The herald., 1897-01-27

| Jumper streets, anQ as the DullUlnB Was
constructed years ago many of the fire.
proof features of modern structures are
lacking. The firemen soon found,
however, that the flames had attacked
the block opposite Wanamaker's on the
north, separated from the big store by
Market streets width Of 120 feet.
When 1t was apparent that the block
originally attacked was doomed, squads
| Of Yremen with long lines OF hose Wert
detailed to save Wanamaker's. ThiL
structure, with the goods piled up witk.
in it's four walls represented money val
ue OF over $40, 600, ,000 Despite the efforts
vi the city hremen, reinforcedIby Wan&
makers fire brigade, the high wind pre-
vailing forced the flames across Market
street, after they had been fought on for
an hour and half.
The fire caught in the high tower on
the Market street corner. This support
ed a big clock and chimes which rang
out every half hour. Little patches OF
| flames made their appearance along the
| edge of the roof of the main structure
and the excitement among the firemen
was intense. All knew that If the flames
| in Wanamaker's once got beyond con
troll there was no telling where the con
nagration would stop. There was deep
| sigh of relief, therefore, when the an
| nouncement was made that beyond the
| destruction of the tower, the scorchiny
of paint and woodwork on the Market
| street front and the cracking of the
big plate glass windows, the fire would
not do further damage to Wanamaker' s.
| Smoke penetrated almost every por-
| tion of the big store, and the damage TO
| delicate dry goods from this cause will
be heavy. Had the flames envelope i
Wanamaker's nothing could possibly
| have prevented the destruction of scores
| of big buildings on Chestnut street,
| which iS now CLOSELY built.
Mr.. Wanamaker was early on the
! scene. At the present time he employs
| 4200 people, and as many of the men
| in this army of employees as would be
| of use in fighting the flames were ad-
mitted to the store The admira BILE pre-
caution that the inf1ammable nature of
the structure had made necessary rem
dered the work of the trained fire brig
ade easy, and at the same time effective.
Mr.. Wanamaker said to an Associated
Press reporter at $3.50 a. M: THE fire
is confined to the Market street end of
my store, and three hours from the time
the fireman are out of the place seven
eighths of the store will be ready for
business"
Mr.. Wanamaker apparently, was the
least concerned man in the crowd, and
directed the movements of his employees.
Mr. Wanamaker does his own insuring,
and his loss is therefore covered in this
way.
The heaviest losers are Hrsch Broth
ers, who suffered, about 100000 They
had an immense took on hand. Walter
Hirsch, a member of the firm, said
that the stock was fully covered by
insurance. This firm employed 450
hands. Hirsch Brothers occupied the top
floors of the building which extended
from 1909 to 1916, inclusive. The build
ing was owned by the estate of Henry c.
Gibson, the we'll known distiller, and
was valued at about $350,000.
Blum Brothers. who occupied 1919,
lose about $15O,000 on stock; Hanson
Brothers, $l2500O on stock; Dennett's
restaurant, stock and fixtures, SIS, 900;
Sterner & Balls, $4,000; Mizpahs res
taurart, $4,000; Hilman's drug com
pany. $4,000; Marshall's restaurant
$4,000; George B. Wells, $4,000; Show
ell& Fryer $4,000; James Goodwin
stained glass. 100000; James Dickson
heaters and ranges. $4,000; Dunlap
Brothers, $4,000 on building and ma
chinery; Furlongs, O.00O: John Wana-
maker, 100000; Nickolacky's, SIS, 900; A.
McCune & Co., $40, goo; s. H. Hull drugs,
$4,000; Bigg & Kites, $4,000.
The loss on the small buildings will
reach into the neighborhood of $400, 900
Nearly all the sufferers from today's fire
are fully insured.
IN NEW YORK
NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-The fire which
started in the basement of the six-story
building at 29 Pearl street today brought
out the whole fighting force in the lower
section of the city. The basement was
occupied by Waldon & Co., Wholesale
liquor dealers. The floors above and the
adjoining building, No. 27, were occu-
pied by Percy Kent, dealer in cottons,
packing and baling. The loss to the lat
ter is $4,000 covered by insurance. Wal
don & Co.'S loss is said to be about $780,
900, partially insured.
AN ELEVATOR BURNED
CHICAGO, Jan. 26.-The large grain
elevator of w. H. Purcell, Manning COM
pany, 123 D street, and Belt Line tracks,
burned today. Before the fire depart
ment arrived the whole structure was
enveloped in flames. The firement were
handicapped by scarcity of fire plugs and
intense cold. The elevator was recently
rebuilt of two former structures, having
been heavily damaged by fire. Vice
President Guckenheimer estimated the
loss at $530,000, almost covered by in
surance.
Almost one hundred fire were re-
ported up to midnight for the twenty
four hours of Monday. The record OF
last Fourth of July was passed and
new highwater mark was established in
the history of Chicago's fire department
for a winter day. On account of the |
extreme cold the firemen suffered severe |
ly and many cases were reported of the |
man having their ears, noses and hands |
frozen. Several were severely frozen |
and are in serious condition Most of |
the fires were small affairs, and in nearly |
every case were due to efforts to thaw |
out frozen water pipes.
A CREAMERY CREMATED
To, vr,t-
Springs creamery at Swaugers, one of |
the largest in Eel River valley, burned |
to the ground at noon today The fire |
started in the boiler ROOM The loss is |
$4,000. Insurance, S5O00 Machinery to |
the value of $1,000 was saved.
BURNED TO DEATH
SANTA CRUZ, Jan. 26-Nathan B.
Demick, native of Canada, aged 65 |
years, was burned to death this after
noon at his residence in East Santa Cruz.
under suspicious circumstances. Early |
this afternoon Mrs. Demick told him
that she was coming to town, and he |
responded that he would lie down on the |
lounge until her return. When the fire
was discovered the fire department re-
sponded to the alarm. All the doors and |
windows of the house were locked SO |
that entrance had to be made by use of
axes. When the fire was under control
Demick was found dead in the room
Nearly every piece of clothing was burn
ed from his body, which was badly burn
ed. Alongside the body was found some