The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-01-27
FIRE DESTROYS
A WHOLE BLOCK.
Thirty Buildings Destroyed IN Phlladel-
phia's Business Center.
LOSS NEARLY TWO MILLIONS !
n Man Drops Dead From Excitement aud
Two Firsmsn ~Injured-Ths Big City
HaI Blistered by Heat and Plate
Glass Windows Cracked.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. ga tiny spiral
Of smoke curled out Of the cellar window
Of a big building on Market street at $3.50
o'clock in the morning. A few hours later
one Of the most valuable blocks of real es-
ta5e in the city had been consumed in a
raging fame. 1t was the block bounded
by Market, Thirteenth, Hilbert and Juniper
streets, In the very heart OF the city. A
few steps to the right loomed the massive
city hall, around the corner stands the
great Pennsylvania railroad terminal, and
directly across the way John Wanna
makers great store stretched from street
to street So fierce was the flame and so
strong the wind which aided its destruc-
tive work that even this building, distant
the width Of Market street, was saved al
most by a miracle from total destruction,
and Mr. Wanamaker places his loss at
5000
The total LOSE = v~ariousIy estimated at
from 100000 to s., OOO,O 700, but in the
chaos and confusion 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 in the
lower floors by Hanscom Brothers, gro
GERS, and above by the umbrella factory
of Hirsh q Bro. The smoke was disoov-
cred by a policeman, who promptly turned
in an alarm, but the fire made such head
way that before the engines could be put
TO work the building was a mass Of
flames.
With uncomfortable rapidity 1t then
spread in all directions, destroying about
thirty buildings before it had been finally
controlled. The fire reached the big tower
of WanamRker's store about an hour after
it started, and &he energies of the depart
ment were then almost concentrated upon
saving that building, The tower was,
however, entirely destroyed, together with
the valuable clock chimes; the roof all
along the Market street front was badly
damaged, and a great deal Of the stock in
the front of the store suffered from smoke
and water.
The buildings wholly or partially de-
stroyed were: Market street-13O3-O3.
Potter 81 Co, photographers; John Hill
lam, druggist; 1905, @. x. Sterrer, cigars;
1897, H. L. Roberts s. Co., photographers;
1309-17, Hirsh & Bro, umbrellas; Huns
com Brothers, grocers; A w, bennett,
restaurant; 1919, Blum Bros, cloaks and
suits; 1921, A. Marshall, restaurant; 1928,
G. b. Wells, hats; 1925, John Dickson,
heaters; 1897, Shovel & Fryer, grocers
a number of small three-story structures
on Thirteenth street up to Hilbert, and
four buildings on Hilbert street, including
the six-story printing house Of Dunlap s.
Clarke.
At about $50, while the sparks were
flying in all directions, the awning Of the
Hotel Vendig, at Twelfth and Market
streets, was seen to be smouldering, and
before any attempt to put it could have
been made a flame started up and the avn
ing soon disappeared in smoke. About the
same time hundreds Of sparks were settling
on thereof, but because Of the building be-
ing a whole block away from the conha-
grafton no n thought there was any
danger Of the building being set on fire.
Men and women rushing here and there
with little clothes on added to the panic,
and in a few seconds the commotion had
reached an alarming extent, the roof
caught on fire, but a chemical engine
quickly e~Xtinguished the flames.
The intense heat from the burning
building occupied by Hirsch Brothers
cracked nearly all the heavy plate glass
In the window frames along the sixth
floor of the east front Of the public build
lngs, north from Market street, and the
wooden frames are soorched, while in
many places the marble In the front Of
the hall is cracked. This is particularly
true Of the marble figures directly over
the entrance on the east side. This is
upwards Of 200 feet away from the de-
stroyed building.
When the fire assumed alarming pro-
portions and Threatened the destruction
Of the entire block bounded by Thir-
tenth, Market, Juniper and Hilbert
streets orders were given to remove the
records Of the city, belonging to the bu-
reaus of fire and water, which are quar-
tered in the building at the northeast cor
ner Of Juniper and Filbert streets. These
records were carried across the street to
the public buildings, where they were de.
posted in one of the rooms on the seventh
floor. After the flames were gotten under
control these records were returned to the
respective bureaus.
One man dropped dead of excitement.
He was John A. Felt, boOkkeeper in the
employ Of a carpet firm at 1920 Market
street. Felt, who was IN old man, became
excited while helping to get goods out of
the store, and succumbed to heart disease.
He was a native Of Boston.
Two fremen were injured by the falling
walls while engaged in fighting the fire
from Silver street. They were William
J.. German, aged 80 years, who is assistant
foreman Of engine company No. /. He
was severely injured about the head, and
burned on the neck by the burning en-
bers. His companion was Frank Piper,
80 years OF age, a hoseman connected with
engine No. 30, who was struck on the
back by falling bricks and had his left
shoulder confused Several of the fire.
men were overcome by the smoke, while
others were affected by the intense cold,
and had TO be taken TO the Hahnemann
and Medioo-C hirurgical hospitals for
treatment,
Following are some of the losses: George
b. Wells, 5000; Blum Brothers, $3.50 900;
Hirsh Brothers, $500, 900; Shovel & Fryer.
damaged by smoke and water only, $1,000;
Andrew Marshall restaurant, $4,000 A.
W. bennett, restaurant, $4,000.
Nine Badly Hurt In a Chioapo Ffre-