Evening journal., 1891-06-29
SWEPT BY THE FLAMES
The Old Ferry Rolling Mills
Completely Demolished.
FOUR HUNDRED MEN LEFT IDLE.

From Spreading TO the Dwellings by
Prompt Action of the Firemen.
One OF the greatest fires ever seen In
Wilmington was that which demolished
the Old Ferry Rolling Mills belonging to
the Diamond State Iron Company, over
Third street bridge last evening. The
fire, 1t is said, was started In the horse
shoe mills by the furnace lighter, Plum
min, whose duty 1t is to start the FIRE on
Sunday evenings that the furnace may be
heated on Monday morning.
How the Fire tarted.
Plummin, 1t is alleged, began to light
the FIRE at 6 o'clock last evening and
when so doing, 1t is supposed, spark by
chance caught on to pile of cotton
waste aud other inhammables which were
near. The man instead OF using the
hand hose Ia the building attemp ed to
put out the fire by treading on the burn
ing matter with his feet. The fire
spread and Plummin lost his head, and
in his eagerness to extinguish the fire,
forgot to send in an alarm.
Smoke was issuing In volumes from
the building when WRtchmRn James
McIlvane ran to Heald and Lobdell streets
w Soud al al dlhfl1 lfOtu buA NJ II no
Fire Department was quickly on the scene.
but the flames had spread rapidly from
one frame building TO another. and were
dsrting forth from a hundred different
apertures ON tAe fremen's arrival The
latter went to work with a will, but the
streams from the hose we're like the vol
leys from SO many pop-guns against the
walls of fortress
Spread of the Flames.
Nearly everything was favorable TO the
spread of the flames over the whole fac
tory. All the buildings we're of frame,
covered with felt roofs and filed with
inasmmable and oily materials, which
made excellent food for fire, and which
were with rapidity ignited.
The wind blew from the north and
carried the flames rapidly along the horse
shoe mills to the spike and rod mill,
thence to the forge shed. all of which
had caught fire before the arrival Of the
department.
The fremen began the attack by
pouring streams from the north side,
The Friendship Pheaix and Weccacoe
engines were stationed along the creek
at this point. The Washington engine
was stationed on Heald street. neal
Lobdell very necessary location te
prevent the flames from spreading to the
houses on the other side of Heald street
The Fame Hose engine was at Lobdel
aud A street and the Reliance near A and
and Christiana Avenue. A very
important position was that held by tbs
Liberty engine on Lobdell street near thu
works.
The frame buildings, dry as tinder
situated between Heald street and thi
creek, and running along Heald stree
| from Christians avenue to Lobdel
street. 200 feet long, afforded excellen
food for the flames, which chased along
with great rapidity laughing. as It were
/ at the efforts OF the iremen. The neS
mill, built III 1884, was 800 feet long an
/ go feet wide. 1t extended from Lobdel
street to Christisna avenue, and ended i
a storage shed in which an oil tank wa
placed The flames caught this building
centrally, swept through it and in
short time the shed, fence and hundred
OF kegs of spikes ready for shipmen
were on fire
The Herbert House Threatened.
This was directly opposite the Herber
| House, which now seemed to be in grea
danger. The occupants began to NOV
out with their effects, when several per
sons went to work and pulled down th
fence. thus averting the threatened dan
ger to the hotel. and saving the oil hous
from the flames The cooper aho
operated by William Mcconnell, on th
northern side of the machine shop mex
caught fire as the wind changed, an
was burned So also was afreight ca
loaded with spikes As the car was
fire some one started it down the trac
toward the burning sheds, and as
moved along, sending forth volleys {
sparks, the sight was beautiful and il
teresting.
Tuehton's Cooper Shops Ablaxs.
Tuchton's cooper shops are on th
opposite side of Heald street. from th
burning buildings The FIRE swept acros
the street and caught the store houi
where several thousand barrels wei
stored In an instant two streams wei
turned on the building and soon the fr
was extinguished, but not until th
Office and shop and a portion of I'll
building was destroyed. This prom
action of the fremen was the best piet
of work done during the evening, for ha
/ Aht nIb SDh uiuuhh hbaibt W Save VI
frame building would have been imposs
BILE, and many dwellings in South Will
mington would to-day have been in ashe
How the water Tank Burned.
When the roofs Of the various shoI
fell in, the great smokestaeks, tall an
bare. stood like 50 many sentinels O
watch A great water tank. used ia
filing the boilers, remained like beaco
and burned for hours 1t was supporte
} by horizontal bars on shafts of bricl
and was an object Of interest to al
while 1t burned Ia the end, it close
In and was consumed on its perch In
stead Of falling, as many thought
would.
ThrilIinR Scene,
When darkness approached. the win
changed and swept the flames bac
through the burning mills, lighting u
barrels and particles anew, creating
thrilling scene. It was about this tim
that the forge shed caught on fire and, q
} the flames peeped through the sides,
looked like so many faces, presse
against the boards, appealing for help
the bystanders. The delusion was one
SO perfect and the phenomena so real
! istic, that many could scarcely believ
their senses that the apparition va
not reality.
About this time there were over thrs
acres of burning embers Twent
minutes after the sounding Of the alsrl
the roof of the big mill fell in with
crash and FIVE minutes later the roofs of
group of mills to the west Of the big mi
fell in also This gave the dremen
better opportunity to get into positie
and ipht the flames with advantage