Smyrna times., 1884-10-22
Marrow Escape from a COnfIagra-
tiOn.


ton.
AN HOUR OF PERIL TO OUR TOWN.
About three o'clock on Saturday
afternoon as Mr.. Reed, the freight
hauler, was passing in front of the lane
that led to the stable of the Philadel-
phia and Smyrna Transportation Com
pany on Methodist street, several bows
came running out saying the stable
was on fire. He dispatched Mr.. Tuck
er, who was with him, to the spot
while he secured his team. The hay
in the feed room was found to be in q
light blaze and extending rapidly.
Three buckets of water at hand would
have put it out. BY the time they had
procured some from Mrs. Warren's,
the nearest residence, it had extended
to the loft and the whole top with its
inhammable material was wrapt in
flames. The next thing was to save
the only two remaining horses in the
building, the others being out at ser
vice. In the meantime big black vol
umes of smoke began to ascend but
could not rise much above the house
tops because a brisk north wind scat
tered and drove the black column and
the flying cinders fiercely before it.
Neverless 1t was seen by a few from
different points. There was no cry of
fire as is usually the case, especially at
night, but the news passed through
the town as if a communicating line
ran to every public place of business.
The most felt it news of awful import
because there was the possibilities of a
conhagratiOn such as the town had
never experienced because of the
scarcity of water, the tinder-like con-
dition of the roofs from the months of
dry weather, and worse than all, the
prevalence of high wind. This was
manifest in the blanched cheeks of
some and the knit brows and serious
aspect of others as they hurried to the
scene to battle with the flames. By
the time the first arrived at the spot
the whole stable was a sheet of fire
which the wind was driving in the
direction of B. B. Aliens stable near
by, and in a few minutes it too was in
IL similar condition. To the first stable
there was Il wagon house connected,
that extended to within three or four
feet of the rear of the chapel of St.
Peters Church; the limit of the second
was only about sixteen feet from the
chapel of the new Presbyterian Church,
while directly in the line of the wind
and falling flakes of fire were the resi-
dences Of Geo. ID. Collins, b. B. Allen
and Mrs. Lydia HAZEL in the same
block, and those of John 4. Hoffecker,
John II. HOtfecker and Robt. d. Hof-
iecker on the opposite side of the
street. The situation was one of
dreadful danger and responsibility.
Those who had bravery and do" in
their composition went to work to save
the property in front of the flames,
some mounting the roof and others
passing up water by the bucket. The
situation was one not only of danger
ON the roofs, but requiring great en-
durance and it was only by frequently
wetting their hands and face and haV-
ing water thrown on them that they
could hold their positions. The clothes
Of several of them, it is said, did catch
fire from the falling Goals. The
Messrs. Evans, of the Diamond State
Picking factory, the building of which
stands next to the Presbyterian
Church, below, set their engine at work
to pump water for use in the suppress
sion Of the flames and fortunately by
the attachment of a hose, was near
enough to throw stream on the
chapel, the nearest point of danger.
Next to the dwellings of Messrs. Col
Inns and Allen and Mrs. HAZEL that of
John II. HOffecker was in the line of
greatest risk but his son Walter.
promptly supported by wOrkmen from
their canning factory were on the alert
for every missile of danger. The roof
Of this house ignited ten different times
from the falling fakes during the fire.
and in this respect was in as much
danger as those near, but the others
had the disadvantage of proximity and
heat.
As is usual when there is no organ
lied company, almost every one goes
to the scene of fire rather than after the
important requisite in its suppression,
the engines, but after awhile thev
reached the ground, thanks to few
thoughtful men who found them
almost an exhaustive load. At this
time the key to the situation was the
Episcopal Chapel. After some Difficult
ty the Friendship" was got to its
rear just when it was ready to burst out
in flames from top to bottom. The
terpentine was boiling from the pine
knots, the solder of the stained window
glass was melted by the fervent heat,
and five minutes more it would doubt
less have been wrapt in flames and if
so, beyond control, for the wells of the
neighborhOOd were by this time nearly
dry. 1t was reported at one time that
1t was on fire and the possibilities of
such an event were clearly read in the
mental agony depicted on many faces
for 1t meant sweep of fire through a
considerable part of the town that we
had not the means to suppress. But it
didn't, and why it didn't is the surprise
of all who took in the situation. If
any one of these houses had caught
beyond ability to check it, it must
have ended in conhagratiOn measured
only by the time and assistance from
another place.
st. Peters however was saved, and
the dreadful half hour of suspenss and
visions OF homes In ashes was relieved
by general feeling that the fire-fiend
had been conquered. The little
Smyrna that has done good service
through several generations of our
people responded again, in working
wherever needed the most. A good
deal of work was done in removing all
inhammable material such as fences
and sheds, included in the latter being
the long and substantial hitching shed
in the rear of the Presbyterian Church
built last year. The necessary work
of this kind done with axes, hammers
and saws was considerable.
1t was an hour that called for heroes.
and they were there; not all men
either, but women who not OnIy wept
but worked, carrying and pumping
water until they were exhausted. and
some knocking down and removing
impeding fepOes while muscular men
were standing and looking at them as
If the whole were a spectacular scene.
During the din of battle when the
cracking fire and rolling smoke SEEM
ed to be increasing in intensity and
there was apparently no hope in arrest
ing its force, a dispatch was sent to
Wilmington for help, and two compa-
nies were speedily at the depOt. SuDer-