The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-06-29
THIRD edition.
A TERRIBLE FIRE.

Evenirg-The Diamond State Iron
: Company Lose About 015O. 900.
About $50 O'Clock last evening, while
the watehman at the Old Ferry Iron
Mills, In South Wilmington, was stand
ing near the gate, a boy in passing saw
fire In one OF the buildings. and called
his attention to 1t. Upon making an
examination the watchman found that
the fire was In some greasy waste in q
cupboard.
The cupboard door was broken open
with q sledge and an attempt made to
put water on 1t from fire hose that
was kept In readiness for such an oc-
caslon; but before this could be done
the wind, which was blowing from the
north and directly through tho ma
chine shop and toward the group OF
mills that lay between Heald;streetan and
the Christiana creek, had caught tho
flames and carried them with race
horse speed along the wooden walls
until the entire building was In flames
The watchnan upon finding that the
flames were beyond his control, gave
an alarm, which was sounded from box
No. AZ at Heald and Lobdell streets
The firemen responded promptly, but
by the time they reached the scene the
building where the fire originated was
a mass of flames, which were rapidly
spreading TO tho other buildings. The
firemen who, from the action of the
wind, were obliged to fight tho lire
from the creek side Of the mills placed
their hose in the Christlana and soon
had number OF streams on the build
mgs which had not yet caught The
water however did not seem TO have
much effect for by the time building
was thoroughly drenched the flames
would burst through and it was doom.
ed
The buildings being almost entirely
OF wood, and every stick of framework
and board in the thousands Of feet OF
walls and roofs being as dry as tlnder,
the ilames ran from one department
to the other without hindranee. In
this way. buildings which were appar-
reality, burned out and ready to tall
before water could lie put on them
The large new building 500 feet
long. on Heald street, was soon like q
Beething furnace, and the flames rolled
through 1t like water which had burst
Its banks.
This building was about 500 feet Hong
and 60 feet wide, and at the end OF ii
was a long one-storied storage she'd
and at the end Of the storage shed an
oil tank. The flro struck this big build
ing about centrally and swept through
u causing the central part OF its roof
70 fall and I'LL Heald street with burn
Ing debris. Tho tire ran toward each
end of the building, caught to the
storage shed and in an nincredibIysAort
time the shed and its contents, hun
dreds OF kegs OF spikes ready for ship
ment, were abla2e. The fence between
the shed and tho oil tank and the
names were rapidly approaching the
4 h.tIl Ia ali la
site the Herbert House. and it was owl.
dent that If the flames reached the oil
house, the Herbert House was doomed.
Consequently the flremen turned their
sttentlon toward saving it.
Axes and hooks were procured from
the Delaware truck, and with the flames
ell aroud theIn the heroic ilromen tore
down the already burning fence,
which connected with this building,
and saved 1t from destruction. In the
meantime, those In the Herbert House
were removing their effects, and tho
nremen had placed ladders against the
bnilding ready for any emergency.
Twenty-seven minutes after the alarm
was sounded the roof of the large
building on lIeald street fell in, and a
lew minutes later tho sides and ends
Followed. The flames then seemed to
leap across the street to the large
Frame cooper shop Of W. L. Tuchton,
directly opposite.
In almost les tlmo than 1t takes to
write 1t. this building with its combus.
hble contents was abllze, and the
nnmes like demon tongues, reached
across the street and Joined with those
from he ruins OF tho large mill. Al
this time the view down Hcald street
wns awfully grand, the entire street
seeming to be mass OF flames, and
conveying the Impression that the en-.
nre South Side was on fire. 1t was
several minutes before water could be
brought upon this new fire, but when
At last this was done, 1t was but d
short time until the ilremen had Il
under control, and saved 1t with the
adjoining buildings from obstruction.
While these scenes were being enact
Cd In front, other flremen were bus,
sighting the ilames, which seemed t.
teap from one building to another il
the rear. The men worked like 'Troians
end after Tour hours Of incessant labor
nnally succeeded in conQuerinR the
deyOuring element.
The works occupied about four acres
and the following buildings were de.
stroyed: Mills where the fire orlgi.
mated; spike and rod mill; horseshoe
mill; large rolling mill; puddle mill
warehouse machine shop; forge sheo
anu cooper shop, making q total oi
nine buildings. Some of these wer,
very large and contained considerabl,
valuable machinery, which, OF course
10 totally ruined.
While the fire was Mt its height sey
eral OF the large brick stacks connect
cd with the furnaces became red hot,
end 1t was feared they would fall
There was also considerable apprehen,
sion felt on account OF the large boil
erS IN the mill, but fortunately none OF
them exploded.
Numerous electric wires running
along Heald street were cut. This was
done because falling timbers had brok
On the wires IN some places, and many
OF the flremen were afraid to worl,
about the wires unless they were cut
and the current turned of. South
Wilmington being, to a large extent,
lighted by electric lights. was in al
post total darkness, the only light
Pelng from numerous lanterns carried
! by the firemen, and the flaming torches
On the engines and hose carriages.
Several freight cars that were stand.
Ing In the yard were destroyed, but
one was saved by being run out Just
rs the iiameS were about to reach It,
Foreman Thomas Fahey and Martin
AcDonough, OF the Reliance Fire
Company, were badly injured by fall.
ing from one OF the buildings.