Smyrna times., 1886-10-20
A Town Destroyed.
SALISBURY CLOTHED IN ASHES AND
DESOLATION.
Full Report of the Damage By Fir

" y
of ashes 1870 buildings have been destroyed
by fire; a million dollars have gone up in
smoke; scventy-seven dwelling houses
have been burned 500 people who but yes
terday We're happily settled in the most
comfortable Of homes, know not whore to
lay their heads, and for food must to-day
depend upon the few who have escaped
there is not q business edifce left save two
or three small groceries at the extreme cas-
tern end Of the town. The people are dazod
and their spirit is as sOrrowful as the pic
ture presented North, South and West.
What q strange contrast is the bright and
CHEEKY sunshine this morning with the
scene of desolation.
The terrible confagration which inside of
less than half day has laid low this busy
little hive of commerce and industry broke
out at $50 last evening in the private
stable of s. Frank Toadvine in the south
western corner of the town, near the Wi
cOmico river, which borders on the west
and South. The wind could not have been
more favorable to the flames. 1t came
briskly from the southeast wiping out the
entire western business portion of the town
and then rs if bent upon unmerciful de-
structiOn Veered to the southwest, sweeping
huge sheets of flames over the remaining
business places and making for the dwell
ling houses. There had been no rain here
for six weeks, and with most of the build
ings frame, their cOmbustibility can easily
be imagined. From the southwestern
point at which the fire started, it cleared
Dock, Division, West, Church, High, st.
Peters, Williams, east and west Camden,
Broad, East and West Park, West Chest
nut and Main, the last named with its two
solid blocks of large business structures.
The Opera House, Masonic Temple, Odd
Fellows Hall. Episcopal and Catholic
Churches and Methodist Episcopal Church
South, the AdUertiSer building, post office,
Peninsula Home and Salisbury Hotel and
the Salisbury National Bank are in the
ruins
The loss will reach Sl,OOO,OOO, covered
| by insurance for about twO-thirds of that
| sum in most of the prominent companies
| in the United States and the Liverpool and
London and Globe Company of London.
The following are the principal losers
with the amounts E. +. jackson S Co. S
| lumber mills and 1000, 900 feet Of lumber
| $4,000; j. w. Gumby, $4,000; S. Frank
TOadvine and Toadvine & Dorman, S25, =
| 600; A. f. Parsons & Co., $4,000; r. +.
Powell & Co, $4,000, and r. E. Powell,
| $4,000; Birckhead, Laws & Carey,
$34, GOO; b. L, Gillis & Son, $50, 600; John
! White, $4,000; E. T. Fowler, $1,000
Henry j. Brewington, $4,000; j. Cannon
| q Son, $50 600; +. c. & IL. S. Todd,
$1,000; L. NJ. Dashiell, $1,000; Marks y
Brother, $1,000 Mitchell & Ennis, 81, .;
l.. Adkins 81 ,0OO John Disharoon S10O;
Nj. Schiller, S2500; S. l.. Evans, 5000;
5. Ullnan y Brother, $1,000; I. w. Sea-
brease, 81, COO; r. X. Truitt & Son, $4,000;
Mrs. Lea Hoover 5000; A. w. Wood
! cock s. Son, $1,000; 5. =. Woodcock &
| Co., $4,000; Peninsula House, Sl2,0G0
Salisbury Hotel, $3.50; T. II. Williams,
$4,000; II. Brewington, 5000; L. A.
Bell; $2,jCli Laura Brenzier, $1,000; Sal
lie Fish, $1,000; N. Sehoettofel, S2,2C0; 5.
| A. Graham, So 1000; Opera House, owned
$1,000; post Office, owned by L. L. Jack
son e Co., 5000; G. Il. Rider, 1900
Dr. w. G. Smith, 1900; DR. F. NJ Ste
| mons, 1900; estate of j. Pennel, 2,050i
| Dr. II. S. S. Todd 5000; s. O. johnson
! 1880; j. Bergen, $500; W. 5. Par
| son, 5000; Bermenthal iE Newmeyer
| 5000; John Tracy, 1000; \ r. Blu
menthel, $500; Adoertiser, 1900 There
/ are many other losses ranging from 500 TO
1000 dollars. Twilley 65 Heran, BARRIERS
| whose building was destroyed, had no in.
| surance but managed to save their effects
/ William IL. Rounds, a grocer, loses 1000
! and has no insurance; Taylor & Pardue
liquor dealers, lose 700, with no insurance
There Is but one fire company here, and
! upon its engine being brought out, it was
found to be out Of order and useless De.
| AFls
field and Wilmington, but series of de-
lays helped the flames. There was noloco
motive at the former place, and one had t
be telegraphed for at Delmar, the addi
tional run occupying nearly an hour, anC
when the Crsfeld steamer arrived, it wa!
found to be of little power, and incapabl,
OF throwing much Of q stream Thus wa
the burning town left almost helpless unit
! help arrived from Wilmington at 1910!
1 ~ nl his j L.
Reliance fire engines of that place came
with their two hose carriages in charge o.
siXty-seven men under Chief Engineer
| Sweeney. The Fame Hose Company sen
seven men, and the Washington Fire Com
pany four or five with a few other com
panies. They left Wilmington at 90
o clock.
The feeling of joy that ran through tho
people of Salisbury was loudly expressed
as the three score and ten Wilmingtoniani
ran down Church street with their steamer.
and hose carriages, with the familiar shout
Let her go, boys" The view in front o
them was a most inviting one for theil
labOrs. just as the fremen left the cars
the handsome 5000 house of r. f. Powell
southeast corner of Broad and Division
streets, recently finished and furnished
caught fire, but the high wind doomed it
and before drop of water could reach i
cinders. The palatial house of E. E. Jack
son, on Lemon Hill, considerably removed
from the main body Of FIRE, o $40 600 man
| sion, caught three times, but was saved
The Wilmington tiremen arrived Just il
time to save the new court house, the hand
soonest public building here. 1t was almos
surrounded by fire but escaped as described
Three hours of well-directed work will
plenty of water from the river, brought tn
destroying element under control and bv
o'clock victory" was pronounced. Waite
was thrown on the lowering flames unit
after clock, however.
1t is considered pretty sure that no hu
man lives have been lost although rumor
to the contrary were rife during the night
Three horses and COW were sacrificed il
Toadvine's stable, and lot of hogs suffere,
the same fate elsewhere The cause Of tn
fire is a mystery, as TOadvine's stable wa
closed at the time, and no fire was in o
about It, George Posey, the hostler, doe
not smoke, and Is ignorant of the origin
a theory Is advanced as follows Abou
! / two months ago a man of unsavorv charac
= ter, named Winder Culver, finished tern
= OF imprisonment in the peniteDti4ry, wher
he had been confined for numbering a col
ored man. Since his freedom there ha
? been a suddon Increase in mysterious dar
deeds. fire started unaccountably on
) night near the busines portion of the town
2 ana when an alarm was about being struc
the bell rope was found cut About 81
/ o'clock yesterday morning Thomas Eli.
. a private watchman on Main street, wa
5 shot at, the ball grazing his stomach, an
} his assQilant, an unknown man, escaping
The impeachment ip the working of the Sal
= isbury fire engine is looked upon by som
people as part of q series of attempts TO re
! move safeguards TO property and then t
1re IT, perhaps for the purpose Of robbery
Culver has not been seen about for aoOupl
) of days.
The Baltimore Sun sums up the losses a
{ l2S houses, as follows One large planin
mill establishment and lumber yard, 5
5 stores, 5S dwelling houses, 4 stables,
} hOtels,3 . churches, z newspaper offices,
opera house. postoffice, ! bank
, A correspondent Of the same paper says
" a store in which powder and cartridge
, were kept became ignited, and the hnrro
Of the situation added to a hundredfold b.
the simultaneous explosion of kegs O
powder and barrels Of whskey, and the in
, cessant reports of the exploding cartridges
Sparks flew in every direction, and in
short while flames burst forth from tn
jackson mills and from several stores
The people no longer retreated slowly. bu
fed pQnic-stricken from street to street
from house to house, stopping at times T.
help move q pi0ca Of furniture which h0C
caught, or waiting moment TO look bacl
at the pursuing flames, and then again Zee
ing. Many Of the men stood their ground
and with heroic self-sacrifce, in trying b
help their neghbOrs Furniture and sill
: verware were moved in some instances t.