A devastating night-time fire destroyed one of the largest and most imposing buildings in Schuylkill County in 1892. The Miners’ Journal Building on Centre Street in Pottsville succumbed to a massive blaze that erased its 176 foot tall tower from the city’s skyline forever.

From the – Pottsville Miners’ Journal, October 29, 1892:

Disastrous Blaze

THE MINERS’ JOURNAL BUILDING BURNED TO THE GROUND. A MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE
The Large Building While Enveloped in Flame Suddenly Collapses and Confines the Fire.

That magnificent structure, the Miners’ Journal building on South Centre street, erected by the late Col. R M. Ramsey at a cost of about $125,000, was totally destroyed by fire early this morning in spite of the heroic efforts of the Pottsville Fire Department to subdue the raging element.

An alarm was sent in from Box 20 at 1:10a.m., and in an incredible short period of time the firemen assaulted the leaping flames on every side. But their efforts were like those of pigmies against the hissing, crackling flames, and soon the noble structure was a magnificent ruin, a seething mass of fire that leaped heavenward. and laughed in demonical glee at the powerful streams that ponied upon the building.

A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT.

The building was composed of press brick and galvanized iron. Numerous parapets and turrets, a skye soaring tower and beautiful arches, lent architectural charm to the pile and made it the most imposing edifice in Schuylkill County. The tower soared to a height of about 176 feet and from its summit a sweeping view of the surrounding country was obtained. It was a very large building and stood almost within the shadows of the Henry Clay monument.

The fire originated in the rear portion on the second story. Within a brief period of time the flames burst through the numerous windows and crept up the sides of the building in furious blasts. Dense volumes of smoke mingled with the hungry tongues of fire that licked the sides of the structure rolled heavenward in blinding clouds. The sky reflected the mounting flames and the surrounding country was illuminated in a red glow.

The fire soon forced its way into the tower and in a few minutes curling flames wreathed the summit. It was a beautiful spectacle when the unconquerable demon rose to the lofty pinnacle and ferociously shook its fiery mane at the sea of faces in the street. The fire seemed to rule the air in waves and each wave tried to overleap the other in savage delight.

When at last the flames had shrouded the magnificent tower in a veil of fiercest fire, capstones and iron hoods that covered the smaller towers began falling to the ground and then it was that a cry went up for the safety of the brave men who fought the fire in the street so many feet below. The firemen seemed indifferent to the falling timbers and crumbling walls and turned a deaf ear to the warning cries that went up from the bystanders.

Suddenly there was a noise like tumbling thunder. The massive timbers supporting the tower had been eaten away. The dizzy summit of the tower began to sway. Another cry, but the heroic men. battling with flame and smoke refuse to move. With a mighty crash the tower falls into the seething furnace around and beneath it.

A portion of the steeple fell into the street and for a minute the firemen seemed to be engulfed in flame and smoke. Everybody thought they had been killed, but when the smoke lifted there they stood like figures hewn out of stone still holding to the nozzle and unscathed. The tower in its full buried itself in the very bosom of the roaring flames and great volumes of fire leaped from every portion of the doomed building. A myriad of sparks filled the air when the collapse came and sent flaky showers over the surrounding country.

At 3 o’clock the firemen got control of the flames, but streams were kept playing on the smoking embers until almost daylight. Nothing but a part of the north wall to the second story remains of the handsome edifice. When daylight lights up the scene an awful picture of ruin will reveal itself to the eye. Charred pillars, twisted girders, broken columns, shattered statuary and steaming black mounds of the fire fiend’s fell work, all in chaotic confusion will be the picture that visitors to the scene of the great conflagration will now behold where once stood the proudest triumph of modern architecture in the lower coal fields…

OCCUPANTS SAVING PROPERTY.

The building belonged to the estate of P.W. Sheafer. The loss will aggregate nearly $200,000, including losses sustained by occupants. It was erected in 1874 and for a number of years the Miners’ Journal was published in it.

At the time of the tire it was occupied by the following: Sheafer and Lower, insurance: Sheafer and Turner, real estate; Apollo Glee Club; Philopatrian Club; Pottsville Gymnasium; Chataqua Library. James Huntzinger, lived in the second story.

The basement was occupied by David Conrad, plumber; Harry Heilner, upholsterer.
The building was heavily covered by insurance. The origin of the fire is unknown. Rain began falling shortly before 3 o’clock and aided effectually in removing all vestiges of fire. Dense clouds of steam rose from the black mass of burned wood and seemed to intensify the picture of desolation.”