Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-14
POOOMOKE'S BIG BLAZE.

The Loss VIII Amount to SIe5,oOO, and
the Insurance To $4,000 - Families
Rendered Homeless Prompt Measures
of Relief.
PoooMoKE Cry, MD, July Tho
disastrous fire in this place yesterday
broke out about 2 o'clock in the morn
ing in the store of Mr.. j. Bonneville on
back street in the central part of POGO
moke City, and in two hours the major
part of the business section of the town
was in ashes. The loss is estimated at
fully $l25,000, with an insurance
amounting to about $50, 600, distributed
among about so buildings,
The flames spread from Bonnevillc's
store with astonishing rapidity to the
adjoining buildings, and in short time
the whole block was afire and burning
fiercely.
The firedepartment quickly responded
to the alarm and.did admirable service
in preventing the further spread of the
fire and in saving personal property and
at least one life. Mr.. William Tadon
was confined by the flames, which had
cut off his retreat, in an upper story
room. The firemen responded to his
cries for help and rescued him through
the window. The fact that the fire
company confined the flames as well as
they did in a compactly- block of
wooden houses was exceedingly credit
able and shows excellent work. A
message was sent to Salisbury, which is
20 miles distant by rail, for assistance.
This was dispatched as soon as possible,
and the Salisbury company reached
Pocomoie City in less than two hours,
but by this time the fire was under con-
troll.
1t is strange fact that the fire
stopped in exactly the same places on
both sides of the city as did the great fire
of 1888 These places were at the bank
on Market street on one side and the
roller mill of Stevenson g. Co. on the
other side. The east side of Market
street was not entirely burned out this
time.
The scene here this morning was sad
in the extreme. Sides Of streets were
lined with women and children with
red and swollen eyes, sitting on guard
over the little furniture or the few
articles Of clothing which they
had snatched from the flames of
their burning homes when they
were aroused from their slumbers by
the terrible cry Of fire. Many of them
who were in comfortable circumstances
yesterday are to-day penniless. Fortu-
nately the casualties to the people were
few. Mrs. George Twilley had her arm
badly burned and one of the firemen
was SO severely injured that he had
three fearful commissions within an
hour.
The First National Bank opened its
vault this morning and found all the
papers and money in first-class condi-
ton. There are many safes in the ruins
that have not been opened, and will not
be before Friday on account of the in
tense heat. The bank is doing business
in a frame building adjoining its former
site.
The vault of the bank and the COM
bination lock are entirely uninjured and
will be used when the bank is rebuilt
without requiring repair.
The United States mail bags and mail
matter were all saved from the post
office without injury. The mayor of
the city, l. t. Costen, will call meet
ling of the city council at once to con-
slider the advisability of passing an
ordinance prohibiting the building of
anything but brick structures in the
burned district The work of clearing
away the wreckage is already in pro-
gress and owners say they will rebuild
at once.