Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1896 — TWO MILLIONS LOSS. [ARTICLE]

TWO MILLIONS LOSS.

Furious Flames Destroy Big Build-. *' * lags in Philadelphia. Chestnut street, Philadelphia, aw Habited the other morning by one of the fiercest fires the city has known for years. The seven-story building of Charles 11. Harseltine, 141<i anil 1418 Chestnut street,and- the udjohriiijpfive-story- ntrneture ofthe Baptist Publication Society 'and the American Baptist Historical Society were ’ destroyed. The buildings damaged by fire and wares and falling walls wsre the four-story dry goods house of Homer, Le Bontillier & Co., 1412 agd 1414, the dwelling at 1422 owned by the Wistar estate and’ the Hotel Lafayeite at' BroajT and Sansom streets. On either side of the maui entrance to the Hoseltine building were the piano warerooms of Hallet & Davis at 141<i, ami of Steinwav & Go., at yiß- 'J fhe‘ two Baptist societies lost large and valuable collections of paintihgs, books and curios. 1 The detailed losses havehbt yet "Been made up, but a conservative estimate, places the aggregate at close to, $2,t KjtMWO. It is thought that this is covered by insurance. . • It was shortly befqri? 3 o'clock. When Policemen Rice and Howard, while patrolling their beats at Broad and Chestnut streets, detected the smell of smoke. They ran to the Lafayette Hotel and went from floor to floor, looking for the fire. When they reached the sixth a fierce blaze met their sight. It was in the rear of the Haseltine building, which reached dangerously hear to the back of the hotel building. An alarm was struck immediately, but before the first engines could reach the scene a,strong west wind had carried the flames throughout the entire building, .V'ilozeh “lines of hose - were turned on the Chestnut street front, but the light wood and paper which' stocked the second, third and fourth floors were easy food for the flames. The upper portion of the Lafayette Hotel was ignited by sparks flying from the burning buildings on Chestnut street, but the blaze was confined to the upper, floors. The fire whs not controlled until long after daybreak. The Haseltine building was valued at $300,000 and \yas fully insured. It was erected in 1888. and tliiTßrst two floors were “fireproof.” The loss on paintings ou thesecond floor is between $300,000 and $400,000, uninsured. Among those destroyed were two by G: 11. Selous, valued at $30,000 each; one by Robert-Fleu-ry, valued at SIO,OOO.