Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-28
lF|REMEN Injured
IN $4,000 BLAZE
Five Hundred Persons Flee
Homes in Fear Of South
Front Street Blaze
WOMEN PROVIDE COFFEE

About 900 men, women and chlldren
ware driven from their homes into the
rain. four firemen were hurt and many
nearby houses were damaged by fire
which destroyed the warehouse of the
Philadelphia Second Hand Bag Co.,
1912 South Front street.
The fire was discovered about - 80
o'clock, and the ruins Of the ware
house are still burning, but danger Of
the blaze spreading is past. and the
families have moved their rain soaked
belongings back into their homes. The
loss is estimated at 5000. 900.
Heroic women, wet to the skin
through the meagcr clothing they
grabbed when patrolmen knocked at
their doors and ordered them to flee.
worked all night making coffee for the
6remen and others fighting the flames.
Women Give Help
Five women welfare workers in st.
Peters Guild House, Front and Pine
streets, after fleeing from the building
clothing. made coffee the remainder of
the night, not even leaving when fire.
men mounted to the roof of the build
ing to cxtingush a small blaze, due to
flying sparks. .s . .......
In one house only short distance
from the fire Anna Kane. twenty three
years old was i'll with pneumonia. Rel
atves feared to move her into the rain
because the shock and exposure might
result in her death. Fearful that the
flames might make their way into their
home at any minute. they congregated in
the sick room and managed TO keep the
patient unalarmed. q.
Patrolmen Casper aud Morton. Of
the Third and DE Lancey streets station,
discovered the fire. The nature of. the
contents Of the warehouse was such that
by the time the firemcn arrived the blaze
had made great headway.
The fremen discovered early that Il
would be virtually impossible to save
the warehouse. The dry bagging burned
like so much paDer. throwing forth n
fierce heat and lighting the neighborhood
for more than block.
Residents Aroused
After summoning the engines. Casper
and Morton ran from door to door along
Front Lombard and Pine streets and
aroused the inmates of the houses. most
Of which are frame cottages or tene-
ments.
In some cases. the patrolmen were
forced to break in the doors after knock
Ing with their clubs failed to arouse
the Slccpers. In few minutes the
streets werc crowded with half clothed
persons running from their homes and
ss,vaging such valuobles ms thev could.
Lombard. Pine and Front streets
were decorated with piles of he'd cloth
Ing and furniture, and each store avn
ing covered scores of mon. women and
children driven from their homes
More than a hundred homeless per-
sons found refugee in the cigar store OF
Thomas Donaghie. at the southeast cor
ner Of, Front and Pine streets. Many
crowded into the storeroom, and Others
found protection from the weather in
other rooms of the house. e..
Tho five women workers of the guild
house are Miss Ethel Hoskins, Miss
Jennie Henck. Mrs. Ada Bryson, Miss
Katherine Bryson and Miss Anna
Bettson. When first aroused they ran
into the street half clothed.
When they saw others standing around
in the rain. some without outer clothing
and others depending upon bed coverings
Tor protection, the women went back
into the guild house, despite the dam
ger, and provided hot coffee for the suf
ferers.
Coffee and hot drinks were made in
Donaghie's cigar store and distributed
among those driven from home and TO
the tremen, most ON whom were soaked
through by the rain and water from the
hoses. '
Firemen Hampered at Work
Tho Grpman h..
work by the great number of refugees
most Of whom insisted upop remoininc
as close to their homes as nossibIa
Many men were placed on roofs near rho
e!aSe e to aid firemen extinguish sparks
falling on them. ''' ~
faiiing walls added to the terror and
cohiuslon, and each falling wall also re-
suited IN hundreds of sparks and burn.
.hs finders being flung into the air to
anght on nearby roofs. The firemcn
ana volunteers were able to cxtinpIish
al th"s" fires without much damage
!. Fifty two horses were rescued from
He stable OF the old Pennsylvania
farmers farmers and City Hotel, at AT South
John Egan., a fireman of Truck Co.
f,U;' Ui o. was buried under one of the
hiuS walls. He suffered injuries
st soout the head and shoulders. Otbcr
.rcmgn dug him out and sent him 70
1ne Iennsylvania Hospital. where II
Is said he will recover. ""''e II
al FRANK Morris. of Engine Co. No, II
lei, from ladder and sustained intor
nal INJURIES. He is in the Jefferson
HNoSPltal; Frank Thomas. Engine Co
No. !. also fell from a ladder and broke
nus right shoulder. He is in the same
hospital TH One other fireman was hurt,
o,e inc building occupied BY the burlan
tUnpany was formerly the old Front
s''eet school building. 1t was more than
stn.u nunared urea years old. 1t was a two
70 rear alley. '' ''e"