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On January 14, 1914, the building where Thomas Edison installed his first successful electric three wire light was gutted by a fire that began in the furnace room. The City Hotel was rebuilt, with a 4th story added, and in 1922 Edison returned for Sunbury's Sesquicentennial, with the hotel being renamed in his honor at that time. The Hotel Edison still stands on the corner of 4th and Market street in Sunbury PA.
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City Hotel Destroyed by Fire
"Sunbury's largest hotel, the City, was destroyed by fire on Wednesday after noon. The fire originated in the cellar, the result of an overheated furnace. Due to the extremely cold weather the firemen fought the flames with hard ship and even though there was no high wind it was with much difficulty that they prevented the flames from spreading to adjoining buildings. . The hotel was owned by Dr. F. E, Drumheller and leased by Charles Rothermel. The loss to the former is about $100,000, covered by about $40,000 insurance, and the loss to the latter is about $15,000, covered by about $5000 insurance. Dr. Drumheller already plans to build a finer and much larger hotel on the site. When it was learned in this place that the hotel was burning many of our people went to Sunbury to see the fire." - The Northumberland Press
The fire started between the walls of a partition on the first floor and was burning fiercely when discovered by the hotel clerk [Mrs. Rotheramel], who, with others, threw water on the burning joists and in the flue, but the draft from the bottom swept the flames upward in a funnel shape and they rapidly spread through the second and third floors of the annex, then ate their way to the rafters of the third story of the annex and communicated with the old part of the building.
"The blaze broke out shortly after 3 in the afternoon, and if the fire would have been at night, the loss would have been considerably more"
"So rapidly did the flames spread that in ten minutes the firemen were powerless. With poor water pressure and freezing weather, there was little else to do but watch it blaze and run water in the windows." - The Selinsgrove Times Tribune
In all early news reports, there's a line that states "James Leeser, a fireman, was fatally injured fighting the flames." The Selinsgrove Times Tribune, a week later, more accurately reported: ""A falling wall caught James W. Leeser, a fireman, but he escaped with a few lacerations""
Servant Girls Lost All In Fire
"Mrs Sallie Shimer, of Beaver Springs, cook at the City Hotel was unable to save $50 stored in a trunk in her room; Anna Schafftner, a domestic, lost $28; twelve other girls lost all of their clothing except that which they wore at the time of the fire. A traveling salesman, a guest at the hotel, who lost all he had, pitying the girls, had a check, his pay for the month, cashed and gave the money to the girls. Neighbors cared for them over night. In the morning Charles Rothermel, proprietor, who lost $16,000 in furnishings, purchased clothing for them." - The Harrisburg Telegraph
ALLENTONIANS LOSE EFFECTS IN SUNBURY HOTEL FIRE
Frank Rinn, Inspector of Weights and Measures of .this city, and Harry Bierv. Inspector of the County, who attended the Weights and Sealers Convention at Sunbury Wednesday, lost all their belongings in a fire at-that place when the City Hotel in which they were rooming, burned down. The loss with the furniture and valuables of the guests of the hotel is estimated between $125,000 and $150,000. - - At the time of the fire Mr. Rinn and Mr. Biery, were attending the convention in the Y. M. C. A. of that place; and upon hearing of the fire, went immediately to the hotel. They went into the burning structure, in an effort to save their belongings, but their rooms were on the third floor, and they only succeeded in reaching the second floor, when they were ordered out of the building on. account of the! floor giving way. No sooner had the two reached the sidewalk, when the second floor broke through, in which ; one fireman of Sunbury was seriously injured.
"Inspector W.L. Janssen of the the bureau of weights and measures is ack from the state conference of the city and county sealers congratulating himself that his suit case did not burn up in the fire which destroyed the City hotel at Sunbury during the time the conference was being held. Janssen left his suit case In the lobby of the hotel and was able to get it out. He said yesterday afternoon that several of the sealers attending the conference lost practically everything they brought with them except the clothes on their backs" - The Scranton Tribune Republican
The Ruins After The Fire
Ruins Of the City Hotel
Entrepreneur Edward T. Drumheller was proprietor of the Susquehanna Hotel at 4th & Penn Streets, and also the Aldine Hotel on Arch& 3rd St, before he built the City Hotel on Main and 4th in 1871.
The City Hotel first opened in January of 1872, and quickly became known for it's fine dining and accommodations.
The trees covered in ice - they had been soaked by the firemen's hoses and the water froze.
On the evening of July 4 1883, a three wire line that was strung from the power plant to a 100 candle power light over the City Hotel entrance, was switched on by Edison. Local residents cheered and marches were played by a local brass band. This was the first successfully installed electric three wire light of it's kind. Read more about when Edison Came To The Valley here:
The City Hotel included one of the first commercial elevators in the country, which took guests to one of the 40 rooms on the second and third floors. The hand-operated elevator can still be used.
OVERHEATED FURNACE CAUSE OF FIRE
Sunbury, Jan. 14. -- The City hotel, the largest hotel in Sunbury and one of the largest in central Pennsylvania, was totally destroyed by fire today as a result of an overheated furnace. The loss is estimated at $125,000, partly covered by insurance.
JAMES LEESER, a fireman, was fatally injured fighting the flames.
The hotel was owned by DR. F. E. DRUMHELLER and CHARLES ROTHERMEL.
Photos Of The Hotel Before The Fire:
The Rebuilt City Hotel
After the fire, Drumheller restored the building and changed its design and also added a fourth floor.
Thomas Edison on the porch of the City Hotel, for Sunbury's Sesquicentennial. The Hotel was renamed the Hotel Edison, in his honor, with the plaque dedicated at this ceremony in 1922.
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Before the City Hotel was built in 1865 it was the spot of the oldest tavern in Sunbury; The tavern was marked by The Sign of the Buck.
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Terrific article. I knew that the original hotel burned, but it's fascinating to read the accounts from back in the day. It really gives some perspective and a human side to the story.
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