Daily Republican., 1881-10-29
THE FLAMES.
THE DIAMOND STATE BREWERY
AMAss OF CHARREO RUINS.

Ah = Dl AMON ID D1A . "a nNh - 4
MASS OF CHARRED RUINS.
Supposed sNse tho ork Of IN ln
eeudiary-Mr. Stssckle's Mar.
row EscaDo-LOss $4,000.
About quarter Of two O'Clock this
morning, Officer Pardee, while beating
his ROUNDS in the western part OF the
city, thought he saw a small tiickering
light in TIE rear of the Diamond State
Brewery, located at Fifth and Adams
streets. All at once the light grew
larger, and the officer comprehending
the situation rushed to Fourth and
Adams streets and sprung the ii e
alarm, which was Immediately y answer
cd by the Town Hall bell and the alarms
in all the engine houses in the city. BY
this time the fam 81 had broken out in
several places in the rear frame builc-
ing, rs if they had been fred simulra-
neously by an incendlary torch. AS
the )urid flames shot upward bright
light illuminated the whole of the city
in the Shipley run valley and other sec
tions contiguous.
IL was not until ten minutes after
: o'clock that the fire engines arrived
and unlimbered their apparatus, but in
five minutes afterwards several lines of
hose were pouring aqueous streams
upon the livid mass OF flames.
At twenty minutes past two o'clock
the sheet of tlaue had not only envel-
oped the frame buildings in which
were stored vast quantities Of ice, hops,
malt and other ingredients for making
beer, hut had run up the two ventila-
tols, one in the frame building at the
corner of Fifth and Morrow streets and
the other on the comparatively new
building at Fifth and adams streets,
aud in an incredibly short space of time
they were wrapped in sheets of flame.
The sight at this time was magnificent
and might have been viewed with pleas
ing emotions had it, nor been for the
fact that tens OF thousands of dollars
worth OF property was crumbling tC
ashes before the onward march OF the
sweeping besom of destruction. The
tops of the elevators resembled mon.
ster torches high up in the air and from
every crcvice and opening carle livid
tongue of lire. When the fire cornpan.
les arrived there was danger of the fire
spreading to the contiguous residences
on Morrow street, one or two of thu
roofs having already caught fire, but a
few dashes OF water from hose put II
out. The residence OF Nh Bowers on
Morrow ST., especially y wa in great dan
ger and the family removed to a greater
place of security. Strea ms of water
were also directed upon two dwellings
at Fifth and Adams streets, one inhabi
ted by Charles McCarron and the othel
by II. Newman. By we'll directed effort:
and hard work the firemen kept the
fire confined to the brewery buildings
which were evidently y doomed to des
truction. The new refrigerator build
ing three stories high without the ven
tilator, built two years ago costslo, 900
1t was builtin the most substantial man
ner between the walls and an insid
wooden sheathing was a space a TOO
wide stuffed full of shavings. From
the ventia ator, the fire worked on down
ward burning the mass, o. shavings il
its course between the wall and tn
sheathing.
| None of the st reams Of water throw
upon and through the building coul'
reach the fire and at 10 o'clock thi
morning it was still burning. BY tiv
o'clock the ventilators had toppled owe
, and the brewery, two frame ice house
and storage house were mass of char
red ruins and all the efforts Of the fire
men were turned to saving the large re
frigerator building i'll which are owe
1900 barrels of beer, ready for the mar
ket ard a larger amount under fermen
tation process.
| Mr.. Stoeckle the principal owner o
the brewery being teiephoned for at hi
hotel, 225 King StreeC, arrived in grea
excitement when the frs was at 1t
height and thoughtlessly rushed into
the thiCkest of the smoke in his desire
to save the burning building; he be
came stranglsd by the smoke and whel
rescued he could not speak, the palat
of his throat having fallen. He wa
conveyed to the residence of Benjamin
kopf, Mr.. Stoeckle's foreman, residing
at $50 west Fifth street, where DR.
Cameron soon arrived and administers
the necessary reliet Though Mr.
Stoeckle is not dangerously i'll, he re
mained at Mr.. kopfs house until ter
o'clock this morning. Daring the mr.
hundreds of pigeons which made thel
roost in the ventiators flew around II
a distracted state, many Of them beini
burnt, and others fell disabled amongs
the great mass of people that wer'
collected.
OF the property destroyed then wer'
10 bales Of new hops, 800 bushels of NAL
and 1900 barrels OF beer. Only a few
days ago the hops destroyed were take1
from W. G. Foord's brewery at Sixth
and Orange Streets.
| Mr.. Clark, one of the firm, was seel
at his office this morning, but was un
able to state the total loss: but it !
generally supposed that it will reacl
Si5, 900, upon which there is the follow
ing insurance:
German American Of New York
81, 800: Queen of Liverpool, 81, 900; New
Castle County Mutual Insurance Com
pany, So, 600; Farmers Mutual, $4,000
total, $4,000.