Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-27
FIRE.
DWELLING HOUSE AND FURNITURE
BURNED.

scarcity of Water Caused by Insufficient
Mains.
About seven o'clock this morning y
one-stOry frame dwelling, with back build
ing. belonging to Louis Dickel, and situ-
ated OH. Love Lane, near Filbert street, was
discovered to be on fire, and was within Il
short time entirely consumed, together
with most of its contents
1t is not positively known how the fire
originated, but it is most probably the
work of au incendiary. Mr.. Dickel lives
alone and slept in the house last night.
This morning he got up early and came
down town to do his marketing and
make some purchases at Steinman's hard
ware store. When he left the house there
was no fire in it, he not having kindle,l 4
fire in the stove. On his way home he
was told his house was on fire, and ON his
arrival it was a mass OF ruins. Meantime
some of his neiShbOrs haG discovered the
fire, sounded the alarm. and endeavOred
to save some cf his goods. His brother
Frederick Dickel and his nephew Freder-
crick Dickel, .jr., who live near by, entered
the burning building and were nearly suf-
fOcated.
The house WAS insured for $500 in the
Rochester insurance company, n. ", Of
which j. II. Ostermayer is the local agent.
The loss, including furniture and clothing,
will not be less than $500.
The Humane fire company reached tho
ground soon after the alarm, but could do
no good. There is fire-pluS ON Love
Lane, almost opposite Dickers house, and
i section of hose was attached to it, but
not 4 drop of water would run from tho
plug. The Humane steamer then at
tachcd to plug ut the corner of Love Lane
and st. Joseph street, but with all its
power Of suction cOukl get no water.
Then their hose was attached to the plug
at the corner Of st. Joseph street and
Laurel alley, some two squares away from
tlft fire. Here there was a fair supply Of
water, but it was so far away that the COM
pany lacked fully five sections of hose to
reach the fire. Meantime tho Shiiller en-
ginc arrived and attached their hose to 4
plug further down Love Lane, where they
got supply of water but could not reach
the fire by fifty feet or more The Shilllcr
declined to loan their hose to the Humane
and thus the fire ragged while two COM
panies vainly endeavOre,l to reach it from
opposite directions. 1t is not ut all likely
that they could have done much good had
they been able to reach it. for the flames
but the fact that there was sufficient hos
to reach the fire with one stream had the
two companies united their hose, and tn
further fact that they did not do SO, shows
tho Necessity Of reorganization of tho
fire department..
Tic city reservoirs are full of water the
plugs on Love Lane are said to be clean
and in condition; and the only reason
assigned for the failure to get water from
them is, that they are fed by single
4-inch pipe extending along Manor street
all the way from West King street to Love
Lane. The draught of water along this line
is so great, especially in tho morning,
when the cotton mills, other manufac.
tories, and hundreds of families arc using
water. that the hydrants and plugs Oh the
hill fail to receive supply, and arc sure
to be dry the greater part of the day.
What is especially needed in this part Of
the town, land indeed in several other
scctions) is water mains of much larger
calibre.