Evening journal., 1889-01-21
A SUNDAY MORNING FIRE.

factory of b. Lundy Kent q Co., at Front
and Justison streets. and in the. lumber
yard of Kent q Weeks, adjoining. The
flames had gained great Roadway before
being discovered and when first seen
were breaking out from the entire drying
room of the morocco factory
J. Frank jackson, Waterman for the
Harlan aud Hollingsworth Company at
their foundry, sent out the alarm at 3. 20
a. m. from box No a at Front and jus
tison streets. The entire department
quickly arrived and fought the flames
until long after daylight. When the en-
gines got into action the entire factory
was a fiery furnace Of flames
and from the burning sheds
and piles of lumber in the lumber
yard they shot up into the air. illumina-
ting the Sky sothat people were attracted
to the scene from all over the city. The
firemen poured thousands of gallons of
water on the flames, which stubb0rnly
resisted their efforts The water ran
down Justison streetin torrents and freex-
ing made the square between Front
street and the railroad a sheet of ice
The fire was first subducd In the morocco
factory, but not before fl was destroyed
with the exception of the walls The
tory on JustisOn street was covered with
q mass OF Ice and icicles. and from the
telegraph and telephone wires III front OF
the building hung long lines of icicles.
The iremen poured water on the
piles Of lumber an the morning and 1t
ran through the property of the gas conn
pany and down the bank to the Open
sewer beside the railroad tracks in rivu
let's and waterfalls
Thousands of persons were at the scene
Of the fire and crowds came and went all
the morning. Smoke was rising from the
ruins this morning and some OF the piles
of lumber were burning in a lively
fashion. At 1910 o'clock yesterday all
of the engines but the Weccacoe and
Fame were called away by the fire beyond
Eleventh street bridge. The two engines
remaining continued to throw streams of
water on the flames until late yesterday
afternoon, then they too went TO their
houses
At $50 last night the flames in the
lumber had broken ont afresh all over
the yard and another alarm was sent out
This new outbreak was soon subdued
The morocco factory is a total loss only
the walls are standing. The sheds Office
and lumber in the lumber yard are also
total loss. The little lumber not destroyed
is so burned and charred as to be useless.
1 The row of houses ON Justison street. ad
/ joining the factory, We're greatly endan-
rered but suffered no material damage
| The three story brick house adjoining
! the lumber yard on the west caught fire
/ and the rear portion. which was % wood
was badly burned Considerable damage
was done to the roof The tanks of the
| gas works We're in danger and if the
/ flames had approached nearer 70 them
than they did, an explosion which would
have shaken the whole city, might have
occurred
Police officer Meredith. who was one Of
/ those who discovered the fire awakened
the occupants of the adjoining houses.
broke open the gates Of the lumber yard
and stable and rescued three horses, a
carriage and three sets of harness. Ser.
geant Blackburn broke open the Office and
carried out the books that We're not ia
the safe A number Of people in the
vicinity Of the fire served candy anC
coffee to the tiremen for which they an,
grateful. Chief Engineer William Nc
Cracker sent the following to the EVEN
ING JOURNAL for publication this morn
ing
thanks to the following parties: c. Wig
ellsworth, 206 jefferson street. Mrs. {
Murray American Laundry. COZ Yves
Front street; G. Krautter soap manufac
turer, COG West Front street Mrs. G
Stovel, III jefferson street, and others
for furnishing lunch and coffee to TIM
firemen at the fire of Kent q Weeks
lumber yard OH Sunday morning
About thirty men were employed al
the morocco factory. It was not running
full force. The men employed were fin
ishers. The factory was not turning Ou
anything from the cellar. The stock OF
hand, which was mostly finished, wa,
valued at about $50, 600. The firm havl
opened an office at 1l3 West Front street
There will be no interruption in the
lumber business. Coal and lumber can b.
supplied as usual from their Union stree
yard.
The origin Of the FIRE is a mystery
There was no fire in the boiler room
Some flames appeared in the lumber yard
but they doubtless broke out in the hea
or dry room of the factory.
The loss on the morocco factory, whiel
was owned ond operated by b Lund
/ Kent, is estimated at from 500 600 a
: $2j, GOO Ii has insurance as follows
Building, So, 500 machinery 81. 500 stock
$12, 600 The loss on the lumber and lumbe
yard is between $4,000 and $ll 00C
There was $4,000 insurance on tn
: lumber and $500 on the office, stable an
4 shed. f. L. Gilpin & Co. aud L. p. Buc
4 Co. placed the insurance. That place
by Buck g. Co, was on the lumber an
stable and in the following companies
New Castle County Mutual So COG
a Pennsylvania Fire, $4,000; Royal 9
D Liverpool, 1000; London and Lanear
p. shire So, 600.
The building used as the morocco ia,
tory was formerly the Old Black Hors
. Hotel, well known for probably sever
n five years. II had been used as a morocco
b factory for about three years The il
f surance on this is 81, 900. with 81, 800 0
D the new back building.
t The following is published by request
n The undersigned desire to EXPIRE:
n their thanks to the fire department f
their prompt and faithful efforts to col
troll the flames which destroyed our prol
erty, Front and Justison streets, Sunda
morning.
n "R. LUNDY KENT & Co
II KENT & WEEKS"