The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-03-16

A DISASTROUS FIRE.


Tho Body Works OF r. T. Cry,nsr a Co.
at Third and Orange Streets Almost
Destroyed by Fire-Loss About
$4,000.
About . o'clock yesterday morning
as private wutchman Parylce was pass
Ing along Orange street, she saw flames
issuing from a shop in the rear end OF
the body works or Clymel & Co. at
Third and Orange streets. lie imme-
diately started to give the alarm, but
had barely gone, when two Young
men also discovered the flames. Mr..
Pardee hurried to Third and King
4 streets and turned In an alarm from
box No. 81, which at first struck cor
rectly, but afterwards SO wild. that the
firemen were completely bewildered,
and did not know which way to go.
Valuable time was lost by this inco--
rect sounding, and when aC last tho
| ilremen reached the scene tho stables
! in the rear OF the Western Hotel, Mt
the corner of Fourth and Orange
streets, were In blaze. IN these
stables We're twelve horses. which were
only saved by the heroic efforts OF the
hostler, Wilmer Powell, assisted by
Lawrence Glatts and others, including
officer Galloway, Floyd, Taylor, Scott,
StetZer and Brown, who seized tho
horses and took them to the stables Of
the Delaware House. A horse owned
by +. 4 Clymer was also saved.
By this lime he tiremen were In SER
vice, and he Washington and Reliance
engines were located side by side at
| Fourth and Orange. The Friendship
| took position Mt Fourth and Shirley
while tile Phoenix stopped at Fourth
end Market streets and began Opera
lions. The Fame Hose Compnny's en-
ginc was also getting It's work at Third
and Orange streets and one block
away, at Third and fatnall streets was
the Weccacoe steamer. The Liberty
brought UP tho rear and located at
Third and Shipley streets.
The firemen worked like heroes, but
1t was evident from the first that they
had stubborn contlagration to fight.
and at one time 1t seemed as though
the entire block was doomed to dis
tructiop.
There wasa cold wind blowing, and
the water thrown upon the surround
ing buildings by the engines was soon
turned into ice. Many of the flremen
were also covered with ice, but they
continued their work, intent only on
subduing the flames. As stated tho
stables of the Western Hotel wera
soon mass OF flames, and the propri-
etor, Mr.. Macklem, was reused from
his sleep by two young men who Wig
orously pulled his door bell. Mr..
Macklem at once notified the guests.
who hastily dressed themselves and
left the house.
While tho flames wero threatening
the hotel on the north, they were also
eating their way into tho iniiamable
matter in the body OF the works on tho
south, causing an intense heat. which
with the shower OF sparks, threatened
destruction to every building within
reach
1t was terrific battle between the
demon destruction and men whus3
only reward is the consciousness that
they have performed their duty in pro-
tecting and aNlng the property OF
their fellow citizens. As before stated,
tho night was bitter cold and several
times when the engines stopped for a
few minutes TO change position, tho
water would freeze in the hose and the
greatest difficulty experienced in start
ing up again. The inside of the body
works seemed a seething macs OF
flames, whose fUrked tongues ever and
anon would shoot high In the air as
though bidding defiance to tho brave
men who were straining every effort to
conquer them, Some few of the work.
men succeeded at the risk OF their lives
| III reseulng their tools, but the greater
part were destroyed.
After over an hours hard work tho
iiremen had the fire fully under con-
troll, but did not cease their labors I'm
til after 8 O'Clock In the morning. Tho
origin OF the fire Is shrouded in mys-
terry, but is supposed to have been tho
work Of an incendiary. This theory il
strengthened by the fact that less than
10 minutes before The flames were dis
covered, Sergeant Stetzer, who was
passing down the street, saw man
hastily leaving tho vicinity. He was
OF medium height, wore black mus
taehe, black derby hat and long black
oyercoat. He ran along Third street
to Market and crossed over Third and
Market streets to tho east side. Still
another theory Is that the fire was kim
died on the roof from a neighboi1ng
chimney. An officer passing along
| Fourth street ON his rounds has seen
on several occasions sparks coming
out of the chimney Ola nelghboIing
building and this Is thought might
have caused tho tire. There arc also
those who think that it was caused by
spontaneous combustion, but on tho
otherhand it is claimed that such could
not have been the ease, as there ara
no paints or oils of any kind used
about the place.
The loss sustained by the Clymer
Company will not fail short OF $40 900,
which Is said to be fully covered by
insurance The inside OF their works
Is completely gutted and consider
able valuable material destroyed. There
were about fifty men employed by the
company all OF whom are thrown Gus
OF work for some time.
The damage to the stables OF tho
Western Hotel will not exceed $3.50,
which 1t is understood is covered by
insurance. The building belongs to
Philip Plunkett but at the present is
occupied by Mathew Macklem who
will vacate April /.
The property of the +. T. Clymer
Company is insured principally in New
York and Philadelphia companies, al
thougha policy of -, 500 is held In tho
Farmers Mutual of New Castle County
and the New Castle County Mutual.
There Is slave. whom we have put
in prison. Ago and we'll keep him
there, he was a tyrant once, but his
reign Is over, his seeptre lies in tlle
] "a f.,l bnf t.