The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-30
A SPARK !
FROM AN
ELECTRIC WIRE
Causes a 100000 Fire in Phila-
dslphia-The 1ippincOtt Pub
nshlng House
THE GREATEST SUFFERER.
other Heavy Nearly Block
Of Business Houses En-
tirely Destroyed.

PHILADELPHIA. Nov. 29.-Nearly
100000 worth of property was de-
stroyed by two fires in the heart of the
business section Of the city carly to-
day. The greater Of the two fires start
ed in the big department store Of Part
ridge & Richardson, at the southeast
corner of Eighth and Filbert streets.
the very center Of the shopping district,
at 6:3O a. M, and before the flames had
been put ander control they spread to
adjoining property and caused loss Of
$l,7OO,OOO. While this FIRE was in pro-
gress and spreading every moment. an
other FIRE broke out four blocks away,
on the fourth floor Of No. 419 Market
street. The loss at this FIRE is estimated
at $4,000. The losses Of the two tires
are more than covered by insurance.
1 The Eighth street fire was very ugly
one for the fremen to handle. Eighth
street and Filbert street are very mar
4 row thoroughfares. There was strong
wind blowing at the time, and the fire
fighters had great difficulty In prevent
ing the flames from getting a good hold
on the buildings on the opposite side of
these streets AS It was, many of the
structures and their contents were bad
ly scorched and damaged by water. 1t
took four hours to get the flames under
control.
The fire started in the basement Of
Partridge & Richardson's store from an
electric spark and soon the entire build
ing was mass Of flames. The two
stores to the south Of Partridge & Rich
ardson were soon gutted, and then the
flames attacked the big building Of the
| ]. B. Llppincott publishing Company
on Fllbert street, east OF the burning
department store. This publishing
house Is one OF the best known in the
country, many hlgh-class reference
books, periodicals and numerous other
publications being produced by the
tlrm. The building was completely
ruined. In this building. stored away
in valuts. Is ntaTlya a hnlt miliion,doiA
lars worth of manuscripts, plates and
other material for reference books, and
1t is not yet known whether they were
destroyed.
Lit Brothers large department store.
which adjolns the LippIncott building
aud which is valued with its contents
at over 100000. was saved, but only
after the contents Of one corner Of the
building had been damaged. Straw
bridge & ClothIer, another large depart
ment store, on the west side of Eighth
street, also had a narrow escape, and
the building and contents were dam
aged to the extent of about $4,000. A
number Of other business houses, ad-
Joining Llpplncott's and Partridge &
Richardson were either entirely de-
Rtroyed or badly damaged.
The estImnted losses are:
Partridge & Richardson, 100000; j.
Il. Llpplncott Publishing Company,
100000; Arthur & TreIchler. wholesale
house furnishings, 800. 900; Lat Brothers.
$s5,O 900; strawbridge & Clothier, $4,000;
Balley's Ave and ten cent store, $4,000;
Rosenberg's millinery store. $4,000;
Partridge & Sons, restaurant, $4,000;
Westcott & Thompson, electrotypers,
$4,000.
Additional losses aggregatIng about
$25OOO are divided among A. L. Will
llams, gloves; Little Jet Jewelry Store;
Medlnas ParlslaH hair store; c. East
burn. corsets; H. Mosebach, restaurant;
p. T. Hallahan. shoes: Il. Goldberg,
millinery and cloaks; Woolworth's five
and ten cent stores; P. ]. Hallahan'
shoes; Samuel d. Levy. small wares;
F. W. Bean & Co., perfumery; G. ul-
rich, wire worker. All the losses are
covered by insurance.
The second fire was discovered at
1880 o'clock In the four story building at
IlS Market street, occupied by several
manufacturers and wholesale dealers.
The entire building was gutted as was
also the adjoining building, No. All. The
estimated loss is $4,000, destroyed BY
fire, as follows;
A. G. Dowic, wholesale stationer'
$4,000; w. Harris Il Sons, wholesale
boots ana Hhoes, SsO,VDV' L. AH'"' S'SS'
ing manufacturer, 10000; R. Felnherg.
clothing manufacturer. $1,000, land $4,000
divided among Holman, Cochran &
Company, wholesale cordase and wad-
ding; A. j. Bates, boots and shoes:
sullivan, Hettrlck Company notions;
d. Matusow & Company shirts s.
Ronovo, shirts and wrappers. The loss
on the building is estimated at $4,000.
over 1000 persons are thrown out OF
employment by the fires, but proprie-
, tors OF other department stores oirer
temporary employment to all OF Part
ridge & Richardson's 800 employees ut
the salaries they received from the
burned out firm.
Although the big fire ragged for over
!. four hours there were no casualties be-
yond few minor injuries received py
, a half dozen flremen.
S-o-o
| The Kentucky VIII be Accepted.