The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-29
TOTALLY DESTROYED.
Loss Is Estimated at Two Mil
lion Dollars.
Other Property Consumed to
the Amount of a Million.
FIRE WAS STARTED
In a Department Store by
Electric Light Wire.

Philadelphia, Nov. 29-An electric
spark in the bastment of Partridge &
Richardson's big department store,
Nos Is to % North Eighth street, start
ed a fire this morning, that IN less than
four hours laid in ashes nearly an en-
tire block of business houses and caus-
ed an estimated loss of over $3,000,o00
The heaviest losers are J. B Lippin-
colt & Co, book publishers. rs to 72O
Filbert street, whose big six story brick
building containing rare and valuable
plates and machinery, was completely
burned out, involving a loss estimated
by a member of the firm at S2,000,000-
The next heaviest loser was Partridge
& Richardson, extending south on
Eighth street from Filbert, a distance
of about 125 feet, with a depth of 100
feet. Their loss on building and con-
tents is estimated at $60O.0a0-
Lit Brothers. whose department store
adjOins the LippincOtt building, est1-
mate their loss at $4O07000-
In addition to the big houses men
toned. numerous smaller stores were
either burned out or badly damaged.
Chief among these We're Bailey's five
and ten-cent store, North Eighth street,
loss S10O, 600; ROsenberg's millinery es-
tablishment, North Eighth street
loss $4,000 The loss on these buildings
is $50 O0O Various other establishments
We're slightly damaged by smoke and
water.
The burned districts cover nearly an
entire block
Lit Brothers store has a frontage on
Market street from Eighth to within
one hundred feet of Seventh street
This portion of the building was not
damaged. but the rear, which adjOins
the LippincOtt publishing house, suffer
ed severely. On Filbert street between
Partridge and Richardson's store on
Eighth street. and LippincOtt's on Fill
bert street, We're several small build
ings. which were destroyed. It was
from there that the flames cOmmunf-
Gated with the publishing house. ON
Eighth street. between Lifts and Part
ridge and Richardson's were located
the Bailey and ROsenburg stores
The blaze was discovered by Watch
man Fannig. who observed an electric
light wire in the basement of Partridge
& Richardson store emitting sparks
This was at 6.25. He transmitted an
alarm, but before the department re-
spOnded the building was mass OF
flames. Owing to the inflaInmable ma
ture OF the stock, the blaze spread rap
idly Fire alarms We're sent IN bringing
out the entire fire department
In the course of an hour the big
store was in ruins and LippincOtts and
the smaller stores adjoining were in
flames. The firemen were Hampered in
their work by the mass of trolley, tele-
phone and telegraph wires over Fflbert
street. which is a narrow thOrOughfare-
To this fact is partly due the destruc-
tion of the publishing house
The ffremen were more successful
with Lit Brothers place and confined
the fire to the rear During the con-
fiagratiOn several firemen were slight
" injured by falling glass.
Hundreds of men and women have
been thrown out of work by the fire.
All the losses are probably covered by
insurance
While the entire department was bat
Ting with the big cOnhagration, an
other fire broke out in the wholesale
and retail boot and shoe store of VIM.
H Harris, No. 419 Market street. four
blocks away, from the Eighth street
fire A half dozen engines We're detach-
ed from the big fire, but before the
firemen had succeeded in eXtinguiShing
the flames, the place was burned out.
causing a loss of $50. 600. The adjOin-
ing building. occupied by A S. DOwie,
stationery, was damaged by water to
the extent of $4,000. The losses are
coNarad bN inSnra nee