The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-21
FOURTH EDITION
FIRE LAST EVENING.



byterian Church In Danger.
A few minutes before 6 o'clock last
evening q great cloud OF black smoke
was ssen rising up In the rear of tho
Central Presbyterian Church, on King
street between Seventh and Eighth
streets. 1t was soon asoertained that
the fire was In Ragey's dye house. in
the rear OF No. 722 Market street. An
alarm was struck from box No. ~, In
front OF the City Hall, and the firemen
were soon on their way to the place.
The fire was caused by an explosion Of
benzine In the cleaning and dyeing
room, and In an instant the entire
building was In flames.
The building was OF brick and frame,
and the fire burned in the most stub.
born manner, threatening all the sur
rounding property. AS 1t was Just
about the time men were quitting
work, the streets in the vicinity were
soon filled with thousands of people,
and the officers had all they could do
to keep them back SO the firemen
could work, There was some little de-
lay in the arrival OF the firemen, and
when they reached the place the fire
had made considerable Roadway. There
was also considerable difficulty exper-
ienced In getting at the fire, as the
place whore the building was located
was almost inaccessible. 81
The Friendship was the first COM
pany to get into active work. The en-
CINE stopped at Eighth and Market
and the nremen at once began to scale
the fences OF tire adjoining yard on
Eighth street. Over the fence the fire.
men went with grnat alacrity. The
heat OF tho flames was intense. This
n M a1f ~ U.fz IL
and In few minutes they had tre-
mendous stream upon the fire. This
company was playing upon the fire
fully eight minutes before the other
companies were in active service, and
soon their heavy stream began to d.
minish the flames leaping up from the
structure Occasionally the flames
would break out in the,adjoining build
ings, and the firemen's stream was
turned upon the blaze and subdued
1t,
The Washington engine, which stood
at Seventh and King streets, also did
good service, and soon had double
line OF hose run along the alleyway
Phoenix and Reliance engines were
stationed at Eighth and King streets.
and the Fame Hose ut Seventh and
Market streets. After these companies
got in service, 1t was but the work OF
a few minutes to get the fire under
control, and In short time it was
totally extinguished. The building
where the.explosion occurred was com
pletely Quilted, and almost entirely de-
stroyed. There was large number
OF goods in the place, being secured
and dyed, all of which were destroyed.
The explosion occurred on the first
Hn laays Ns.~ a
workmen, was cleaning clothing with
benzine. The benzine was kept in a
tank in one portion of the room. while
o furnace, or boiler, used to dry the
clothing, stood In the other corner of
the room. The benzine In some man.
ner became ignited, and instantly there
WIS loud report and an explosion,
and the building broke into blaze.
Charles Ragey and Hegt were caught
in the building.
Hegt was badly burned about the
head and face. and was obliged to have
his injuries attended by physician,
but neither of the men are seriously
burned.
The other buildings scorched by the
iiames were the building occupied by
Jesse X. Baylis, mantles, etc; and
Harry Il. Bucher the photographer,
Nos. T18 and TO Market street saloon
OF Sarah L. Legg. No. IA Market
street, and portion of tho exterior
portions Of the Central Church.
Mr.. Baylis' loss is principally by
water, the flames having done the
greater damage to Bucher's photo
graph rooms on the upper floors. All
his background and scenery were de-
stroyed, and had 1t not been that Mr..
Butcher was In the gallery and closed
thu dnOFs lnnHinu frf,p, tho Ann,.nyi,,,
room the entire gallery would have
been destroyed. The Legg building
was badly damaged upon the second
lioor, and the saloon was almost flood
cd. Tho high and substantial stone
wall of Central Church presented
an eifectual barrier to tho spread of
the flames toward King street.
The pulpit and carpet in the church
were badly damaged by water, which
WAS poured in through the windows.
The following arc the names of the
losers by the fire. and the estimated
amount of damage;
Jesse X. Baylis, mantels aud CRATES,
No. 7.S Market street, loss, 5000; in
surance, ample.
Harry l.. Butcher, No. T20 Market
street, loss, $1,000; covered by insur-
ance.
j. b. Ragey. dyer. No. 722 Market
street, loss $1,000 on goods and build
ing; property insured
| Mrs. Sarah Legg, No. ia Market
street, damage to saloon and property,
| 5000; insurance ample.
Central Presbyterian Church, damage
to pulpit, 800; Insurance ample.
Total loss, $4,000; insurance about
three-fourths.
The police officers did excellent work
in keeping back the crowd, and thus
rendered the tiremen efficient assis-
| lance.
While the Fame engine was in SCR
vice at Seventh and Market streets,
some sparks from the smokestacl,
/ lodged in the roof of the grocery store
| of William II. Morris, southwest cor.
ner OF Seventh and Market streets
This was not noticed until after the
| iliemen had started for their engine
houses, when smoke was seen issuing
from tile roof, and an alarm was struck
from box 4 Masonic Temple. The on.
tire department responded but did
not go In service. us the ilames were
eatlnguished with u few buckets oil
w4ter.
A man named Lewis Gotchner, who
climbed ladder while tho dye house
was burning. missed his footing and
foil to tho ground, but did not hurt
himself seriously.
The fireman as usual worked nobly
and il is to their efforts alone that the
fire did not prove one of the most dis
!, astrous Tat has occurred in this city
Tor yGars.
/ Change Of Base.
IL g II.