Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-02


Old Ferry Mill property Sunday night
was the most disastrous that has taken
place in Wilmington for many years.
IL means loss, at an approximate es-
innate, of $160,000. Close to 500 men
are thrown out of employment, and are
now seeking employment in other mills
Immediately the alarm was struck,
from box No. AZ, Head and Lobdell
streets, great crowds, which continually
Increased, poured over Third street
bridge to the scene Of the fire
The wind was blowing from the
northwest at the time consequently
driving the pillows of smoke in south
easterly direction, thus giving only an
end view of the big black cloud masses
and it was not until the sight-seers had
reached the bridge when the whole
spectacle broadened out before them in
It's series of individual fires, that any
commensurate idea Of tho already i'm
mense extent of the conAagration was
gained.
AS night fell the scene was simply
magnificent. The black masses Of
shadow in the foreground deepcned
Beyond was the line of fire, bursting
out more brightly at every moment
Above the pillows of smoke that rolled
towards the south, the tall furnace
, chimneys reared their heads, their brick
sides glowing like red fire in the warm
light. At intervals the roof of one or
another of the buildings would fall in
with loud crash, sending masses of
incandescent timbeTs into the air, Now
and then peculiar report recognized
as the explosion of boiler, would add
its sinister contribution to the exciting
scene.
The immense water tank standing
alone in the midst of the sea of fire
: 'withstood successfully for long time
the attacks Of the searching fiery fiend,
Like funeral pyre reared up aloft on
its tall lanky supports already glowing
like pillars Of bright, luminous steel it
swayed back and forth and then too fell
with crash.
Thousands of spectators had already
gained access to the mill grounds The
gate-keeper with several aids was ut
length given orders to stop further in
gress, At that moment Third street
~laridgc was inipdtashiu .fram the inn
mense crowds that continued c.s surge
across It, An unsuccessful effort was
made to stay the human tide by run
ming the bridge gates across. But that
was useless. The throngs behind
pushed the others along and the human
tide was sent flowing lrresistibly in one
direction-towards the fire Women
and children were there in hundreds.
Within the mills premises, at every
vantage point, on house tops, on cars,
on sheds, line upon line Of interested
spectators watched the attractive sight.
The scene was repeated from the en-
trance gateway, by the office, along past
the foundry to the horseshoe building
then around TO Head street. in fact the
whole circle of the premises was an
amphitheatre for the finest pyrotech
nical scene witnessed here for many
years. The whole armament was aglow,
bright with the ruddy light reflected
from the line of quickly consuming
buildings.
The whole fire department was out.
The hoarse cry from the trumpets
grooming out their orders hither and
thither, the business-like thud, thud, 81
the industrious engines, and the splash
'of the dashing streams as they reared
mp to the sky in eccentric curves and
then fell kissing and sizzling into pits
and cauldrons Of fire only TO be trans
formed into steam by the intense heat
all these were the sights and sounds
dear to the lookers-on last night.
At this moment everything in the
wide acreage of the Old Ferry mills
property was atire but the Office, the
storage room, the foundry and the forge
department.
These buildings, located at the uppel
part of the yard and entirely separate
from the other structures f0rtunatei\
escaped without any damage Whatever
The buildings atire were all more oI
less connected with one another, anC
in a certain sense might be described a.
being almost under the same roof.
a representative of The GAzETrr
found Mr.. Todd gazing discousolutell
from an Office window. Superintendent
Bowers and other officials were witt
him. He was at that time quite unablr
10 make even an approximate estimate
. of the loss. Nor could he then state TIL
insurance existing.
But he added there is a fair insur
ance but not full one existing Oh til,
property that is burned and That is nov
IN danger" 1t WIS then it'll
after $ O'clock and there seemed 70 be M
prospect Of saving any Of the Building
but those mentioned.
Mr.. Todd said that it would be SOM
gained. Some u the records Are lost
The buildings burned include III
pudding mills, rolling mills, billet ant
spike mills, bar mill, horseshoe depart
ment, We. Numbers of patterns art
consumed, ~ valuable cngines are lost
also 81 boilers The water tank withi
capacity Of 5000 gallons Is destroyed.
The conflagrdtlon was very farce ani
quick. This is dpc largely to the fac
OF the large quantity 81 oil necessaril
used around the machinery
The bar mill was tie lifsi q fail; the
the horseshoe mill; Others follOwel
The last to fan was the spike depart
ment building, which runs along He'd
street.
One Of the picturesque features va
occasional large heaps IF coal which lid
caught rire and glowed ID the twiligl
like furnace banks The heat along III
river end of the premises WAS 50 inieA-
that it was difficult 10 pass by at til,
Il point.
! The main building along IEeald Sire,
fell at 7,30 o'clock.
The company's private electric circu
was completely broken up. The Al
light poles ana wires Sgprc stfeWn alur
'he ground III every direction.
~ b. u o. railroad ear laden with Ii
rick caught dire from the intense hea
BY heroic effort il was separated fri
the other cars and run down the trae
where 1t ultimately burned 10 cinders.
ALoNG HHALD STREET.
The company's buildings afire alol
Head street caused such an inteni