Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-04-21
sIe FIag IN RAesv.s oYe nouse.


| Considerable Property Consumed-Cen-
trail Presbyterian Church Threatened.
A loud report from the rear of the
store occupied by j. b. hageY, dyer. No.
| 722 Market street, at 8. 30 o'clock yes
terday afternoon, was followed by dense
volume OF black smoke which issued
| from the rsar of the building, and i'm
mediately cry OF fire was raised snd an
alarm was sent In from box No ~, at the
| City Hall In few minutes the Friend
ship fire engine came rafting along and
stopped at Eighth and Market street 1t
was some minutes before the hremen
could scale the fences, but when they got
| there they found the IRE in narrow
two story workshop at the back of Cen.
trial Presbyterian Church, used az a dye
room by J. Ragey
The fire was caused by the explosion Of
a benzine tank, and IS the huid spread
about the building, yards and fences, the
FIRE followed the trail, spread with extra
ordinary rapldity, and in short time
flames were shooting through the roof
and had spread to the studio OF Harry +.
Butcher, the photographer. and the saloon
of Mrs Sarah Legg, adjoining The
other fire companies, meantime, had
gotten into position and In short time
the fences were torn down and powerful
streams were pouring on the building.
| The fremen entered at the rear of Gem
trial Presbyterian Church, and their
streams smashed In the little side win
dows over the sanctuary, damaging the
carpets about the pulpit considerably
| In about fifteen minutes the FIRE was
under control, and at G. 30 o'clock it was
completely extinguished
The cause Of the fire Is not known 1t
originated on the first hoor of the dye
room, where several benzine tanks were
kept in one end while furnace and
boiler we're kept ia the other They were
about eight feet apart, and the benzlne
must have become In some way ignited.
It spread at once to the tank. which ex-
ploded, scattering the oil in all direc
tions. Charles Ragey and George Hegt
were In the room at the time. Hegt az
tempted to roll out barrel and Ragey
made break for the door, which in his
excitement he could not open They
both faally escaped, but not until Hegt
was badly burned about the hands and
face The building where the fire origi
mated was completely Quilted and only the
tank where the fire started was left
intact
Those whose property was damaged
by FIRE and water were Jesse X Baylis,
Harry e Butcher, B. Ragey. Mrs. John
Legg, and the Central Presbyterian
| Church. The damage to Mr.. Baylis was
principally by water and will not exceed
| $500, fully insured.
Mr.. Butcher had just fitted up his rear
studio with elegant furniture. He was
there when the explosion occurred and
went down to find ont the cause When
he returned the scenery was on FIRE and
/ the room flled with smoke so that be
could save nothing. The whole scenery
and background was destroyed by fire
and water ne cannot give a cor
rect estimate Of his loss but thinks 1t will
exceed 81 000, most of which is insured
The loss to ] B Ragey is considerable
and may reach about So 00J only about
one half of which is insured The dam
age TO Central Presby terrain Church is
about 800 fully insured The total loss
it is thought will reach So 500 the insur-
ance on which is about $500
When the fireman were returning
another alarm was struck from box 4,
Masonic Temple The FIRE was on the
roof Of w. Fl Morris's grocery store and
had been caused by sparks from the
Fame Hose engine II was put out by
buckets Of water before the engines got
back
Lewis Gotchner. a freman, fell from
ladder during the fire, but was not
seriously hurt.
The fremen are praised on all sides fol
the caution they used in saving property
from water