Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-03

by fire tonight. Commencing at $50
o'clock in an oil establishment on East
Water street, near the river, the flames,
& driven by hurricane, spread with
Arightful rapidity to the lake, over half
4 o mile to the cast II is utterly impossi
Bile to estimate the loss with any degree
pf accuracy.
Even complete list of the big bust
ness houses cannot be obtained, while
10 these must be added the small indi-
vidual losses of hundreds of small pro-
perty owners. AS it is the loss will
probably amount to S20,000000 or
e25 100000.
THE BURNED DISTRICT.
The tract burned is over half n mile
wide, east and west and mile north
and south, commencing in the establish
,ment of the Union Oil Company at 275
East Water street. The fire was burn
ing tiercely when the city department
reached the scene. Owing to the high
wind the men were utterly unable to do
anything, but the men worked bravely,
risking their lives in the burning build
ings, and endeavoring by demolishing
blocks in advance of the path Of the
fire to check ii. This was in vain, and
all night long the flames continued
along their way From tho establish
iment on East Water street where the
blaze started, the path of the fire was in
the shape of an immense V, the con
Meeting point being in the oil establish
ment, while one line extended directly
east to the lake, and the other to the
lake IN southerly direction.
"FIRE-pRooF" STRUCTURES SWEPT
AWAY.
This southerly line ran through i'm
mense factories from four to seven
stories high, which were supposed to be
fire-proof. The flames spread with as
much ease as though the buildings were
frame shanties.
After wiping out the factories and
wholesale establishments the fire found
ready fuel in the scores of blocks filled
with frame houses which extend east of
Milwaukee street.
From these the flames leaped to the
freight-house of the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore d Western railroad. These caught
on the extreme southern end, and in a
moment were ablaze along their whole
ength, over two blocks. Adjoining the
warehouses were the frcight-yar of
the same railroad, as well as OF the
Chicago and Northwestern. These
yards were filled with hundreds Of
loaded cars, all Of which were quickly
consumed.
AS soon as it was seen that the yards
were in the path of the contlagration a
score of switch engines were set at work
,to,endeavor to get the loaded cars out
Of the yard, The men worked bravely
and succeeded in removing some of the
y trains, but they could only take them
a farther south, the yards to the north
N being blocked.
H. THE CITY IN DARKNESS.
x Chief Foley kept the fire confined TO
one block on East Water street until z
Z O'clock, when it got away from him and
leaped across the street and began Il
4 rapid march toward Lake Michigan, six
Il blocks away, cutting down in short
Z order +. Dorman 81 Co., wholesale
drugs; NJ. Block, wholesale liquor; Bub
d kipp's seven-story building, furniture
factory; Roundy, Peckham & Co, whole
,sale grocers; Jacob Wellauer & Co.,
wholesale grocers; johnson Brothers
cracker factory, american Biscuit Co.,
National Distilling Company.
At 8 o'clock the flames had crossed
Broadway, between Buffalo and Detroit,
taking numerous wooden structures
and then advancing to Milwaukee street
AT S.l5 the flames had reached Jefferson
street. three squares from where il
broke out, and is now burning private
residences.
1886 p. m.--'rhe fire is spreading. The
city is at this hour in total darkness
Gas works nave been burned.
POOR PEOPLE HOMELESS.
905.-The fire is still burning iiercely
several fires in other parts of the city
and there are no engines to respond.
The entire lower part of the third
ward, inhabited largely by poor Irisl
families, is devastated. About 300 cottage
have been destroyed and the poor peopl,
ARE wandering about the streets, loudl,
!lamenting their loss Some plan of re
lief for them will no doubt be made, hu
lat this time people seem to be stunnel
and are doing nothing.
Alarms are coming in every few
minutes from parts of the city widel,
separated, and it is thought that fir
# bugs are helping in the work of destruc
N ton.
N The elegant residence of L. i
Hodges, o member of the board of trade
IA at Ninth and Cedar streets, two mile
z from the fire district, has been de
' stroyed
IN hldlHla liuNC Juob pGtu IuHS Ill iron
the House Of Correction.
A FIREMAN KILLED.
s Up to 8 o'clock only two fatalitic
have been reported. One fireman killed
"a and woman sulfocated. The ga
works are burning and frequent eXplo
'sions occur that shake the whole city
The lights are going out. The depart
f ment is using dynamite i'll an effort tt
stop the advance of the flames and sew
eral buildings have been blown up.
One engine from Racine and one from
81 Waukesha have arrived and are LOCATED
ilong Huron street, where another win,
of the fire is advancing north towar,
~ Wisconsin street. The progress of tn
"A flames in that direction are slow, how
ever, and it is not probable that any
thing will be destroyed farther nortl
than Huron street.
CHICAGO SCENES RECALLED.
Two engines had been brought bac1
to the point where the fire began an
v are now trying to keep the flames fror
eating their way north on East Waite
street at Detroit street. The wind /
still blowing gale and blow
the water from the nozzes int
va harmless spray. A hcrCuea
effort is being made at the Gugle
lithographing establishment to save tia
building and the block to the nortl
The loGnhhet office, recently removed (
Hover Broadway, between Huron an
Detroit, and though the wind is BLOWN
e