The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-30
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
IN PHILADELPHIA
100000 Worth of Property
Destroyed.
FROM AN ELECTRIC SPARK
The Immense Publishing House of the ].
P. Lippincott Company Among
the Wrecked Buildings-Many
Valuable Plates Lost.
FROM AN ELECTRIC SPARK

Philadelphia, Pa, November 29.-Nearly
100000 worth of property was destroyed
by two fires in the heart of the business
section of the city early today.
The greater of the two fires started in
the big department store of Partridge q
Richardson, at the southeast corner of
Eighth and Hilbert streets, the very center
of the shopping district, at $50 a. M, and
before the flames had been put under con-
troll they spread to adjoining property and
caused loss of about s., 700,0 00
While this fire was in progress and
spreading every moment, another 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 fires are more than
covered by insurance. The Eighth street
fire was very ugly one for the firemen to
handle.
Eighth street and F'ilbert street are very
narrow thoroughfares. There was strong
wind blowing at the time, and the fire.
fighters had great difficulty in preventing
the flames from getting a good hold on the
buildings on both of these streets. AS it
was, many structures and their contents
were badly scorched and damaged by wa
ter. 1t took four hours to get the flames
under CONTROL
The fire started in the basement of Par
fridge & Richardson's store from an cleo
trio spark, and soon the entire building
was a mass of flames. The two stores to
the south of Partridge & Richardson's
were Quilted, and then the flames attacked
the big building of the ]. B. Lippincott
Publishing company, on Hilbert street, east
of tha h,trY ,iper' lo,o ,.tz, e,v,f Oh
building Completely Ruined
The building was completely ruined. In
this building, stored away in vaults, is
nearly half q million dollars worth of man.
lscripts, plates and other material and ref
erence books. and it is not known yet
whether they were destroyed.
Lift Bros department store, which adj
joins the Dippincott building, and which
was valued with its contents at more than
a million, was saved, but only after the
contents of one corner of the building had
been damaged. Stra w'bridge & Clothier,
another large department store on the west
side of Eighth street, also had a marrow
escape, and the building and contents were
damaged to the extent of about S50000. A
number of other business houses adjoining
Lippincott's and Partridge & Richardson's
were either entirely destroyed or badly
damaged.
The estimated losses are:
Partridge & Richardson, 100000.
B. Lippincott Publishing company, $780,
600.
Artman Techler, wholesale furnishing
house, 500 600.
Lift Brothers, $4,000.
Strawbridge & Clothier, $4,000.
Baileys and 10-cent store, $4,000.
Partridge & Sons, restaurant, $4,000.
Westcott & Thompson, electrotypers, $10,-
900.
Additional losses aggregate about $4,000.
The Second Fire
The second fire destroyed the four STORY
building at 419 Market street occupied by
several manufacturers and wholesale deal
ers. The estimated loss is $4,000 the heav-
lest losers being w. H. Harris & Sons,
boots and Shoes $4,000.
More than 1900 persons are thrown out
of employment by the fires, but proprietors
of other department stores offer temporary
employment to all of Partridge & Rich
ardsons 800 eployes at the salaries they
drew from the burned out firm. Although
the fire ragged for more than four hours
there were no casualties beyond a few mi
nor injuries received by half dozen fire.
men