The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-04

front and rear, and shooting across the
areaway against the gymnasium build
ing. twenty feet away.
The flames were ascending far above
the roof of the building and had spread
to the heart of the structure at Ills
O'Clock, and the gymnasium was COM
pletely enveoped in fire. At 1l20
o'clock the fury of the flames was
greatest in the rear buildings. The
wind until now, was towards the north
but began to change towards the south
and the fire spread to II. S. German
and company's livery stable and Me-
Cawley's blacksmith shop, on Spruce
street. The Handley block, on Wyo-
ming avenue and Spruce street, were
several times threatened not only by
fire, but by the falling of the adjacent
walls. BY the increased force of water
they were saved.
The south wall OF the gymnasium fell
towards the south at 1t.30 o'clock. The
fury of the fire in the gymnasium had
now spent its force and the fremen
began to get control of the fire in the
rear, in the buildings on Breck and
Forest courts.
Small holes could now be noticed in
the south wall of the main building
of the Young Mems Christian associa-
tion. The fire was fiercest in the front
and the southwesterly corner of the
structure at 11.45 o'clock, and five min
utes later the whole fell with a crash,
carrying with il the entire side wall on
the southerly side, and also tearing
away about six or eight feet front of
the Handley estate building adjoining
it,
The trolley and telephone wires were
thrown down by the falling debris and
so intense were the flames in front
that the wires, awnings and wood
finishings on the Mrs. Squers building,
number 207 Wyoming avenue, became
ignited and the portico of the Lyceum
was smoking. The glass windows in
Handley e. McLaughlin's. shoe store,
Westminster hotel, Costello & Flem-
ming's hotel and several other prop
critics were broken and the wood work
scorched by the heat.
To the north the fire wall saved the
l.. B. Powell & Co. building and ". f.
Pratt's livery stable, to the rear of it,
German & Co.'S livery stable and
wagon sheds. across Breck court from
the Young Mems Christian association
gymnasium building. and the parn and
wagon sheds of the Scranton Dairy
N'hipohS' WHICH are u lHe rear Oh tne
German livery and between Breck and
Forest courts, were attacked at about
the same time, and all were complete
ly gutted. McCawley's wagon shop,
which had GOrmans livery to protect
1t from the fire, escaped with only a
few burned patches.
The extreme end apartment of the
Handley block, which is buried be-
meath the fallen south wall of the Y
NJ. c. A. building, was untenanted. The
next one to it was occupied by ]. Janko.
merchant tailor, his shop being on the
ground floor and residence on the up-
per floors.
There was no one in the buildings at
the time, but much of Mr.. Janko's
stock and furniture is a total loss. The
foundation wall of that end of the
Handley block was broken down and
the end of the building is leaning to-
wards the north, the walls threatening
to fall at any time.
AT Lib O'Clock Chief Hickey directed
the return of the Cumberland. Nep-
tune, General Phinney, Niagara, Cen
tury and Liberty companies to their
quarters in the outlying districts. An
hour later all except the central city
companies had been sent home. The
central companies We're Kept at work
directing many streams of water on the
runs, which covered masses of burn
Ing emberS.