The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-30
HEAVY LOSSES BY FIRE
PHILADELPHIA SUFFERS TO III
EXTENT OF ABOUT $1,7OO,OOO.
Department Stores and the Publish
ing House of j. b. LippincOtt a.
Co. and other Places Burned.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 29.-Nearly two
million dollars worth of property was de-
stroyed by two fires in the heart of the
business section of the city early to-day.
The greater of the two fires started in the
big department store of Partridge d Rich
ardson, 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 control they
spread to an adjoining property and caused
a loss of about 81, 700,0 900. While this fire
was in progress and spreading every mo-
ment, another fire broke out four blocks
away, on the fourth floor of No. 419 Market
street. The loss at this fire is estimated at
$40, 900. The losses of the two fires are
more than covered by insurance.
The Eighth-street fire was a very ugly
one for the firemen to handle. Eighth
street and Filbert street are very narrow
t~horoughfares There was a 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 1T
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 Part
ridge & Richardson's store from an electric
spark, and soon the entire building was a
mass of flames. The two stores to the
south of Partridge & Richardson's were
soon Quilted, and then the flames attacked
the big building of the ]. b. Lippincott
Publishing Company, on Hilbert street,
east of the burning department store. This
publishing house is one of the best known
in the country, many high-class reference
books, periodicals and numerous other
publications being produced by the firm.
The building was completely ruined. In
this building, stored away in vaults, is
nearly a half million dollars worth of
manuscripts, plates and other material for
reference books, and it is not yet known
whether they were destroyed.
Lit Brothers large department store,
which adjoins the Lippincott building, and
which is valued, with it's contents. at more
than $1,000, 900, was saved, but only after
the contents of one corner of the building
had been damaged. ~Strawbridge & Cloth
Ter. another large department store on the
west side of Eighth street. also had a mar
IO" a dlld lin OAldlii civ
were damaged to the extent of about
$4,000. A number of other business houses,
adjoining Lippincott's and Partridge &
richardson's, were either entlrely De,
stroyed or badly damaged. The timated
losses are:
Partridge & Richardson. 500, 900
j. b. Lippincott Publishing Company. 600 900
Artrnan d Treichler, wholesale house
furnishings ......-..-.. -.-........--.-. lVO,Otp
Lit Brothers Sc, g0
Strawbridge 81 Clothier ............... 10000
Bailey's . and 1O-cent stores............ $1,000
Rosenberg's millinery store............ 5000
Partridge & Sons restaursnt.......... 1.W0
Westcobt * Thomson. electrotypers.. 10000
Total additional 1000
The firms that suffered minor losses are
A. l.. Williams, gloves; Little jet jewelry
store; Medina's Partisan hair store; G.
Bastburn, c~orsets; II. NJ. Mosebach. restau-
rant; p. T. Hallahan, shoes; r. Goldberg.
millinery and cloaks; Woolworth's 5 and
l0-cent store: p. ]. Hallahan, shoes; Samuel
l.. Levy, small wares; F. w. Bean & Co ,
~perfumery; G.. Ulrich, wire worker. All the
losses are covered by insurance.
The second fire was discovered at 7:30
o'clock in the four-story building at No.
419 Market street. occupied by several man
ufacturers and wholesale dealers. The en-
tire building. was Quilted. as was also the
adjoining building. No. All. The estimated
Dowie. wholesale stationer. SIS. 600: w. H.
Harris & Sons, wholesale boots and shoes,
$1,000; l. KATE, clothing manufacturer
5000. and $4,000 divided among Hoffman,
Goodman & Co., wholesale cordage and
wadding; A. ]. Bates, boots and shoes
Sullivan. Hettrick & Co.. notions; ID. Matu-
SOW q Co.. shirts: s. Rcnovo, shirts and
wrappers. The loss on the building is es-
timated at $40. 900.
More than two thousand persons are
thrown out of employment by the fires, but
prcprietOrs OF other department stores Of
fer. employment to all Of Partridge & Rich
ardson's nine hundred employees at the sal
aries they received from the burned-out
firm. Although the big fire ragged for more
than four hours, there were no casualties
beyond a few minor injuries received by a
half dozen firemen.
1t is feared by members of the Lippincott
Company that the plates of the famous
Variorum edition of Shakespeare, the work
OF Horace Howard Furness. of this city.
may have been destroyed. They We're
stored in a vault along with other valua-
bles. The plates represent the lifework of
DR.. Furness, and their production cost the
publishers a very large amount. Twelve
volumes Of the edition have been COM
pleted.