The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-01-26
The Court House on Fire.

The Court House on Fire.
Court In Session AT the Time-Judges, Law
yers Jurors and Spectators Rush out
Hurriediy-The Fire Conquered After IA
Hard Fight-The business section OF the
Town Endangered.
The ringing of the Court House bell
has often notified the. citizens of Elkton
that property was i'll danger from fire, anu
about quarter before nine ON Wednesday
evening this signal that the fire demon
was abroad, again rang out. The cry OF
lire" was heard on the streets and the
hurried question, ''where?" followed by
the answer The Court House" soon
caused large crowd of excited citizens
to gather.
Court was in session that night. The
case of Oppenheimer Il Sons OF Baltimore
VS. Reynolds Brothers OF Port Deposit
which had been on trial since Friday of
last week was being argued before the
jury. NJ. r. Walter, of the Baltimore
bar was making the opening speech for
the plaintiff when shortly alter half past
eight smoke was noticed issuing from one
of the registers. Deputy clerk G. j.
White noticed it and called the attention
OF the Judges to the fact. He and bail
iff were sent to investigate, and they and
member of the bar arrived soon after
ward and cried that the Court House was
on fire. No time was spent in the usual
formalities of adjournment. The "Oh!
yes" Oh! yes" of the crier was omitted,
the usual discharge of the jury was for
gotten by the Court, in the great ambi-
tion and desire of every one present to
get out and stand once more on terra
TRINA. Hats and coats were hurriedly
grabbed. The senior member OF the SOL
ands of dollars that the verdict of the
jury would either put in or take out of
his pocket and said my Gracious! Let
me out, as be struggled for the door.
Judges and jurors lawyers and clients,
Court officers and spectators made rush
for the stairs and down through the
smoke to the street. The smoke was so
dense that some had difficulty in getting
out.
Great volumes of smoke issued from
the basement of the building. The brick
heater on the side where the commission
ers office was before the building was re-
modelled had ienited the woodwork
above. 1t was here that THE Hole in
the walI' was situated, the Democratic
headquarters for so many years.
DR.. Fl. G. Wells of Mitchells Drug
Store was early on hand with his Bah
cock extinguisher that has done effective
work In the past A bucket line was also
soon formed but scarcity of buckt is
prevented it from being very useful. The
old hand engine was brought to the scene
but there was some little delay in getting |
it in action caused by the difficulty in |
supplying it with water. Before long the
fire was considered to be out. The men |
found difficulty in fighting the flames
owing to tue dense smoke.
In few minutes it was found that the |
flames had burst through the floor of the
commissioners Office above. The hose
was got in through the window and a
stream of water played for some minutes
which put out the blaze. The platform
on which the commissioners sit when in |
session was torn up as fire lurked between |
it and the floor.
After the flames had been extinguished |
and the smoke somewhat cleared away, |
investigation proved that the woodwork |
near the heater had ignited. A crevice
air to strike the wood work which it
ignited. The furnace had been built TOO
near the woodwork. The Orders and
floor above had been charred by fire. The
damage only amounts to about three
hundred dollars. A hole was cut through
the floor in the main corridor No papers
of importance were damaged in the
commissioners Office. All valuable papers
were locked in the safe. The law books
and papers in the private Office of the
clerk of the Court were moved into the
Clerks Office proper. This is supposed
to be fire proof but there is no doubt
that the wing of the building containing
the Clerks Office and Office of the Register
of Wills with the valuable papers therein.
would have been consumed with the
main portion of the building had the fire
gained Roadway. 1t is very fortunate
that the fire occurred when it did, and
not few hours later when but a few
persons would have been at hand, and it
might have secured Roadway enough to
have made fight for the building USE
less. There is no doubt bad the Court
House been destroyed that the business
houses adjoining it on the north side of
Main street would have also been burned,
and the Odd Fellows Hall and other
buildings on North street would have
been in great danger