The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-11-28
ANOTHER WARNING.
Three Dwelling Houses on How
ard Street DESTROYED by Fire.

Three Dwelling Houses on How
ard Street Destroyed by Fire.
A few minutes after seven o'clock on
Saturday night, the residents of the
east end of Eikton were startled by the
cry OF fire. not mOuthed in that long
drawn out fashion that mischevous boys
sometimes echo it in the streets, but that
short. sharp and nervous cry, quick re-
peated, that suggested danger and alan m
Those living nearest Howard street who
| fl st heard the cry, hurried from their
homes to find the fronts of the houses
on the east side Of that street already
Illuminated by the rapidly increasing
flames, which could be titfully seen IN
the basement of the double frame dwell
/ ing house on the west side of the street,
occupied by Mr.. Rufus d. Rowland,
and i'll the south end of which Mr.. VIM.
B. Heatzg and his family resided. As
usual, those first at the scene found con-
| fusion reigninE supreme. Dense volumes
| OF black smoke poured from the door
way of the house, from which Mrs.
| Rowland with her children, and an aged
companion had just hurriedly fed, and
no one seemed able for the moment to
| locate the fire or to decide what course
to take They were not long in doubt
I however, for by the time the alarm be-
| came general in the town, and the old
/ hydraulic engine arrived upon the
ground, the entire basement of the
house was wrapped in flames, and the
| fire fiend was searching every nook and
Granny for an air vent. So quick was
the spread of the flames, that 10 one
dared venture into the Rowland dwelling,
The objective point of the scores OF
willing workers being directed towards
the saving of the furniture from the pOr-
ton occupied Uy Mr.. Heatzig. and the
adjoining house occupied by Mr.. Lewis,
on the north, towards which moderate
southeast wind set the devouriug flames.
But few moments sufficed to show,
that the inadequate water supply, which
the neighboring wells furnished, would
not afford Elktou's ready and active
volunteers weapon to fight the fire
tend, and the old hydraulic was shifted
to position in the rear of the burning
dwelling, where a long bucket line,
formed to reach wells on Nam street
promised better supply of water.
Never has fire been witnessed in the
town which demonstrated more plainly
the necessity of water supply system.
A single length Of hose, supplied from a
single fire plug, could have been turned
into the basement of the burning dwelling
aud a four thousand dollar loss been
averted. In less than forty minutes from
the alarm, the dwellings, Of Mr..
Heatzig, Mr.. Bowlaud and Mr.. Lewis |
were beyond aid, aud the effort of our
home fire brigade, as brave a set OF meu
to fight fire as any city can boast was
turned to tho adjacent properly. A
narrow ally of three feet divided the
burning Lewis house on the north from
the property of Mr.. George W. Wells.
tHe south emu Oh WHICH uOuDle uWellluR
was occupied by Mr.. Thomas Burns.
With SO narrow space between, there |
was hot a man on the ground who for a
moment supposed the adjacent property |
could be saved. But pluck and determi-
nation did the work Kept constantly |
wet by the active men on the roof the |
bucket brigade proved splendid ally of
the old hydraulic, whose nozzle held to |
the work until the face OF the holder
was actually scorched, while scores of
others whose names it would be invidi- |
Gus to mention, held on like grim death,
aud held to WIZ. We assert that the
saved dwelling house of Mr.. Wells, |
when its close proximity to the destroyed |
HeatZig dwelling is considered, shows
the best piece Of volunteer iremeu work |
ever done in the town. But while this |
was being done, the anxiety of the ooou-
pants of the adjoining property saved |
though it finally was, was for the time
none the less. At one time it looked as
though the deadly east wind had marked
certain course down through the town
for the fire isnd. Burning shingles
drifting westward like flaming meteors
were carrying destruction squares away.
Falling as soft as snow fakes, but with
the fire tiegd's fatal touch, they showered
down upon dried shingle roofs as inflam-
mable as punk. Cutting an oblique
course at Mr.. 5. j. Reyes residence the
glittering line of sparks crossed Mani
street, Oh the north SIDE OF which several
dwelling we're fired, noticeably those OF
Miss Mary Bid lie, Mr.. George A. Blake
and Mr.. n. p. Manly. Only dihgent
watchfuluess of plumber of these houses
averted further trouble. In the mean
south side OF Main street were being
cleared of their contents. Carpets were
rapidly torn from the floors, and furni-
ture of all descriptions was hastily re-
moved to places of safety, while in the
cemetery adjoining, the confused mass of
furniture taken from Mr.. Heatzig's
house, amidst which his family sat and
viewed the destruction of their home,
presented a really pathetic picture.
Down Howard street the furniture from
Mr.. Lewis house. Mr.. Burns, Mr..
Wells, and on Main street that of the
Misses Strickland, Mr.. Dean, Mr.. Moke
and Mr.. Reyes, was piled i'll confused
mass, the ladies of the vicinity aiding in
the work as active sympathIzing workers.
While ali this trouble and turmoil was
at its height, the innocent cause of it
a little colored girl, the adopted
daughter of Martha Ivory was showering
bitter tears of sorrow, fright, aud pain,
over her burnt hands, in her home on
Bells Lane. Ida it seems was a servant
| at Mr.. Rowland and at about seven
| O'Clock, SO she says, she went to the
basement to split kindliug, Afterwards
while handing Mrs. B)wland an ironing
board which stood on the cellar stair way,
she knocked down the stairs a can of
gasoline used for cooking purposes. Fol-
| lowing down the stairs with a glass
lantern, she found the glass Tin covered
can had been broken in its fall, and
stepping over the spilled gasoline, she
sat the lantern down, aud was in the act
OF picking up the broken can, when she
was in flash surrounded by flames, the
fire from the lantern having communi-
Gated to the volatile liquid. Finding her
retreat by the staircase cut off by the