Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-09-14
BAD WORK OF FLAMES.
MUCH PROPERTY DESTROYED ANo
600 MEN ROBBED OF WORK.

The DeIaware Iron Works Are Dam
aged 20 tho Extent of $500, 900 and Are
Crippled 40 THAT Operations Cannot
BE Resumed There for Several Weeks
The Deciding mnl, Flue ann, socket
shop, Bali shop and Blacksmith shop
/ In ashes.
Special Correspondence EVENING JOURNAL
NEW CASTLE, Sept. IA Seven hun
dred Of New Castles citizans did not no
TO work this morning as il their won't,
and many Of these are not likely to have
employment in this city again for five or
six weeks. The Delaware Iron Works,
the largest pipe manufacturing establish
ment in this section of the country. we're
partially destroyed by fire early on
Saturday night, and the machinery WAS
SO badly damaged that nothing can be
done there until 1t is replaced aud the
burned buildings rebuilt
The fire started 10 the ball shops and
was discovered about o'clock, after the
OIL Ia the pits and the machinery had be-
come ignited. and the flames were spread
/ Ing over the entire section Of tue mills In
the vicinity Of the FIRE. The watchmen
began TO blow the whistle at the works
with great energy and this alarmed the
wloie city Merchants, lsbsrers,
women and children focked TO the scene,
and the crowd Of spectators numbered
over 3 goo during the evening.
Flremen at work
As usual the Lenape Fire Com pany 3.
members were alert, prompt aud active
as ever. They succeeded in adding
another to their long list of properties
and lives that have been saved by them,
with the assiatance of their marvellous
little SilsbY steamer. They saved the
Delaware Iron Works from being totally
destroyed
The company 100 strong, and with all
the fire equipments in the engine house
we're in the yard OF the works ten min
utes after the alarm was sounded. They
saw from the first that they could
not save the big flue mill, but
that the flames must wreak
their devastation there unmolested. The
great quantity of oil, saturated waste
and greasy machinery in the burning
mills and the scarcity of timber In the
structures, caused a dense volume Of
black smoke to arise cad OF big
blaze. Not until the heavy iron girders
and frames began to fall in was any blaze
visible
There was a stiff breeze blowing at
ibis time sn3 It seemed IS though the
New Castle hfemen would be unable 10
save the buildings that were being
threatened with destruction The fear
ful smoke and heat frequently Drove the
men back and they had many other dis
couraging things to contend with
Dispatches were at once sent to the
Wilmington Fire Department for engines
and men to assist in saving the properly.
The Washington and Fame Hose com
panies arrived here on a special train at
9. IS o'clock, having made the run from
Wilmington freight depot ia ten min
utes The New Castle boys had how
ever, conquered the flames, and BY 81
o'clock they we're under complete con
troll
The Wilmington engines were not IN
loaded, but started on the return trip
about 10 o'clock The fire has not yet
been extiuguished. but there is only a
smouldering pile Of ruins to indicate that
there was such destructive blaze there
The Lenape Company played on the mills
until nearly midnight when the apparatus
was taken to the house, and squad Of
| fremen left TO watch the property all
night At dawn large force OF carpen-
tiers began the erection OF a high fence
around the place, and this was completed
ct o'clock
The Plant Worth Million and a HaIf.
The Delaware Iron Works were built
in 1878 by Morris, Tasker & Co., Of
Philadelphia Since their erection they
have changed hands several times. and
have been greatly improved Previous
to Saturdays fire the plant was valued st
/ 81 800, 00O IL covers ten acres OF land
snd has an admirable river frontage.
Stephen. P. NJ Tasker Of Philadelphia,
is president and principal stakeholder OF
the company Jonathan Rowland. S. B.
Grafton and Hiram R. Borie are also
stockholders
The loss by Saturdays hre is fully
covered by insurance Superintendent
Borie. who lie still Of the opinion that the
Gre was of incendiary origin, says that
nothing will be touched in the mills IN
| til the insurance com paniss have visited
the place. Then the work of clearing up
the debris. and shipping the remaining
manufactured material will begin. Nearly
$500. 600 worth Of property and material
were burned
Notes OF the Fire.
When the FIRE was at its heighth some
body rushed through the crowd, exelaim-
ing, If the cutting shops 60 we might as
we'll fence In the town, the company will
never rebuild" A prominent citizen,
who was Rttired in evening dress, heard
the remark, and said In that case
can afford TO spoil this suit In doing my
little towards saving the buildings. He
pitched in; the buildings were saved his
clothes were ruined.
Several Of the LenRpe boys were in
| iured but not badly enough to prevent
them from reaching their homes ungs-
sisted. Ii Is said that Fireman Edward
/ McCasson, in endeavoring TO put ont
fresh FIRE stood ia the midst of shooting
flames and black smoke until the coating
| pealed from his gum overcoat
The FIRE company could have done much
better work had there been more hose at
command The men need almost twice
as much hose as they have now,
especially in such fires as this one
Sermons on the Fire.
Rev w. Cambron presched strong
sermon in the First Baptist Church last
evening, his theme being the big fire
He gave q vivid description Of the burn
ing Of the mills and then used 1t as a
subject for a fine discourse. Rev T. E.
Mariindale also spoke about the FIRE and
its work Of destruction in the M e
Church at the evening service. In the
morning Mr.. sMartiudale preached on
Poverty, which will be the condition Of