Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-25

b cooled or the smoke ceased to float from
q the charred remnants, Delmar began the
g work OF repairing the ruin wrought by
Tuesdays great fire. The bulk of the
work was that done by the railroad
s. company, and over hundred men in
& change of Supervisor Mahoney were
engaged in removing the debris of the
burned depot, TO make room for tenn
porary structure to do duty until new
and permanent depot can be erected.
AS for as cleaning away the debris is
concerned, the fire left very little TO be
done. II is marvellous what IA clean
sweep the flames made. Nearly every
a stick Of lumber that entered into the
N construction of the burned buildings
was entirely consumed, and yesterdays
N lively breezes scattered the ashes until
nothing but the meagre brick founda-
tions, the chimneys, rising grim and
H gaunt like spectres, and such arti-
an ces OF furniture as could not be de-
stroyed by fire remained. Aside from
x the smoke and the smell and the scorch-
N ing blight left upon the ground, it looks
as though a great cyclone had swept
through the district and carried away
everything that had opposed its progress.
Even the Methodist Church, an impos-
s. lowed by the devouring element, clear
to the little battlement of brick walls
upon which its superstructure had been
erected.
THE NEEDS OF THE SUFFERERS.
Fully so families of the town, num-
bering nearly 200 people, are homeless,
and for awhile will be sheltered at night
through the kindness OF those of their
fnrfpnnta ;nhI ~ ,,,h. Il.
were spared by the fiery visitor And
not only are these people homeless, but
they are actually destitute Their homes,
neatly furnished and provided with ali
the necessaries OF life were their all,
and now their entire earthly possessions
have disappeared in smoke and flame.
All that many of them now possess is
the clothes they wore when they left
their burning homes.
10 relieve the immediate necessities
of these unfortunates is Il work devoly-
ing upon the charitable people of the
STATE OF Delaware. Yesterday car
lor, OF provisions was sent by citizens
along the N. ", p. II N. railroad, and
was at once distributed to those who ap-
piled. Men, women and children went
to the car, and We're supplied with flour,
meal, bread, bacon and like articles un.
III the supply was exhausted A con
Nibution from Wilmington also arrived
and was distributed.
In addition to assistance of this char
acter, which will have to continue until
the people are once more in condition
to resume their usual avocations, they
will also need financial aid to enable
them TO rebuild their homes 1t is n
lamentable fact that few of them were
insured to any considerable extent, and
many of them not at all. They had
probably paid for their houses, after
years of hard labor, and are now left
with nothing, and forced to practically
begin life over again. Those who rented
houses are in an equally bad plight, for,
while the loss of the building does not
fall upon them, their household goods
and other personal belongings are all
gone, and they are absolutely penniless.
And pennies are scarce among the
poorer people of Delmar at best of
times, while dollars are rarities, for
aside from the railroad employees, those
who laboFed in Che mills and other
industrial works, received the major
portion Of their wages i'll store orders,
and seldom handled much hard cash.
A The present condition of these people
can be imagined, and their sad cases
appeal strongly to all who are able to
contribute to their relief
THE Loss AND INSURANCE.
1t 10 hard TO estimate the total loss and
figures wlIl not correctly show the full
extent of the damage sustained. Seventy.
one buildings were destroyed, worth
perhaps S65,OO0 to $40 900 The value
OF their contents is an unknown guam.
tty, and, us is usual with household
ELECTS, upon many articles no money
value can he placed Bnt it is safe t.
add $75000 as the destruction of store
stocks and household belongings making
\ total loss Of $l40,0O0 TO Sll5,OOO And
on this sum it is doubtful it an insur-
ancc Of 900 had been effected. In
fact, insurance among the house owners
of DclMar was the exception, not the
rule.
The insurance adjusters were on the
ground, yesterday, looking up theii
risks. Among them was John IL. llOf.
fecller of smyrna, vice president OF the
Kent County Mutual Insurance Com.
pany. The Kent has been hit pretty hard
of late, being well represented in the bic
fires at HocOmokG City ana Cambridge
with Delmar right on their heels The
latter fire will add $4,000 or $4,000 tc
their amount of losses paid.
CHASTITY OBJECTS.
CHASTITY objects among the ruins were
the bodies of half a dozen hogs that hat
lost their lives by the fire. One fine
porker, weighing about $50 pounds
had been caught while on wild run
for life, and lay with feet extended, as
though trying To the last to escape
Another was burned in his pen. AL
the bodies were disgustingly mutilated
and if not buried ut once will becomt
hotbeds Of fever yapors before another
day is gone.
CROWDS OF VISITORS.
Hundreds of people fiocked to Delmal
yesterday tD view the destruction
wrought by the fire. They came by
train and drove in from the surround
ing country for miles around. Tn,
townspeople who had escaped also huns
around the burned district, while tn,
victims moumful!y ga2ed upon tn,
ruins Of their home and searched
among the ashes for some treasured pos
session, III hope that it might hav'
escaped the general destruction. ButiI
most cases their hopes We're vain.
The first new house started YESTERDAY