The daily gazette., 1880-12-20
KmsH4nla eaesaa ser Ho~EsMR
Fyre IN s,,.yrsa.
ABLAzR THAT FOR AWHILE SERIOUSLY
THRAATEEnD rHE TOWN.

A BLAZE THAT FOR AWHILE shhtoUbLf
{ THRAATEEeD THE TOWN.
Special correspondence Of the Gazette.
SMYRNA, Del, Dec. %, 1880.
On Saturday evening between and
8 o'cl6ck, while the merchants and busi-
ness nena aeparptly were busy selling
goods and attending TO businesses 10 the
case Of Saturday evsning,the alarm OF
fire was heard In the street causing q
general stampede a. IL Is an unusual
thing 10 hear the cry of IRE In Smyrna.
Upon inqiufy 1t was found that the ex
tensive saw, planning aRd basket factory
known as the wooden factory corner OF
Commerce and Pearl streets now owned
and operated by Tschudy & Cats, was
on fire. Soon our small and almost use
less fin apparatus were on the spot but
IL was useless to attemp to extinguish
such big fire, as the whole building,
which 10 very largs,was one vast sheet Of
AAme. uB8
So they turned their attention to
preventing the spread Of the fire.
Fences were torn down, baskets, crates
etc., were removed from large ware
house adjoining the mill to prevent it's
spread into the heart of the town and
by the free use Of wet carpets, blank
cts and everything that would hold
water upon the house on the opposite
corner, owned and occupied by Mr..
eam'l Griffin, the FIRE was checked in
that direction. On the other side OF
mill was large storehouse, which had
just been stocked with groceries and
Christmas goods by Mr.. George Van
Winkle,, who fortunately removed
them, although badly damaged, to a
place of safety. An attempt was
made to save this building, which, al
though about so feet from the mill
took IRE and was entirely consumed
About this time the dwelling in the
rear OF the mill owned and occupied
by Stephen Van Fossen, was also dis
covered to be on fire rash was made
tIit but the springs being very low lhs
supply OF water by this time was sc
meagre that it was given up.
The proposition was then u.Ade to tel
sgraph To Wilmington for help, which
was done, but in q little while the great
tower on the mill having fallen, so ne
what smothering the fre. the peopl,
oohSioopA vbCJ oObAh PiONeht tho oPApoe
OF the flames without help, ,consequ ue ently
they teIegraphed for the engines not e
come. Upon the opposite side OF Com
meTce street tue hre was so hot as u
blister the palut on the houses. Up
wards OF twenty families removed thel
goods ~ safe places, damaging them con
siderabiy. Several parties were more 0
lsss injured by falling timbers. The orr
gin OF the freis not definitely known
The mill WAS in operation during th'
day, and some say the Ore was caused sy
a hot box, others by the furnace in tn,
engine room. The less on tue mill an,
machinery is about from s., 900 to $40 ,000
Insurance ON mill, $4,000, no insurance
on the machinery. Loss on the. store
house owned by Tschndy & Cats, abou
81 900; insurance, 81 900 in Kent Count,
Mutual. Loss on Mr.. stephen Van Fos
sens dwelh nR, which was entirely con
sumed, 81 500; insurance 81 200, in ken
County Mutual. This is the largest tir'
smyrna has had for ten years, and thu
burning of the MILL Will be severely fel
by the lahoring class. Mr.. Van FosssI
will rebuild Immediately. T. j.
In response 20 their Appli cation TO
help from this city Mayor Allnond hai
the Water Witch, Reliance and Dels
ware steamers at the freight depot and
special train almost ready 70 start wbe
the telegram came that no outside he'll
WJuld be REQUIRED.