Evening journal., 1914-03-12
$4,000 LOSS
BY FIRE THAT
WRECKSSTORE
Firemen Hurt and Mr.. and
Mrs. Harry YerCer in DAN
ger While Shop Burns
ATTRIBUTE BLEZE
TO DEFECTIVE FLUE


stove pipe. completely Quilted the
Harry Yerger Art Store, at No. 419
shipley street. yesterday afternoon.
as stated in these columns yester-
day. The blaze, smoke and water
destroyed many valuable paintings
and damaged the stock, fixtures and
building to the extent OF 5000.
which was only partially covered by
Insurance. The store OF George Hard
castle and Son, adjoining, also was
seriously damaged, particularly BY
smoke and water. Several firemen
were injured In their battle with the
stubborn ilames The blaze was of a
spectacular nature, il being neces-
sary at times to fight the flames from
the tops of several ladders. II caused
excitement while It ragged, and ShipIey
street was crowded with thousands of
curious persons who didn't mind the
driving snow.
An amusing incident occurred once
when hose that had been thrust
through a window on the upper floor
shot a stream >of water up through
the roof and down upon the heads
OF the crowd, quickly clearing a wide
NIN'' tiA0uAiQ. Ant X.
The hremen prevented the flames
from communicating seriously TO the
adjoining buildings, which for a time
We're In grave danger A number of
hremen were overcome by the smoke
and injured. Mr. and Mrs. Harry
ferger had a narrow escape from the
building and Mrs Yerger, wife of tho
proprietor, tainted and later became
hysterical, following which she
lapsed into Inconsistencies. She
was carried into the Reynolds Candy
Company's store and DR.. Sherwood
was summoned. She was later re-
moved to the home Of relatives, where
she revived but was unable to dis
cuss the Ere.
Charles Slnes, OF S34 Poplar street
member of the Phoenix Fire Com
pany, was knocked from a ladder By
stream of water and broke his left
arm and fractured his shoulder. He
was removed to the Delaware Hos
pital in the Water Witch Companys
automobile hose wagon.
walter 4. Ridines, a member OF the
Reliance Fire Company fell 20 feet FROM
the roof of the Neager building to the
roof OF the Han.castle building when n
ladder slipped from under him. He sus.
tanned injuries about the legs and body.
John Mckinley. another member of the
Reliance company, fell through the sky.
light Of an adjoining building from the
roof of the Acrger building. He was
caught by the arms by fellow fremen
before he had dropped to the floor. =
Frank Reisser. aged SO years. Of No.
300 West Twenty street, was
overcome by smoke. He was carried
70 a drug store and later the police
patrol took him TO the Delaware Hos
pital. When he was revived he became
delirious for awhile.
Minor injuries were received by sew
eral firemen when glass from the win
dows, portions of the eornice and burn.
ing timbers fell on them
Harry Yerger, the proprietor of the
store, was i'll in his apartments on
the second floor OF the building when
the blaze started. Mrs. Yerger was
with him and the FIRE cut off their es-
cape by way OF the stairs. They had
to climb through a second story front
window to the cornice and walk along
It to the building occupied by Hard
castle and Son. the adjoining struc-
ture, which they entered by way OF a
/ front window. It was then that Mrs
Yerger was stricken. Firemen car
ried Mr.. and Mrs. Yerger out Of the
building.
IL is believed that a defective fiue
or overheated stove pipe caused the
fire. The Yergers live on the second
floor of the building and use a rear
room as a kitchen. Mrs. lerger had
made a lire in the stove in this room
and shortly afterward Mr.. YergeI
smelled smoke issuing from the room
Upon invest eating he and his wife
discovered the flames raging about
the chimney BY that time, the flames
had made their way between the par.
titions separating the rooms and wcr,
eating their way through the third
floor.
Henry Scout, who Is employed by
Mr.. Yerger, as a wood worker, who
was on the third floor, discovered
the flames about the same Tins a!
MIR. and Mrs. Yerger. He shouted tn,
alarm and fled down the steDs tC
the street. The attention of the pao
pie on the first floor was attract
ed by the shouts of Mr.. Yerger anS
Mrs. lerger"s screams and severa
of the employees ran up the steirs I,
learn the cause of the excitement.
bucket brigade was formed. but tbs
flames had gained such headwa'
that their efforts were without avail
A still alarm was sent 70 the Fame
and Washington companies, but whel
the firemen arrived they found tn
task was too much for them. so al
alarm was sent in from Box No. 3. a
Fourth and Market streets.
The firemen found the second am
third floors of the building envelopes
and flames shooting through the rco
and high into the air Dense cloud
, Of smoke rolling from the windows
and from the roof. made It impos-
bic for anycne to reach the second o
third stories.
+ The FIRE broke out about 2.40 o'cIoc
and after an hours hard work, the fire
men had it under control. BY 4.3
O'Clock IL was out, but later the flame
broke out in the ruins and still alan
j. was sent TO the Fame Company.
b The fire left practically nothing bu
= the walls above the second hoor A pol
tion OF the third floor and the roof fe
= in about an hour after the fire starte'
Fed ON the dry wood and the quaint
ties OF stock which are highly infsn
mable, the fire ragged with great inten.
ity for some time and gave the sever,
companies hard battle. Fire Chi,
,e ADscow sent in a second alarm d
~ soon as he arrived.
n }. Grant Haderer, general manag,
y. Of the lerger art store. said there va
n stock in the place valued &C more ths
he $4,000. The destruction of this wit