Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-11-29
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BALTfMonE, Nov. 23.--A spooisl from
PocomoEe CITY, Worcester county. ma
Gays Fire broke out here ct o'olock
Yesterday afternoon, in the drug store al
ID. y. j. Tfuitt. This building wna sit,,
ated IN the heart of the town, and from,
the ftst II was a hopeless ease. Inc
BUCKET and ladder brigade did all 10 their
power, but all their efforts proved frnit.
less. The town was not provided pilh
any kind OF fire apparatus, and nessqoa
was sent to Salisbury for ito department.
which responded in one hour from ira
receipt OF this message. strong north
west WIND sent the hungry flames earring
from ono building TO another.
From the drug store the Ore spread IN a
carriage faetory, which Communicated Il
20 the post-oaice, and the following torres
were then destroyed The store OF ToWn'
send a Stevenson; next q general NOV.
chandise store, and then confectionery
htore. The fire next communicated 10 The
large brick block occupied by ii. II Moy-
nil, boots and shoes; LLOYD, Drydnn 4
Blaine, drug store; e. g. Polk l. %.
clothing, boots ard shoes; tie millineyy
store Of Miss Matthew's, general mernIen.
disc store Of Smulisa & Paride. Rteyens 4
Matthews dry goods store, yeasev h
BevinB, general merchandise.
On the north side Of the street the f,e
struck Blaine d King, general meroban.
disc; Captain Husted's STORE, and 4 dwell.
ing Occupied by Mrs. DeKsy; next the
hardware store Of W. II. Il A. b. Davia
and large millinery store by Mrs.
Heyne; then the brick block Of W. M,
Dickinson u Son, e Fountain, druggist,
and another hardware store. The hand
nome hotels, the CLARK House and the
Parker House. were then burned. The
store OF Mrs Schoolfield, residence occu.
pied by M. Stevenson, the new residence
OF Alfred Townsend, residence OF J. CLARK
and q number of other houses Kings
livery stables, carriage factory, tie
printing Offices of the TINES. the Record
and Gdsstte, and Peninsula L.93sr were
ell burned. This leaves the town without
q paper.
At 8 O'Clock the fire was considered to
be under control. The fire department
did good work. The entire business nor.
ton OF the town is gone, and only two
stores remain. They are James 0loe's
and Blaine a Kings. Only few dwell.
iugs were burned, the buik Of the build
in9s destroyed being stores. The people
seem to stand their losses heroicaliy, but
many are heavy losers. On the outskirts
OF the town III sight Is one Of great con
fusion. Loads of goods are lying eround
in disorder. " hen the excitement Is oyer
and the people settle down to tic fuli
realization OF their losses, the worst
shock will come In the main centrh 0,
the town there Ia nothing standing but
tall ohimneys, which throw their shadows
over the places once covered by Ono
buildings.
The officials Of the Now York, phila.
dslphia d Norfolk railroad ut Onpe
CHARLES, Va as soon as tbsy learned of
the fire, sent train with so men 10 help
fight the flames.
Pocomoke has been unusually lucky in
not having SO many fires hs her sister
towns. Owing to the towns unprotected
condition and being so closely built, al
most entirely Ct frame, there Is nothing
to stay tho hand OF destruction.
At 1890 p. IN. the ere was all ont. The
estimated loss lie $500, coo, partially GOV.
red by insurance. The Montgomery
1utual Fire Insurance Company loses
about $4,000, the Cecil Mutual about
100000, and the Insurance Agency OF
p. Dashiell Of Princess Anne about
10000.
Pocomoke City ia town of sbout
UOO Inhabitants, in the southern phtt of
orcester oounty, on the Pocomoko river,
d also on the ine OF the New York,
iiladelphia h Norfolk railroad. 1t has
: .nlmnnication with Baltimore by means
IL the Eastern Shore Steamboat Com
pauy, aud ~ thriving and busy town.
lta principal industries are the CONVEX.
sion Of lumber into building material,
marine railway, sEip-building and manu-.
facture OF fertilizers, brioks snd -four. 1t
has electric lights, snd before the fire
was neat and attractive town
Further reports OF the disastrous fire Of
Pocomoke Oity, Md, show that the total
loss will be $500 900, with insuyanoes OF
only about halt Of tits amount. Among
the losers is Benjauln O. Peatcs, welt
hnown hotel proprietor formerly OF this
city, where he kept the old Iasiian Queen
hotsl and other hosteiriss. His, handsome
hotel, the CLARK houss was bu ned, on
failing loss OF $4,000, was entirely de-
Btroyed; insurance, St0,l00. A house
occupied by Mrs. Si,as Stevens and owned
by Mr.. Pearoe, was also burned.
= The totarinnmbsr OF buildings de-
stroyed by tho fire was 81, as follows 38
stores, 10 dwellings, two hotels, town
ball, livery stable, two Newspaper ofi 2es
and several small ou,buildirgs. The fee
is supposed to have originated from de-
feetive flue in the drug store Of DF. d. ].
Tfuitt, at the corner of Maip, or Market
and Front streets, and was first seen by
nGvaral persons at 4.15 on Thuysday af-
ternoon. The flames were breaking
through the roof when discovered, and
hardly had the alarm been sounded when
the frame structure was in light blaze
Pocomoke City, like number Of small
towns, Ia not provided with fire engine
and the citizens formed themselves in
bucket brigades, who fought the flames,
but owing TO strong wind blowing from
the north, they soon found 1t impossible /
to stop thsir p,ogreas.
lC4sgfams asking for help we're sent to
Salisbury and Orisfield, to which both of
the, fire departments Of the town re-
sponded promptly arriving in short
sime on special train furnished by the
N. ", p. a. N. railroad. The two engines
we're run down to the river, and ID a
'Iholt time there ware two steady streams
Of wRtar pouring on the burning
buildings.
The fire, in the meantime had spread in
avery direction, and the citizsns at once
began to bring into requisitton all kinds
OF carts and vehicles in aiding them to I
remove their goods to places of safety.
Tho scene was one that passed. all /
power of description. The streets were
lined with men, women and children. all T
panic. stricken, rushinghi,her and thither.