The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-07-26
Stanton Wooden Mills Destroyed

New Castle county, owned by +. j.
Cranston, and operated by H. E. Ioltsizer
d Brother, lesseCs. was totally destroyed
by fire Monday morning. Mr.. Cranston
places his loss at $4,000, and his in
surance is $1,000. divided into seven
policies of $1,000 each in the following
named fire insurance companies Mil
waukee Mutual, The Mutual Insurance
Company of Toledo, Ohio The American
Mutual of Cleveland, Reliance Mutual of
Dubuque, Iowa Wisconsin Mutual OF
Milwaukee, Parkersburg Insurance Com
pany of Parkersburg, w. Va, and the
Farmers and Merchants of Albany,
Oregon. The line was written by
Arthur Preston, insurance broker, Ger
mautown, Pa. This insurance covers
the building and a portion of the machin-
cry. Holtsizer & Brother put their loss
at s., 900 with an insurance of $1,000, also
written by Arthur Preston. They can
not give the names of the companies in
which they hold policies, as the policies
We're burned IN the office.
The destroyed mill was used for the
manufacture of carpet yarns and the
firm employed sixteen persons, including
four girls.
The main mill is built against hill,
was of brick and stone and was three
stories high. The lower floor is 60x45
feet and the upper floor, which extended
over the top of the hill, is 100x45 feet.
On the first and second floors were the
carders and on the third floor were the
mules.
The building was heated by steam and
was supplied with water from race
through large iron pipe. On the third
floor were lines of hose for fire purposes.
About 1920 o'clock on Monday morning
Alfred Smith, the foreman OF carders,
had lust had the first breaker On the
second floor at the west end started when
there was flash, and the cotton being
worked up was found to be in flames. An
alarm was given to the workers above,
and by the time they got out the whole
interior of the bnilding was on fire. The
material burned like powder and an effort
to bring the hose into use was fruitless.
In an hour the main building was in
ashes, nothing being left but the walls.
The front office at the west end was to-
tally destroyed, with all the books and
papers of the firm.
As soon as the alarm was given almost
the entire population turned out to give
assistance. The Brick Mill, quarter of
mile away, was shut down and Thomas
Pilling, the proprietor, and his son Rich
ard Pilling, headed their workmen and
hurried to the burning building. The
elder Pilling himself assisted i'll saving
several bales of cotton. A bucket bril-
gade was formed and the one story store
dye house, Immediately joining the burn
ed portion, was saved. The frame picker
room, fifty feet to the north, was also
saved. Much of the machinery was COM
paratively new. How the fire started no
| one seems 10 know. Foreman Smith is
| of the opinion that it may have been
caused either by a nail or a match head
in the cotton. He says that the whole
thing was so sudden that he had no time
to do anything except warn the employees
| to escape.
The building, long known as the Stone
| Mill, was about 60 years old. At one
time it was owned by James Taylor
Afterwards it became the property of
James Cranston, who died about three
wears ago. lie had owned it about thirty
wears. 1t afterwards became the prop
| erty of Z. j. Cranston, a son of James,
who still owns it. Four years ago it was
| leased by Henry E and John iIoltsizer,
| who pvt j.. some of their own machinery.
The HOLSTERS and Crauston each per-
mitted about 81, 900 insurance to lapse a
wear ago. 1t is not known what action
will be taken about rebuilding the mill,
which has been burned three times, the
last time about 1876.
Henry E. Holtsizer was in Philadelphia
when the mill was burned and was sum-
moned back by "a telegram. Mr.. Grams
ton was at Newport when the fire broke
out, and seeing the smoke drove hur-
riedly to the sceLe.