The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-04

and for the William Connell, Column
bias. Excelsior. Liberty, Cumberland
and Eagle companies.
The Franklin steamer, upon its ar
rival, was posted at the corner of Lin
den and Wyoming avenue, the Nep-
tune at the corner Of Washington ave
nue. and Spruce street, and the Gem
eral Phinney in front Of Hotel Rudolph.
The Nay Aug steamer was in front Of
the Jonas Longs Sons store and the
Crystal near the Dime bank.
Upon the arrival of these extra COM
panies it was seen that unless desper-
ate measures were taken the whole
building was doomed. The flames were
then just on the point Of breaking
through the steel ceiling, which was
commencing to fall away in patches,
the supports having been loosened.
The firemen working from the ground
in the rear passageway might just as
well have been pouring water from a
teacup on the blaze.
Chief Walker, accordingly, ordered
four lines of hose taken to the roof OF
the stOrehouse in the rear and another
one to the roof OF the Raub barn, the
latter being reached through the Chris
tian building on Spruce street. Before
all of these lines were in working or
der, the flames had reached up toward
the second and third floors in the rear,
and it was the belief of many who
were watching the blaze from the
upper floors of the buildings along
Spruce street that the whole structure
would be destroyed.
Huge clouds of smoke were blown
onto the rear OF these Spruce street
buildings, and it looked for a time as
if they might be caught in the mesh
of the flames.
THE FIRE SPREADING.
At midnight the flames had been
controlled it was thought, but this was
not so. AS far as the ground floor was
concerned the blaze was practically ex-
tinguished, but fire had eaten it's way
through the cellars, or coal vaults, to
the cellar of the McCrea store and at
1.3O the storeroom was in flame.
Shortly after 1.30 o'clock the flames
spread to the basement of the store
at No. 12S, which is just beyond the
main stairway, and which is occupied
by Peter McCrea, the well known car
pet dealer. AT this time 1t was thought
that the fire was under perfect con-
| troll and this sudden outburst was a
surprise to the firemenl
The fires in the Weichel and Mer-
cerau & Connell stores were pretty
we'll out by this time and the firemen
directed their attention to the McCrea
blaze.
Three streams were directed upon Il
from the rear. while the tremendous
| force Of the water battery was brought
to play in front. 1t broke through the
ground floor in several places, but Yves
kept pretty we'll confined to the base
| ment. Both basement and main fooi
We're full Of goods, all of wni"h are a
complete loss, those not burned beire
| destroyed by water.
About Q o'clock the interior of TIE
store formerly occupied by The Leader
was discovered on fire, the flames leap
ing UP ten feet in some places. The
| fornt doors We're broken open and tn:
| fire on the main floor was soon unde,
| control. The one in the basement was
| a tough proposition, however, ant
| caused the firemen a deal of trouble
| This store and basement were unoccu,
| pied.
At 8 o'clock the flames were still
| burning flercely in the cellars, particu
| larly in the McCrea cellar and eatins
their way to the elevator shaft. It wa!
a question at the time of going t
press if the building would not be al
most totally destroyed