Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-09
.L!NDEAHURS7 BURNED
John Wanamaker's Beautiful
Summer Home Destroyed.
LOSS MAY REACH $500, 900
Frozen Water Plugs Retard Work Of
the Firemen.
ART COLLECTION IS SAVED
Bronze Figures, Books, Rugs and Cut
Glass Piled in the Snow
"Relic" Hunters Busy.
ART COLLECTION IS SAVED

PHILADELPHIA, February 9.-Linden-
hurst, John Wanamaker's magnificent sum-
mer residence on York road between Ogontz
and Jenkintown, was destroyed by fire last
night The loss on building and contents
may reach $2,5OO,OOO. Although the blaze
was discovered before it had made any
great progress. and the fire departments of
Jenkintown and other nearby places re-
sponded promptly, the lack of water made
their efforts futile. The two or three pit
iably small streams which were finally pro-
cured and directed against the flames were
of no avail.
Firemen and citizens from the neighbor-
hood succeeded in removing considerable
quantity of the rich furnish!ngs-rare ORR
entail rugs, pictures. statuary, bric-a-brac.
books, etc. The majority of these were
dropped in the snow on the lawn, where
they lay in confused heaps, and the crowds
who hurried from all parts of the sur
rounding countryside to view the spectacle
tramped among them unhindered. Many
objects were stolen-"as souvenirs"
House Valued at 81, 100000
The house was valued at 81, JOO,OO0. Mr..
Wanamaker's rare art collection, valued
at 81, 100000, was in a separate building, but
adjoining and communicating with his resi-
dence proper. The gallery was destroyed,
but the pictures-some of them world ia
mous-were removed to a place of safety
before the lanes reached them. The brio
a-brac, silver, bronzes and other furnish
ings Of the residence were easily worth
$l,GOO,C0O. A portion of these-a compare
lively small portion-was saved. 1t is i'm
possible to estimate the loss on the contents
of the house.
A remarkable spectacle was that pre-
sented by the heaps of beautiful things
which had adorned the home lying like
debris where men had dropped them to
hurry back for more. A piano lay on the
ground in the rear of the art gallery, and
some boys drew discordant sounds from it
by striking the keys with their feet. An
other piano-a baby grand-had slipped
from the hands of it's carriers in front of
the house and, being left too near the. lat
ter, was burned.
A superb bronze figure. lie Bucheron"
('The WoodchOpper }, by Chambard, lay
prone on its back in the snow near heaps
of books and rugs. cut glass, pictures, etc.
No police supervision for the protection of
these articles seemed to be exercised.
Many persons openly carried off books, cut
glass cruets and other objects, and as they
rode away showed them to one another as
relics of the fire.
Famous Pictures Saved.
A score of persons seated themselves in
the beautifully carved and upholstered
chairs and divans and comfortably watched
the splendid spectacle. They were so near
to the fire where they sat that the flames
kept them warm.
The neutrality-suspicious. Mr.. Wanamaker's
most precious poSseSSionS-were all taken
out of the art gallery an hour or more be-
fore the flames reached the roof of the
building. The largest pictures were cut
from their frames, which were too heavy
NHro l.
Christ Before Plate" and The Cruel
fixion," both of which have been exhibited
in all parts of this country and in Euro
pean art centerS.
These paintings were stored. in the car
riage. house, which was to the north.
whence the wind was blowing. and, there
fore, out of the direction in which the, fire
swept with such caiamitous results.
The fire originated in the linen room on
the third floor of the rear building, and
was discovered shortly after q o'clock. L.
is supposed that it was started by an cleo
trio fiatiron which one of the maids had
left on an ironing table. The fire was dis
covered by Alexander TAFT, Waterman on
the place. who alarmed the servants, the
only occupants of the house at the time.
When the Jenkintown and other fire COM
panies reached the scene water was no
where to be had The plugs were frozen,
and when they were finally thawed out
there was no force. If they had had
sufficient water supply, the hremen SAD,
they could have extinSuished the fire in
quarter Of an hour and before tue f1ameS
had spread from the rear to the main
building. There was plug at the front
of the house at one corner OF the porch.
but the water was frozen. Another plug
near the stable, in the rear, Was in the
same condition. The helt finally thawed
these, but 1t was too late.
The entire loss en- the house and con-
tents is fully covered by insurance.
House Built in 1880.
The original house WAS built by Mr..
Wanamaker in 1880. From time to time
additions were made. until. inclusive of the
large picture gallery. built about six years
ago, the building contained more than fifty
rooms.
On the walls of the picture gallery were
about sOO paintings. embracing collections
of old masters of nearly every school, The
most important of these collections was
the old English i'll the third gallery. The
first gallery was devoted to old French
paintings. The second. or large gallery.
was filled with paintings by the cd Dutch
masters, while beyond the English col
lection was the MunkacZsy gallery and
a small gallery containing examples of the
early Italian school
The floor CT every room in the house was
covered with rare and valuable old French
and oriental rugs, collected by Mr.. Wanna
maker in his travels in Europe and India.
One beautiful French rug in the center of
the main picture gallery cost $4,000.
Among other valuable furnishings was
splendid collection of old tapestries and
bronzes, all of them cid French; brio -brac,
china and old English and old French pot
terry were to be found in the different re-
ception rooms
All Of the silver plate, largely collected
by Mrs Wanamaker, was packed in trunks
which were stored in the basement, and pos
sibly they may have escaped destruction.
Besides several pianos, large two-manual
pipe organ, which was built iEto the house
at the time the residence was erected was
DESTROYED, as was the library. which among
other works contained valuable collection
of Americana.
Building Permits Issued.