Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-11-23
LAST EDITION
CITY IN ASHES
The business Section of the Town De-
stroyed Loss Half Million Hundreds
of People Homeless.


stroyed Loss Half sIllion-H Hundreds
Of People Homeless.
AZ o'clock yesterday afternoon fire
broke out III the drug store Of ID. o. j.
Truitt in PGeomoke City. Md, and by
TO- 30 q cloel1 last night when it was
under control, almost the entire business
portion Of the town was destroyed, in
GLIDING two three story sbricks blocks.
and both hotels The insurance is stated
to be about 500, coo The loss will be
$500 600. Pocomoke City is a town of
i SEQ inhabitants, situated in Worcest er
county Nd. on the line of the n y, P.
and n. r. r. and on the Pocomoke river.
The Clark House, the principal hotel in
the plsoe, which was in possession Of
Ben Pierce, formerly OF this city. was
one oil the last buildings to 70.
A special disratch TO the Baltimore Sun
says
TIL building where the fire originated
was Situated in the heart Of the town.
and from the FIRST it was hopeless case
The bucket AID ladder brigade did all in
their power, but all their efforts proved
fruitless The town was not provided
with any kind Of fire apparatus, and
message was sent to Salisbury for its de-
partm=ni, which responded in one hour
from tha receipt Of the message A
strong northwest wind sent the hungry
flames lcaping from one building TO
anothar.
From the drug store the fire spread to
carriage factory, which communicated it
to the rostotice, and the following stores
were then destroyed: The store of
Townsela & Stevenson; next general
merchandise store and then eonfection-
cry store. The fire next communicated
to the large brick block occupied by l. H.
Morrill, boots and shoes SLloyd. Dryden
4 Blaine, drug store; f. @. Polk & Co. ,
clothing, boots aud shoes the millinery
store Of Miss Jennie Matthews, general
merchandise tore of Smullen & Paradee,
Stevens g. Mattnews's dry goods store,
Veasey & Bevins, general merchant Sc.
On the north side of the street the fire
struck 3 sine & King, general merchal !
disc Ca tain Husted's store, and a dwell
ing &c lpied by Mrs. DeKay; next the
hardware store of H. & A. b. Davis, and
large millinery store by Mrs. Payne
then The brick block of w. j. Dickinson
& Son, T. Fountain, druggist, and an
other hardware store. The handsome
hotels. the Clark House and the Parker
House were then burned. The store Of
Mr.. S, h10lGeld, residence occupied by Mr.
Stevenson, the new residence of Alfred
Townsend, residence of j. Clark, and n
number Of other houses Kings livery
stables "a carriage factory. the printing
Offices IL the Times, the Record and
Gazette and Peninsula Ledger were all
burned. This leaves the town without a
paper
At 3 O'Clock the fire was considered to
la fro ,sts
doing good work The entire business
portion of the town is gone, and only two
stores remain They are james Clogs
and Elaine & Kings. Only few dwell
ings were burned, the bulk of the build
ings Cestroyed being stores. The people
seem o stand their losses heroically. but
many are heavy losers. On the outskirts
of the town the sight is one of great con.
fusion Loads Of goods are lying around
in disorder. When the excitement is
over aud the people settle down 70 the
fnll -0rf Zoe their loses, the worst
showing win come. In the main centre
OF tie uON. 1.,4e is nJJniIg standing
but tai chimneys which throw theil
shadows over the place once covered by
fine buildings
The officials Of the New York. Phila
delphia aud Norfolk railroad at Cape
Charlie, as soon as they learned Of the
FIRE sent train with fifty men to hell
fight the flames
Pocomobe has been unusually lucky il
not having so many fires as her sister
town. Owing to the towns unprotected
condition. ana being so closely built, al
most entirely Of frame, there was moth
ing 10 stay the hand of destruction
The Montgomery Mutual Fire Insur
anee Company loses about $12. 600 tn,
Cecil Mutual about $4,000 and the la
surnnce Agency Of H. p Dashiell o
Princess Anne, about $4,000.