Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-09-17

Delaware Iron Works Saturday night. was
the most disastrous confagration here for
many years. The buildings destroyed
| were the blacksmith shop, fine mill, bend
ing mill, socket shop and ball grindery
entailing. loss now estimated at $500, 600
The whole works occupy an area of about
seven acres, and are situated on the Della
ware river, mile south of the centre Of
| the town and short distance east of Dob
blnsville The fact that they were run
nlng. steadily and paying out good wages
| to a force of nearly 800 men weekly, makes
them New Castles chief industry, and
long suspension Of the works would be
deeply felt by everybody, Fortunately
large portion of the plant was saved for
| which the New Castle lire department is
deserving of ali the credit.
The lire was discovered just at o'clock
on Saturday night by some residents of
| Dobbinsville, who noticed a small sheet of
flame issuing from the ball grindery,
which adjoins the main building and
under which the bending and flue mills
are situated. Several men at once alarmed
the Waterman and the handful of people
formed q bucket brigade and began work
on the fire. In a few minutes the flames
began spreading rapidly, and in very
short time the fire had reached the bend
ing and tlue mills, the flames shooting a
hundred feet in the air; meanwhile the
whistle sounded a vigorous alarm and
inc Lenape Fire Company promptly re-
sponded. In n short time three streams
from the river were playing upon the
ilames and three more were forced by the
pumping engine at the works.
by $40 o'clock fully $500 persons were
ON the premises The fire had by this time
gained such headwav that it was impus-
slblc to check it, and the firemen confined
heir efforts to saving the adjoining build
llngs which were in imminent danger.
Inc 1--WE buildings mentioned above were
al ailre, and, with loud crash, the roof
and east wall Of the bending and fuc mills
iell IN. The cutting shop, which contains
tons Of oily waste and other imilammable
material, is situated bout 30 feet south of
The above mills. The flames reached the
northwest corner of it., burning of two
large doors, and were with great difficulty
eXtlnSulshed. The covering around one
OF the large iron steam pipes which con-
meets the cutting shop with the works
caught the fire. which spread with great
raWdity toward the former building. 1t
was utterly useless to apply water, and the
only thing to be done was to cut the con-
ncction, This task several of the tiremen
accomplished with axes, much to the risk
Of being severely burned, and for which
the spectators applauded.
The llames in the ball grindery which
also adjoins the cutting shop were exceed.
ingly stubborn but large force of flremen
checked their entrance to the above place.
Al rm clock hctire was burning tiercely
ana 1t was evident that assistance was
needed Accordingly aid was telegraphed
ior 70 Wilmington. Twenty minutes later
al the roofs and walls that were on fire
collapsed and the overhead machinery fell
70 the ground with crash. Then the con
migration was thought 70 beunder control.
The danger that the other buildings were
suhlected to WAS over and the fireman ap-
pied their work 10 the burning ruins By
O'Clock the Washington and Fame COM
panies q Wilmington, in charge of Chief
Llglneer Robinson. had arrived by special
tram over the T., w. d Il. railroad, having
made the run Of six miles in less than 10
minutes. Their services were not needed.
however, and the engines were not re-
moved from the cars
By 10 O'Clock all that was left Of the fire
was smuuldering ruins ard the crowd of
spectators dispersed and the gates leading
20 the works were closed Tho tiremen,
however, remained on the scene until 3
O'Clock yesterday morning. the engine
belng IN service for Il good portion Of the
night. The origin Of the fire is somewhat
~ q mystery, Superintendent Hiram r.
Borie says that it looks like incendarism,
as nnilre at ell il used in the bali rrinderv.
where the flames started, and which was
closed at noon on saturday Several of
the. worknien attribute the cause to sparks
which might have flown from the rolls in
lhc bending mill where the iron pipe is
run through during the dav, to wooden
yentilator and blown through by tho draft
lnlu the grinderv, where il smOuldcred
Ilntli evening. Another theory Is that il
was caused by spark from one of the
employees lamps, but the IL men who
were on duty ut the time say they were
M ~ the vicinity Of the above place
where the fire started
The mills destroyed are the most i'm
PORTRAIT portion Of the works and the
whdie plant is temporarily crippled The
nehnihs and iiue mills is practically the
MATE here and the other departments mt
me finishing touches on the manufactured
material. Fortunately most Of lilo
machinery, which is Of the latest improved
pattern and valued at many thousand Of
dollars, Il underground and Slightly dam
aged; me large furnaces are badly
wrecked but some of them will stand Va
pair The fire could not have happened in
n worse time. The works were lust com
lbcncing on their fall trade. which was
very promising. The burned BUILDINGS
are inlly insured. The exact amount how
ever could not he aseertainel.
The Delaware Iron Works are operated
by Morris faskor a. Company of Philadel
PIMA they were erected in 1878 and cost
mn lllon dollars Since then it is esti-
mated that over $500, 900 worth of imnroye-
lnenis have been made The machinery
n the cutting shop alone il is said is
valued at 100000. The plant * the
largest Of It's Kind in this section of the
country, and the materials manufactured
are wrought iron, water and ras pipe
boiler tubes and fittings. Their goods
nave q national reputation and shipments
are frequently made to foreign countries.
As snon rs the insurance agents have
viewed HE ruins, HE work OF rebuilding
| the destroyed mills will commence and IL
Is pre9l~ed that they will he In operation
again Inside Of six weeks. The north and
wet walls Of the Auc and bending mills
arr 81 standing and will not have to be
| rebuilt All Of the entire plant il of brick
winch makes IL all the more valuable,
lelrlng away the debris will probably
| c9mnfnce tomorrow and large force
| VIII be employed III this work. Several
huhdFcd will go to work in the other de.
| parinellts III few days.
!, 4 car belonging TO the l.ehgh Valley
Eallr1ad Cumpuny and loaded with iron
was consumed by fire.
ratgfiays fire is the third that has
| visited he works in the past few years. IN
JNly l77a the pattern shop and another de-
| partrent were burned. involving loss of
$4,000. ON Sunday afternoon in August
last year fire occurred in the bending
NAL rlllalling a slight loss
| hc ilro company did heroic service at
tlie llfe but was badly crippled owing 10
an Insufficient amount of hose
| Tho scene Yesterday morning was one of
| do-olatinn and ruin All thai WINS left Of
| the Dlg substantial buildings was a mass Of
| twisted iron, piles Of broken brick ana
1 Nshfai which were scattered IN every direc-
| non ~ daylight force Of carpenters
| pestl the work Of rebuilding the high
! board fences around the pranerty. and
pHra fNf,aT Ia.