The news & observer., 1897-01-27
Several Business Houses In
Philadelphia Burned.
ALL WERE WELL INSURED
WANAMAKER & BROWNS BIG
STORE WAS DAMAGED.
TWO FIRsMEN WE'RE INJURED
City Hall Narrowly Escaped the Flames
1.-The Most Disastrous Conflagra-
ton of Recent Years--A
Day of Fires.

Day of Fires.
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. pa tiny
spiral of smoke curled out of the cellar
window of big building on Market
street at $50 o'clock this morning. A
few hours later, one of the most valuable
blocks of real estate in the city had been
consumed by flames. 1t was the block
bounded by Market, Thirteenth, FiIbert
| and jumper streets, in the very heart
of the city. A few steps to the right
looms the massive City Hall; around the
corner stands the Pennsylvania Rail-
road terminal; and directly across the way
John Wanamaker's great store stretches
from street to street So fierce was the
flame and so strong was the wind which
aided its destructive work that even this
building, distant the width of Market
street was saved almost by miracle from
total destruction and Mr. Wanamaker
| tonight places his loss at 100000. The
| total loss is variously estimated at from
81. 900, 900 to $2,5O0,000, 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.
y
Wagner, a reserve policeman at $50
o'clock He Immediately turned in an
alarm Before the engines reached the
scene the entire rear portion of Hanscom
! and Dennetts big restaurant was ablaze.
| A second alarm was then sent in and
few moments later general alarm was
sounded Immediately adjoining Hans
com Brothers, on the west was the five
Ieto k4xsf1 inI IAxy
| manufacturers OF ladies cloaks. The
flames spread with almost lightning rapid
ity and Blum Brothers building was soon
a mass OF flames. The water seemed al
most to freeze before it touched the
building, so bitter cold was the wealth
er. The next building on the
west to be eaten up was that
occupied by George Marshall as a
restaurant; then came the Hat Manufac-
tory of Geo. B. Wells, at 1923, and the
rear of the wholesale grocery of Shovel
and Fryer at 1926 Market street. While
the flames were sweeping west on Mar
ket street, the umbrella mandatory of
Hirsh Bros caught fire. The
inhammable nature Of the inn
| mense stock of light silks,
added fuel to the flames and in half an
extending from 1909 to 1915 Market
street was mass OF flames. On the
east of the Hirsh building between 1909
and 1901 Market street were the follow
ling tenants: The Mizpah restaurant 1907;
Sterner and Bah, wholesale and retail
cigar factory 1906: wholesale and retail
confectionery of A. Nicklacky, 1903 and
the big drug store of III. Hillman at
1901, the upper story of which was oc-
cupied by Potter Bros, as o photograph
gallery. a
In the north side Of Hirsh Bros, facto-
ry, ianmediately across Silver street,
stood the new seven story building of
Dunlap Bros This building extended
from 1906 to 1910 Filbert street and was
100 feet deep. The first floors were occu-
pied by the Collins Carriage Company.
The flames swept Through this big struct-
ure and gutted it completely. The small
buildings ON Silver street, which runs
west from 18th to Juniper were all gut
| ted The shop of contractor Lewis Hay
ems caught fire from the rear of Blum
/ Bros, and three firemen were caught by
a falling wall. Frank Piper, of Engine
Company, No. 80 was the only man seri-
ously injured.
At S:15 fire was discovered in the tower
| Of John Wanamaker's big store. A
stream OF water from one OF the water
| towers was run up to the structure, but
the supply of water was either too small
or the apparatus defective, as the stream
would not reach. The tower contained
| handsome clock and chimes. At $ o'clock
the entire tower collapsed, the clock fall
| ing throught to the first floor. Two
| lines of hose were then gotten on top of
| the gigantic structure and the haInes
which had threatened to destroy Phila-
| delphia's most famous store was soon
under control.
The fire had been confined to the Mar
ket street front and the loss sustained by
| Mr.. Wanamaker was principally in the
destruction of his clock and chimes, and
| the breaking of all the large plate glass
| windows on Market street.
Up to this time the flames had been con
| fined to the block bounded by Filbert
| street on the north, 18th on the east.
Market on the south and Juniper on the
| west The wind was blowing from the
| west and 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.
| Then came the cigar factory of l.. Tar
| bliss & Co., at No. s, North Tirteenth
street. A. McCune & Co., manufacturers
Of picture frames. 10 and II; ID. Pther,
dry goods, No. II: s. FL. Shull, drugs,
| No. 16; Heines' bakery, No. 18; the Cafe
| de Blamberg, No. 10: Budd & Kite. jew
elers, No %; private residence and barber
| shop, No. 24 Huber & Weber, dry goods,
| No. 26; j. II. Stall, jewelry, occupied
| the first floor of % north 18th, and VIM.
| I'll. Stieff, wall paper manufacturer, the
remainder of the building. Foley's restau-