Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-27
DAMAGE $3,000,000
|NP|TTSBURGHF FIRE
High Wind Spreads the Flames
and Whole Block Is
Destroyed.
STARTS IN TEN-CENT STORE
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, January 81
Fire which swept through a section of
the retail business district here today
destroyed the Frank G. Seder depart
ment store. the Grand Opera House. the
Hilton Clothing Company and a. dozen
or more smaller buildings. with a loss
estimated at from 100000 to $4,000
oO0 Four firemen were seriously hurt
and a dozen or more SO badly injured
that they were removed to hospitals.
1t appeared for time as though the
fire would sweep the entire square, but
heavy fire walls. built in anticipation
of such an eventuality, finally stayed
the progress of the flames, which ate
through the hundreds of tons of mer-
chandise piled in the stricken buildings.
The fire is said to have started in
the J. G. McCrory & Co. and 10 cent
store soon after midnight. but gave
the fremen no concern until shortly
after o'clock, when it had eaten its
way into the Frank & Seder. store.
A general alarm was then turned in,
but the flames. hidden from view by
dense clouds of smoke. had made such
progress into the adjacent buildings
that they were seen to be doomed.
Firemen were seriously handicapped
by the intense cold. it having been
necessary to carry hot water from
neighboring restaurants to thaw street
hydrants before streams under pressure
were available.
The fire ate its way down 5th ave-
nue. from Smithfield street toward
Wood street and breaking windows in
buildings across 5th avenue drove
scores of gests from their rooms in
the Newell Hotel. The Park building,
the Oldest skyscraper in the city, also
was threatened, as were a number of
moving picture theaters.
Blaze Leaps Across Street.
At one time the flames leaped across
Diamond street and damaged the Sol
omon department store and the Harris
Theater. but were soon extinguished.
1t then became evident that it the fire
wall which formed the west and south
sides of the Grand Opera House would
hold the fire could be confined within
bounds that would permit the saving
of no less than half the square
The buildings were among the Oldest
in the business section. with the sx-
ception of the Grand Opera House,
which was modern in every way. The
principal losses, it is stated, will fall
| on The Frank & Seder Company. the
Hilton Company and the Davis Enter
prises. which owned and operated the
opera house.
Inc ROOF of the Grand Opera House
collapsed. carrying with it the walls
of am adjacent building, and i'm
mediately afterward a number of explo-
sions scattered burning embers in all di-
lrections. Directly opposite across 5th ave-
uue scores of guests We're driven from
the Newell Hotel while the Park office
building, the oldest skyscraper in the
city, was threatened.
Flames Famed by the Wind.
The flames were famed by a high
wind, which threatened to carry the
fire farther west along 5th avenue,
while plate glass windows in business
buildings a block away were being
broken by the intense heat
The Lyric and Olympic moving pic
tude theaters were the next to catch
| fire, which extended to the S. S. kresge
Ave and ten cent store. where the fire.
men fought desperately to stop the
| flames.
On the west side of the burning block
the flames leare across Diamond street,
where the Solomon department store
was soon on fire, but prompt work, how
ever. saved the building, AS well as the
| Harris Theater next door. although both
were damaged The high wall which
| formed the rear of the Grand Opera
House stayed the progress Of the flames
| in this direction, and fire chiefs said
| that If this held the fire could be con-
trolled within an hour or two.
| Capt. John Snider of one of the down.
| town engine companies was struck by q
| falling brick when the walls of the
Frank & Seder building collapsed and
was seriously injured. Other firemen
who were injured We're hurried to drug
| store outside the fire zone. where their
| injuries were dressed by police surgeons