before o'clock this morn
ing, 10 the rear of the basement of the
big grocery store of Hanscom Bros, No.
1917 Market street. and before the
flames were gotten under control
property amounting in value to 49,
300. 900 or more had been destroyed.
The flames were first discovered by
John Wagner, reserve policeman,
who was passing the big building
at G. so o'clock. lie immediately turned
In an alarm. Before the engines reached
the ecene the entire rear portion of
Hanscom's store and Dennett's big
restaurant we're ablsze. A second alarm
was then sent in, and a few minutes
later general alarm was sounded.
Immediately adjoining the Hanscom
Bros. on the west, was the five-story
building occupied by Blum Bros,
manufacturers of ladies' cloaks. Tho
fumes spread with almost lightning
rapidly and Blum Bros. building
was soon mass OF fire.
The water seemed almost to freeze
before it touched the burning build
ings, 30 bitterly cold was the weather.
The next building on the west eaton
F, up by the raging fire was that uccupied
by George Marshall as restaurant
Then came the hat mandatory of
George B. Wells, No. 1923 Market
street, and the rear of tho Wholesale
grocery of Shovel e. Fryer, No. 1925
Market street. While the flames we're
aweeping west on Market street the
umbrella manufactory OF Hirsch Bros,
the largest in the world, which ad
joined DeDpett's restaurant, caught
fire. The inflammable nature of the
immense stock of light silks added fuel
10 the seething flames, and in half an
hour the beautiful eight-story build
ing, extending from No. 1909 to No.
1915 Market street, was mass Of
flames. On the east of the Hirsch
building, batween Nos. 1909 and 1901
Market street, were the following
tenants: The Mizpah restaurant No.
1907; Sterner & Ball. wholesale AMI
retail cigar factory, No. 1905; whols
sale and retail confectionery Of A.
Nickolacky, No. 1903, and the big drug
store OF II. Hillman. 1901, the upper
story OF which was occupied by Potter
Bros. as photograph gallery. On the
north side Of Hirsch Bros factory,
Immediately across Silver street. stood
tho new seven STORY building OF Dunlap
Bros, the only printing firm in the
State with capacity for printing the
big blank Australian ballots. This
building extended from Nos. 1906 to
1910 Filbert street, and was 100 feet
deep The first floors we're occupied by
the Collins Carriage Co. The flames
swept through this big structure and
Quilted It completely. The small
building on Silver street, which run
west from Thirteenth and Juniper, we're
all Quilted The shop of Contractor
Lewis Ravens caught fire from the rear
of Blum Bros, and three firemen we're
caught by falling wall. Frank Piper
of Engine Go. No. 30 was the only man
seriously injured.
At s. l5 o'clock fire was discovered in
the tower of John Wanamaker'H 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 apparatus defective, as the stream
would not reach the tower. containing
handsome clock and chimes At
O'Clock the entire tower collapsed, the
clock falling through to the first floor.
Two lines of hose were then gotten on
the 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 obstruction of his clock
and chimes and the breaking Of all the
large plate-glass windows on Market
street. The roof of the building was
ablaze at one time and seemed Of
though the entire structure was
doomed. but the hose operated by thu
employees of the big establishment kept
the fire within bounds. Up to thil
time the flames had been confined Il
the block bounded by Hilbert street OF
the north, Thirteenth on the cast,
Market on the south and Juniper OF
the west The wind was blowing from
the west and carried the flames righ
into the rear of the buildings on Thir
tenth street. The first building t
catch fire was that of Jacob Miller
mems furnishing goods, No. 6 Nortt
Thirteenth street. Then came the ciga
factory Of l.. Tarbliss & Co., No.
North Thirteenth street; A. Mcclure &
Nos. 10 aud IL; Il. Pither, dry goods
No. IA; S. ii. Shull, drugs, No. 1G
Heine's, No. 1S: the Cafe de Blamberg
No. 20; Budd & Kite. jewelers.. No. %
private residence and barber shop, No
"a; Huber a. Weber, dry goods, No. 26
J. II. Stall, ieweler, occupying the frs
floor of No. rs North Thirteenth, AMI
William Ii. Stietf, wall paper manu-
Sacturer, occupying tho remainder o
tine building. Foley's restaurant, No
81 North Thirteenth street, and Jane
Furlong's saloon, Nus. ~ and "a, wer
the last in the row from Market to Fill
bert street. A Il Of these buildings wer
completely Quilted. In many instance
nothing is left standing but the bar
walls
The flames ate their way almost di
rsctly northwest from the rear of Blum
Brothers. building, cutting the rear o
Shovel & Flyers big grocery store
Tho rear part OF Nos. 7, 8, II, Is, IL
II, 49, 81, % and % North Junipe
street, which buildings are used as la,
offices and private residences, was com
pletoly burned out, leaving only tn
front walls standing in some cases. Th
flames communicated with No. l3u
Filbert street. from the rear of Fur
longs saloon, and quickly burned on
Nos 1902 and 1904, dwellings occupie
by lawyers.
While the fire was at its heigh
flames were discovered on the windo,
sashes on the side of the big Cit
Hall which was exposed to the terribl
heat. The City Hall fire department
ran line of hose to the roof and in
few minutes had the massive structur
free from all danger,
The wnlla of Hiranh Rrotharn, 20 ntor