Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-15
ORIGIN OF TIE FIRE.

OiIGlN Vi lIiE
There was hardly a breath of wind stirring
when the alarm was sounded, at halfpast
seven O'Clock, followed by second, third
and fourth in rapid succession, but the first
engine was hardly on the ground, when the
fire broke out from the fourth story of a
large four-story granite store on the corner
of Summer and Kingston streets, occupied
in the tlst story by Tibbetts, Baldwin &
Davis, wholesale dry goods dealers. 1t had
caught in the engine room, and the flames
sped with lightning rapi,iity up the large
elevator, and were first seen climbing
underneath the woodwork of the roof.
The engines were fairly at work before
any ether store had caught. The buildings
in the vicinity were all OF granite, four sto-
ries high, and each surmOunted with a
Mansard roof, none Of them being over
five years old. The detached splinters
flew readily as the air was heated by a
terrible heat, and soon the flames began
licking the Mansard roofs on the opposite
side far above the reach of the streams di-
rected upon it from all quarters. Fire was
constantly in the air, one building after
another caught OH the roof, and the flames
skipped along from window to window, so
that i'll less than thirty minutes every
check was blanched as it became evident
that the whole city in one direction was
which were leaping from roof to roof, and
from one building to another.
THE SECOND BUILDINGS TO
succumb were directly opposite to that in
which the fire broke out, occupied by
Mafin, Mullen & Elms, Harding, Bro. &
Co., Bowen, Moore & Co., Geo. Sides,
Carter & Co., and Conaut Brothers-all
wholesale dealers i'll dry goods and fancy
goods. This was at the EcOrner Of Otis
Place. The heat now became internal.
The streets ran rivers IF water, and at
every moment was heard the sound of
GRANITE BLOCKS EXPLODING.
Whole frames fell into the streets, making
them impossible. The fircmen were
driven from one station to another, and
many an engine was kept molly at work
while the hydrant was wet down by hand
! hose, and the engineer could only hold his
! place while the stream of water was play
/ ing on him. Blocks Of granite weighing
tons were split if by powder, and IulIed
across the wide streets, and planks went
| flying through the air as if they we've feath-
ers.
| FIREMEN'S BARRICADEs.
The frcmen erected barbados and
worked behind them, but they were burned
| almost as soon as erected. An hour had
hardly elapsed before it was evident that
Beebees Block, the finest business struc-
ture in The city, built Of granite, five stories
| III height, with the cursed Mansard roof
over all, must 60. Within thirty minutes
the flames were coming out in fiery bill
! lows from every windOW, and up the stair
way leading 10 AT. Gt,waIt's rooms, was
perfect column of flame. This building
served but as fuel for the flames Pieces
of dry goods went whistling across the
! square, lodged on window-silis of magni-
cent stores on DevOnshire street. Beebe's
Block stood a solid wall of granite several
minutes after the inside FELL but the heat
warped it, and two millions of dollars soon
lay heap of stone, bricks and mortar.
A HURRICANE
now ragged, aud owing to the intense heat
and perfect sleet of Goals, drove everything
before it. Every building was now heated
as if in furnace and caught like finder.
Four-story granite blocks seemed like
shavings. Deafening explosions were con-
stantly heard. New terror was now added
to the babel of confusion. Tenement
houses at the upper end of Federal street
were fast. being licked up by the flames, and
WOMEN CRAZED AND PAINTING
were rushing to and fro, carrying children,
crockery, clocks and bedding in their
hands. Que ran screaming through High
street with stove funnel in her hands,
while another was tugging heavy chest
what would have been weight for a strong
man. Now and then few pieces of goods
might be saved by volunteers, who ran in,
needless of danger, and spent five minutes,