The daily gazette., 1880-12-29
AN EARLY BLAZE.

0hNhhoOb ClIIZENS.
One of the most destructive fires that
has occurred In this city since the burn.
Ing OF W. q. Pennypacker Il Co.'s floul
mills, took place this morning, shortly
after o'clock.
THE DESTROYED BUILDING
10 known as the Siotsenburg foundry
situated Oh Front street, between WASH.
inglon and Justison streets, and run.
ming back 10 the railroad. 1t was oc.
cupied In former years by T.. &, Stot-
senburg Il Sou, but for the past two
years by the Stolsenburg Foundry Com.
pany, Of which 4. G. Stotsenburg is
President.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Just how the flra originated will pl OBJ
ably never be known. About the time
mentioned above flames were seen ssu-
lug from The roof in tho vicinity OF the
cupola, and In few moments the old
belfry was in flames. The alarm was
given oy an engineer on shfter that
was coming In from the west yard of the
r., W. " B. K. X. The continuous
alarm given by the whistle of tie shifter
soon had the effect Of arousing those
living in the vicinity,and in a very short
time the alarm was upon the streets
and carried to tue various engine houses
| Among the first to arrive at the scene of
the fire were Sergeant Leeg, aud officers
McCol mick, Cabnon aud Chambers,
Upon arriving there they at orce set to
| work to save whatever they could.
They first forced open the door of the
Office aud carried the contents into the
paper store Of A. V. Gay nor, OH the op-
posite side OF the street.
THE FIREMEN's EFFORTS.
| 1t was nearly an hour after the flames
were discovered before the firemen
could get the engines into service. Ow-
ing To The condition OF the streets, it
was very difficult matter for the horses
10 draw the engines TO the scene of the
disaster, and number nf them were
obliged 10 stop to give the horses a short
rest. The Relia ce and Washington
horses got stuck on Front str ct. BY
this time the fire had gained considcra-
abe headway,snd after the engines had
arrived, ,members had TO run around the
neighborhood to find shovels in order to
clear the snow from the plugs. Mes
/ W. Wiz PidSo DtGD CONtIGu VIII
snow by the caTelessness OF pc SONS
cleaning of their pavements. All this
combined 10 give the flames grea er
headway than they would have had had
1t not been for the difficulties exper-
fenced by the firemen.
THE FLAMES
extended from the upper portion of the
main building to the attic over the pat
ern shop where they were gotten under
control. The flames We're confined
for time to the roof and as it was
covered with tin no water could reach
| them by throwing water on the roof,
thus making 1t more difficult TO get at
the fire. In order to reach item the
tiremen were obliged 10 carry their hose
into the burning building and direct
them upwards. Some Of tie patterns
in the foundry also caught fire, but the
flames were extingulshed before they
we're entirely destroyed. One OF the
,wo large cranes inside the building was
entire saved by one of the companies di
recting their stream upon it. Another
was somewhat scorched, and will not
cost much to repair it. After the fire
men got to work, they continued at il
until about o'c ock this morning. A
number of them were drenched through
with water, and their clothes froze on
their bodies and icicles hung to their
| hair and whskefs. A number of those
who were there remarked that it was the
| coolest time they ever experienced at a
| fire. A number had their hanls froZoi,
to the branch pipes, and they became 50
chilled aud benumbed that they were
carried into the houses OF those living IN
the vicinity, put TO bed and covered up
with blankets. Fires were also built
10 the street in order TO afford few
| minutes warmth to the noble workers.
HOW II LOOKED.
At S o'clDck this morning the seen,
around the building was one tina. would
be difficulty to describe. The windows
were broken in, large icecles hung sus
| pended from every projecting object; the
walls were covered with ice and the
blackened rafters stood out in bold rele1.
Inside the building every Thing Was full Of
| ice. ln the backyard patterns and work
| mens tools were thrown around indis-
| crminately and SO covered up with ice
that 1t was difficult to move them.
Il
A number of hands we're working the
| building up to IL o'clock last night, and
before they left the fires in the cupOas
| were carefully extingulshed. Several
| of the employees had no hesitancy III
| saying that in their opinion the building
| was tlred. A few months ago mai
| from Baltimore called at the office for
| work, and being unable to, obtain any
| he took a walk through the building and
| IN the pattern shop. That night box
| Of valuable tools belonging to Mr.
| Wier were stolen. The man was arrest
| cd ,.tried and convicted at New Castle,
and received twenty lashes. His term
| expired q few days ago, and on Friday
| ile was seen around the foundry by sew
| eral workmen. He is the one that the
employees IN question think set fire to
| the building. This is given for what II
| Is worth.
| All the firemen deserve thanks TO
| their efforts, but none more SO than Of
ticer Cham bers, Mr.. Chamber
is q member of the Delaware
and when his company arrived he took
| the branch pipe and held il for foul
| hours with no one TO assist him. In or
ier that the pipe should not get away
| with him, he tied IL TO q crane outside
he building. He became 30 bennm bed
| that coffae had to be carried to him and
held while he drank 1t. Aboat my
hands will be thrown out of employ
ment by the casualty.
| All the citizens opened their houses
and prepared hot coffee for the workers.
Daniel Nj aler, a baker on Front near
Madison furnished coffee and hot rolls.
The buildings and contents are owned
1 ma. al Nnfinn-