Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-01
MILLION OOLLARLOS
Destructive Blaze in Business
Center of Harrisburg.
SIX BUILDINGS DESTROYED
Other Structures Damaged by Fire
and Water.
ACTOR HAS NARROW ESCAPE
Rescued From Opera House After
Crawling Out on Coping and
Faints as Help Arrives.
ACTOR HAS NARROW ESCAPE

HARRISBURG, Pa, February 1.-Eight
buildings in the center Of the business dis
trict of Harrisburg were either destroyed
or badly damaged by fire early this morn
ing, involving loss estimated at $1OOO.OOO.
The Grand Opera House block, at Sd and
Walnuts streets, in which there were five
stores. was destroyed, and nothing is
standing but the walls. The Duncan build
ing, on the opposite side Of Sd street, occu-
pied by three stores and a pool room, was
also destroyed
While thick clouds of smoke were COM
ing out the windows of the opera house the
firemen saw a figure at one of the big win
dows high up the building. Then came a
crash. and what looked like nude man
crawled out on the sill. Standing on the
window sill he shrieked for a ladder.
Send ladder up here. Hurry up; send
a ladder up here
More smoke piled out of the windows and
slowly ladder was raised. Its top came
within several feet of the window sill. A
small ladder was hoisted by men on the big
ladder. The man on the window sill stop
ped screaming. He swung his arm and
the crowd thought he was going to jump.
Don't jump, boy; hold on cried the
firemen.
tainted When Help Came.
The man got on his knees and crawled
out on the window and let his legs hang
over. By that time the smaller ladder had
reached him and he grabbed the hooks and
fitting them onto the sill began to crawl
down. Edward Holbert, fireman. went
up to meet him and got the man in his
arms. Then the rescued man tainted and
had to be carried the rest OF the way. He
was hurried TO the Harrisburg Hospital,
where it was found he was not badly hurt.
His name is John Smith, his home being in
halo 10 fIA ctr III
pany and had been sleeping in one of the
dressing rooms when the fire started.
The Park Hotel and the Columbus Hotel
were badly damaged by fire and water.
The United Telephone Company building,
the Security Trust building, the Bijou The
alter. Roshon's photograph studio, College
block, the Harrisburg Gas Company build
ing and the buildings occupied by the Har-
risburg Cycle and Typewriter Company, the
Philadelphia and Albany Dentists and E.
G. Hoover, Jeweler, were also damaged.
Caused by Explosion.
The fire started from an explosion in
Pyne's hat store, in the Opera House block,
at o'clock, and within an hour had de-
stroyed the playhouse and stores in the
building and had leaped across to the west
side of Sd street to the Columbus Hetel and
College block. The opera house was owned
by a Harrisburg syndicate. On the first
floors were John Pyne's hat store. Wilson
Hoffa's drug store, Miles Frey g cigar store
and pool room, the Grand Union Tea Com
pany and w. w. Paufs shoe store.
The opera house stood at the southeast
corner of Sd and Walnut streets. facing
Capitol Park and diagonally across the
street from the post office. Across Sd street
at the southwest corner was the Duncan
building, which was Occupied by George NJ
Harry's cigar store, fruit and candy store
and barber shop.
The Columbus Hotel adjoined the Duncan
building on the west, and next door Is the
telephone building. The hotel was ruined
by fire and water, involving a loss of $50,
COO This building was owned by Narcissus
Russ, and the contents and equipment by
his son Maurice. The damage to the tele-