Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-03

hor the tfrouicn.
Phillips d Kane, dealers In paints, oils,
&rnishes, glass, 60, at No. 6 East Fourth
Sreet, ware burned out yesterday morning.
Che building, which Ia owned by MRS.
klien Shoemaker, is left shell. II was
valued at 90, 600. Phillips & Kane carried
o stock valued at $11 900. 1t Ia total
toss. The insurance on the building is
k3, 500 and the stock is insured for about
ewo-thirds Of Its value.
The FIRE broke out In the rear of the
cellar shortly before II O'Clock, and had
kotten n good start before II was dis
lowered. There was no one in the cellar
At the time and 1t is supposed that spon-
saneous combustion generated the fiames.
David MoOloskey, the halter at No. 408
Market street, was one Of the first to dis
cover the fire. Smoke was then bursting
bfom the cellar windows in the rear, back
81 MoOloskey's store, and flames soon
followed.
At 10 so O'Clock an alarm was struck
from box IL at the oity hall by Special
Otdcer Chairs. A thread of smoke was
then issuing from the cellar door on
Fourth street. In two minutes the
smoke became cloud, and in less than
Ave minutes, In which time tbs engines
arrived, dense smoke poured from the
mont door and the open windows of the
second and third floors. A stream OF
water was put into the cellar INSIDE of
eight minutes from the time the hlarm
Wss struck.
Thick black sitting smoke poured
from every window with increasing vol
time filling the streets and attracting
crowds of people. II filled the telephone
exchange at Fourth and Market and
drove the operators from their posts into
the street, cutting off all telephonic COM
munioetion.
The networks of overhead wiers at this
point impeded the fremen in raising
some of their ladders. Among these
wires were several heavy arc light wires
which, becoming crossed By the pressure
OF the ascending ladders from the Della
ware truck, burst forth in half q dozen
places in evanescent and repeated
flashes and patches of blue flame, the
patches seeming three or four inches in
diameter at times. A lineman had as
cended the pole near by and his prepare
ton to cut some OF the interfering wires
was a signal for sudden backward
movement from the crowds. The
flashes continued at intervals for several
minutes, and there was general feeling
that the dropping OF any severed wires
fright be viewed with more safety from q
distance, under conditions SO favorable
az the beating rain made OF awning rails
and even sidewalks IS conductors OF cleo
tTicity.
At the very first arrival Of the firemen
Mr.. Kane directed their attention to
barrel of benzine in the front part of the
cellar and asked that stream be kept
constantly on 1t. rumor that there wat
moro benzlne about kept the crowd or
the qui vive for an explosion, but Mr.
Kane spoke of only one barrel.
Meyer Meyers stock of clothing, No
406 Market street, was ruined by watei
and smoke. He estimstes his loss as al
least $4,000. The building he occupies
ia literally deluged from roof to floor.
Inside of 1--WE minutes from the TINT
the alarm was struck flames were burst
ing from the rear windows Of the frs
and second stories and had broker
through the floor of the front part of th'
store. A slight explosion sent sheet
flame from the front doors and then tn
streams Of water put out the burning
floor.
Three lines of hose were run through
the alley beside MoCloskey'a store aat
played through the rear windows; other
were directed into the cellar and from
windows. Men on the roof OF Antonio
Cardinelli's building at No. East Fourtl
street, broke through the wall into tn
fourth story OF the burning building AM
sent stream in, flooding the building t,
the cellar. Mon ON the other side brok
through the east vail and holes were ais
ont in the roof.
The well directed Efforts Of the firemel
kept the flames down, but every fe'
minutes the fire In the cellar would find
fresh barrel of varnish, paint or othe
!, fuel and black cloud of smoke woul
pour from the building. At times it wa
nj SO dense that nothing could be seen G
the firemen In front Of the building. Tn
~ roof covering the rear of the building fe
IL In about 1880 O'Clock.
N The cellars Of all the buildings on Eat
N Fourth street to King, had from two
NJ three feet of water in them by o'olocl
u and everything movable was ohoat.
TIE FIRE UNDER CONTROL.
AT /. 40 O'Clock, the fire was sufficient
under control, 30 the signal was give
and all the streams OF water shut of OF
I ceptinR two, which were kept playing
.
! smoke continued to issue. These tn
streams were ample TO prevent any fui
Their outbreak, even were there any il
y fammable materials left for the flames
feed upon, which by this time there wei
not, everything In this line having bee
either consumed or 80 thoroughly soako
> with water as TO be unable to burn.
,'a The interior of the burned buildin
Twas scene of wreck and deHolRtiol
lLWater poured in streams from roof
teellar and the soorohing work Of ii
flames could be seen on every foo
4 l., Woodwork was burned and blackene,
4, md remnants OF ruined matsriala-boxe
:, icases and barrels-were Htrewn arouu
i,ipromisouously. JoiHts and floors wei
SCARED by fire end smoke to degree
uselessness, and 1t is doubtful II any pa
Of the building save the walls is eve
N good enough to start the work OF repn
IN upon.
HAKD 10 CONQUER.
In all respects the fire was by far u
u most stubborn Wilmington firemen ev
encountered. The smoke was 30 den
y and poured forth in such volumes tn
the hosemen were driven back and had
work for awhile from the opposite 81
~ Of the street. A heavy rain and the TIL,
atmosphere kept the Amoke from risin
land Market street as far as Sixth al
LiFourth street from Market to King we
fairly packed with heavy clouds
smoke, more dense and impenetrab
than a London fog. At times 1t was II
possible to even see for half dozen fec
and people even heaitated to walk aloI
Hthese streets while this threatening pI
an
before the smoke cleared away sufficient
IN olive a view of the real situation.