Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-09
FIRE
AT SWIFT PLANT
lan Carried Down Ladder
Six Floors at Three
Alarm Blaze
DAMAGE WILL BE LARGE
Telephone Operator Sticks at
Post Until All Employees
Reach Safety

A Thrilling rescue of an apparently
1oo1Ded man featured q three-alarm
Are which started shortly before
o'clock this morning -, the six-story
triangular building of Swift & Co,
packers, in Percy street between Noble
and willow.
Captain John Duncan, Engine Com
or the scalp when he was struck on
the head by falling debris lie was taken
to Jefferson Hospital. Hoseman Frank
Newell. Engine Company No. 4. was
treated for. cuts of the hand received
BY smashing glass.
w. Krants. manager of the plant. can
make no estimate of the loss. The
damage was confined chiefly 10 the west
ern end of the building, and immense
quantities of stock stored in the refriger-
alton section at the opposite end of the
plant was saved by fire wall which
extends the entire height of the build
ing.
Caught on the sixth floor by the
flames, which broke out on the fourth
floor. Charles Maier, forty years old,
1s46 North Fifteenth street a sausage
maker. was unable to escape by the
stairs and started n slide for his life
down rope
He lost his nerve after starting and
returned to the sixth floor.
Rescuer Forced Back
Meantime. Captain Schwartzcoff of
Engine Company No. IS. started to climb
the rope to rescue Maier. but was turned
back by the intense heat at the fourth
Accr.
Truck No. 2 arrived at the scene soon
after Captain Schwartzcoff was forced to
descend and ladders were run up to the
sixth floor. Firemen quickly ascended
and carried Maier to the street.
The fire started in a smokehouse on
the fourth floor, supposedly from over
heating.
\ quickly spread 10 an eleyator shaft
and ieaped to the sixth floor, eating
through the roof.
Great clouds of smoke rolled from
the building and hung over the district
within an area of four or five blocks
Telephone Man Sticks
G. w. Brown, 123 North Mole street,
operator at the telephone switchboard in
the building, notified of the fire when II
skerted sent in the first alarm, then
e11m1y sat at his board and notified
each department that the building was
burning and to leave as quickly as pos
atblc by the nearest escape. When he
vpas assured that every person had been
nptihed to leave. he left his post,
Thick volumes of smoke were envelop-
Ing him and threatening him with suf-
focatlon when ne made his way to the
street -
Nearby Buildings Menaced
The flames broke through the roof
and ieaped high in the air, attracting
thousands of persons.
The entire top was a mass of flames
vhen the firemen arrived and the dense
smoke hssnpered their operations Hall
an hour after II had started the blaze
wAs still burning fercely, though fire
cbmpanies from all parts of the city
were directing many streams of water
upon II.
A brisk wind carried burning embers
high into the air and there was danger
that other buildings would be ignited.
Police reserves were called out to keep
back the crowds, which pressed close to
the fire lines and threatened to, hinder
the work of the firemen.
e. J. Keiffer, cashier of the concern,
had difficulty in saving records and
money of the company. When the blaze
reached the floor on which his offices are
located he seized all the loose money
available and carried 1t out of the build
ing, hurling that which he, could not
carry into the safe. In jiffy the flames
swept over the offices, but 1t is believed
that the contents of the safe are in
tact.