Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-11-13
MARKED FOR THE TORCH
Another Of the du POnt Barns Wiped
Out by Flame.
the LOSS WILL REACH $4,000
10 1t Part of a Conspiracy
Against du Points?
the COMMUNITY GREATLY ALARMED
TIE FOURTH EARN BURNED.

1acendiaries Again--Loss About aii ,0o0--
Looks Like Another Dastardly Act OF
The Plot Directed Againet the Powder
Makers.
From yesterdays Every Evening.
The incarnate tiends who seem deter
mined to sweep the barns of the
du Points from the face of the earth sue
cSeded in burning another last night,
and the farmers in Brandywine hun
dfed who tenant du Pont farms live in
fear of their property being marked for
destruction the next night agreeable to
the incendiaries.
The barn destroyed last night was the
property of L. |. du Pont, de Nemours
u Co., and not of any individual mem
Der of the firm. 1t was located on the
crest Of hill, about mile from the
covered bridge over the Brandywine at
Henry Clay. 1t was on one of the best
OF the du Pont farms, which means that
the farm was one of the best in the
State, and il was tenanted by William
Mayne, well-known and prosperous
farmer. The farm contains about It's
acres of land in the highest state of cul-
tivaton, and the barn was packed full
of the products of successful season,
all of which are now heaps Of shoulder
Ing ashes.
THE BARN.
The barn was a double-dec and
one Of the largest in the county. The
walls of the mStn portion of the struct-
ure, which had been built some years,
were of stone on the ends and the west
ern side. This main barn was about
100x60 feet in size and comprised high
basement, which contained the stables,
and over it immense mows for hay and
fodder. The end walls were about go
feet high to the peak of the roof. At
the south end Of the main barn and
forming an l. that extended eastward to
the county road, was long shed, or
really an addition; for it was as large as
the barn itself II was over 100 feet
long and about 80 feet wide. Its base
ment was of stone and above was a
wooden superstructure l6 feet to the
ewes, full of hay or grain In the space
formed by the L was the enclosed barn
yard, surrounded by stone wall.
THE STOCK SAVED.
There were five horses and IA cattle
in the stables of the main barn These
We're saved in the nick of time. The
huge mows, corn cribs and grain bins,
almost bulged out with their contents,
and Mr.. Mayne retired last night, after
saying to q friend, that he had all that
he wanted. Before daylight everything
was destroyed.
Every available part of the the barn
was packed with hay. 1t contained
about $50 tons. There were also 1000
bushels of new corn and 200 bushels of
old corn, 600 bushels of wheat, $50
bushels of oats, 800 bushels of potatoes,
5000 bundles of corn fodder and so tons
of straw. Under the sheds were now
ing machine, grain drill, wagon load
of bran, a feed cutter corn shelter,
plows and wagon. All were burned.
This morning the bare stone walls are
all that is left. Heaps of corn and wheat
were blazing sayagely or smouldering
sullenly and an air of destruction per-
yaded the scene. In a shed that
was saved, there was q self binding
harvester and two or three light wagons.
A small part, perhaps quarter of the
corn crop, is still in the field.
THE FIRE DESCRIBED.
The fire broke out about 100 o'clock
this morning. just previous to that
hour Mr.. Wayne had been awakened by
the barking of his dog, who is never
heard unless there is some one passing
along the road or on the premises. As
the dog had barked the two previous
nights and reused Mr.. Wayne, who went
out and discovered nothing unusual he
paid no attention to him, In short
time he was awakened by the light of
the fire shining in his bedroom.
In his stocking feet and with no
trousers on, Mr. Wayne rushed TO the
barn, calling for his boys as he did so.
He found the flames bursting through
the middle of the roof of the main
structure. The five horses were directly
under the fire, but Mr.. Wayne succeeded
in getting them safely out Then with
the assistance of his boys and men, the
cattle were saved. Fortunately they
were not chained in their stalls, or they
would have persisted TWAS too late to
do anything else, for the whole barn was
in a roaring flame, the air filled with
SHARKS and the heat intense The wind
was north and light. The flames and
smoke were blown away from the dwell
ing house and other buildings and that
only saved them.
Only by the hardest work of a bucket
brigade was two-story carriage shed
and tool house, 80 feet from the barn,
saved. The stone wall of the barn was
a barrier to the heat, but it was so great
that the sap ran in stream from the
door of the carriage house. If this had
caught other buildings and the house
would probably have gone. The fire
burned tierceiy until o'clock this morn
ing.
The barn was so packed with hay that
the shoot from the NOW was full, and
some hay had been thrown on the floor
to feed with this morning. Mr.. Mayne
thinks that it was first fired. The flames
then shot up to the NOW and burst
Athrough the roof, giving him time to
save the horses before the floor was
burned through.
The reflection of the fire was plainly
seen in this city and at 2.15 an alarm of
fire was sent out from box 81 at Della
ware avenue and du Pont street. The
engines did not attempt TO reach the
scene of the fire.
THE LOSS $4,000.
The loss on the barn is $4,000 or
100000, probably about two-thirds in
eured. Mr. Mayne's loss on the con
tents of the barn is about $4,000; in
sured for $4,000.
VINO ARE THE FIRE-Buas?
Although the du Points may deny that
there is a conspiracy, large or small, to
injure them by burning their barns, the
tenants of their farms firmly believe
that such is the case, and that more fires
will follow No other reason can be
given than has been given before-that
some of the useless and unnecessary