Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-31

Philadelphia, Pa, Oct. PA fire in
which the police say II persons lost
their lives and many more were seri-
ously and perhaps fatally injured oe-
CURED today in the heart of the bust.
ness section of the city. The nine. story
building at 1919 and 1921 Market street,
occupied by Hunt, Wilkinson d. Co. :.
upholsterers and furniture dealers, and
two unoccupied buildings at 1923 and
l225 Market street were destroyed.
Many other buildings were damaged,
and the loss il estimated to be upwards
of $500, 900.
Tie fire started at 10. 30 O'Clock. 1t is
supposed to have been caused by an ex-
rlosion of benzine naptha, which, with
other materials used in the manufacture
of furniture, was stored in the cellar.
The flames shot up the elevator shaft,
and i'll less than five minute every one
Of the nine floors of the structure was
ab!aze.
MANY JUMPED TO THEIR DEATH.
There were 800 employees, men and
women, at work In the different de-
Payments at the time. Those on the
iHfond floor were the first to see the
flames Immediately there was a wild
rash for the fire escape, but, OWING to
the highly intlammable nature of the
material used by the firm, the blaze
spread with remarkable rapidity, deal
ing death to the unfortunates as they
f. made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to
escape, One woman leaped from one OF
the top floors into Market street, and
was Immediately killed. Another was
roasted to death as she was descending
the fire escape, in the rear Of the build
ing. Two others either jumped or fell
from the fire escape, and were killed.
Five others who leaped from windows
were picked up living, but they died on
the way to hospitals.
SOME FRIGHTFUL SCENES
Employees who started down the fire
escape before the flames were visible
from the street were compelled to jump
before they had travelled two etorieI,
because of the flames bursting through
windows.
The first firemen who arrived on the
scene devoted their energies entirely to
the work of rescue. Nets were spread
in the front and rear Of the burning
building, and some who jumped we're
saved 10 this way. A woman jumped
from one of the windows on the Market
street trent, but the smoke blinded her
and ahe missed the net, striking the
pavement and dying Immediately. In
the rear, a young girl who jumped from
the top stories caught on the fire escape
at the third floor, and the flames burst
ing from the windows burned her body
to q crisp in almost minute Two
men, one white and one colored, emerged
from the fourth story and stood on the
tire escape with the flames all around
them. The white man danced up and
4 down, and appeared to be bereft of his
4 reason. The colored man stood for a
"A few seconds, and then jumped to his
\ death below. The white man stood on
the fire escape until he was overcome,
n and then fell TO his death in the small
h street..
There was DO fire escape OF the front
of the building, aud all employees
rushed madly to the rear OF the struot-
n ure.
N STREET PILED UP WITH VICTIMS.
n When the firemen reached the rear of
u the building, which faces on Commerce
street, a small thoroug they found
+ the street literally piled UP with vic
Z Tins who had heen carried down by
the falling wall. These were hastily
4 conveyed to the nearest hospitals. H.
A new eight story building at 1917
Market street, as yet unoccupied, pre-
vented the spread of the flames to
the eastward, in which direction they
we're blown by the wind. Otherwise,
! the city would have witnessed probably
the greatest confiagration in its history,
Several business houses on. the south
side of Market street we're badly
soorohed, but not seriously damaged.
L Philadelphia, Pa, Oct. 26. BY es-
terday's disastrous fire in the Hunt,
Y Wilkinson Il Co building, 1919 and
1921 Market street, Is lives are known
w to have been lost, with many injured
and large number in the list of miss
ing. The property loss is abe ut $500, coo.
vi The number of injured is not known
definitely, hut fully score Of victims
were treated at various hospitals. Police
Wand iiremen are tonight searching the
&ruins for bodies supposed to have BEEN
buried, and it is feared that the list OF
Jdead may exceed the number given.
M The buildings destroyed were the
SNeight-story structure, 1919 and 1921
MarKet street, occupied by Hunt, Will
kinson u Co., upholsterers and furni
M ture dealers, and three three-story
buildings occupied by small merchants.
The furniture building extended back
10 half-block to Commerce street and
N}was owned by Henry G. Lea.
x The list OF known dead is as follows
VFDorothy Kramer, Martha Baker, Mar.
Kfgaret Hebden, Susan Gornley, Harry
House, IL. A. Sparrow, Charles e. Spar
now. Walter Stearly. }. f. Armstrong,
HiMartha Banks, ooored Mary Mitchell,
colored, Margaret Grady, Frederick Wit
Mtington, Charles Lands, one unknown
white woman, one unknown colored
1 AFoman, supposed to have been named
/ MNilson; three unknown white men.
/ aN Never in ITS history has Philadelphia
inexperienced a fire which spread with
Npch great rapidity.
4 % At ~. 20 O'Clock a. m. tina blaze broke
5prth in the building occupied by
r Hunt, Wilkinson q Co., and one hour
&lAEer the horrible sacrifice of life had
n Vheen made and the great loss of property
! Ahad been sustained. The origin OF the
cpnfaeration is unknown. Ii is said
: itt1at an explosion Of naphtha or gaso-
1llne in the basement was the cause, but
fhis Is denied by Mr.. Wilkinson, who
says there never was sufficient GUAM
! I{.tity of either explosive about the build
}g$ing to be responsible for today disas-
aSx Yer. Rumor has 1t. also, that an eleva-
Nor constructor at work in the basement
W'Nermitted the flame OF his lantern to
N6pmmunicate with some of the GASEOUS
M(@uids stored in the basement and that
Wis was this origin of the fire.
$.rhe scenes while the flames ragged
Were horrifyiug. Men and women met
dS Neath in sight of thousands of speota-
who wers unable to lift hand to
81 their assistance. The rear of Hunt,
III ilkinson g. 10. g building abuts on