Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-04-06


struction of Galena. Md, by fire.
The following message was received at
the Wilmington office of the Delaware
railroad at 1908 clock
GALENA, Mn. March 3i.--To M1y,r Of VIII
atiilgton: Please send engine and hose to cover
half a mile or more The town Is on hre.
Special waiting at Wilmington Tor You.
CITIZENS OF GALESA, Mn.
The appeal was Immediately handed to
the officers Of the fire department and
they at once ordered the Phoenix and
Weccacoe Fire Companies to 80 to Galena,
While the tiremen were taking their APP
paratus to the T., w. ~ b. railroad freight
yard, Fourth and Pine streets, the follow
ing telegram was received:
GALESA, Mp. March 3l.-T, Mayor Of VIII
nlSnGtah: Don't send engine. Too late
Town burned down.
CITIZENS OF GALENA Mn
The latter message was received at lO.3S
o'clock, and Immediately after its receipt
the tiremen were ordered to take their APP
paratus back to their engine houses.
AID ASKED OF MIppLErowN.
MippLETowN, March 81 .-Galena, Md, a
| town Of 600 inhabitants, is reported aiire.
| A messenger from there was sent here for
a fire company, but Middletown not hay
| ing all engine Il dispatch was sent to Will
| mington for one.
| DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN..
|
Maryland. and was the centre of farming
| community. IL had a population of about
| GOO. 1t was about four miles from Massey's
and about a mile from Blacks, the latter
on the Baltimore e. Delaware Bay railroad.
The principal street was about half a
mile long. There were two small cross
| streets. The houses which were frame,
were neat and substantial and built close
together. In summer the village was
| beautiful.
| c.. Scott and his son, Dir. Scott were
among the most prominent and wealthiest
citizens. The store-keepers included w.
I. Whitaker, William T. Hicks and Mr..
Deakyne.
The town contained several shops
operated by W. A. Hyland, a manufac.
turer Of agricultural implements, and had
wheelwright shop and large school
house.
The churches Methodist Episcopal,
Catholic, Protestant Episcopal and presby-
terrain, are OH the outskirts and Whining
tonianS who are acquainted with the place
think those buildings are too distant to
have been burned.
The largest retail store in Kent county
is located at Galena, and is own by
Thomas Horsey.
No railroad passes through the town,
and there is no telegraph office there.
JAMESON, Mn, March 3l.-What was
the third largest and most prosperous town
in Kent county,is now a mass Of shoulder
ing ruins, and 20 business places and resi-
dences are burned to the ground. The
aggregate loss is between $4,000 and
$50 oOO. Furniture and merchandise are
piled in the streets and homeless families
are being cared for by their more fortu-
nate friends. The fire is possibly the most
extensive which has ever occurred iii Kent
county.
The fire originated at o'clock, a. M,
from defective ilue in the kitchen of the
residence OF Henry Parr, situated in the
southern or business section of the town.
Mrs. Parr left the breakfast table to 60 to
the kitchen, and discovered the room in a
blaze.
The town was Immediately aroused by
the ringing of bells, The fire spread with
alarming rapidity, and it soon became eyi'
dent that the dwelling of Asbury, Ruth,
: w. I. Woods residence, the town hall, in
which are the lodge rooms of the Kent
Lodge, J. o. o. T., No. "a Henry Parr's
saddlery and harness store, Mrs. A. Il
Ireland's drug store, and thepublic library
were doomed.
! CALI FOR HELP.
t The town was at the mercy of the
flames. The only water-supply was from
} the wells. Assistance was telegraphed fol
| to Chestertown, but that town has NJ
} Del, was next applied to, but could give
e no assistance in the absence of water
} supply in tiacna NJ assistance could bt
e got from Clayton. Del Finally Whining
) ton was requested to send down ttr'
engines by a special train. But by the time
$ the dispatch reached Wilmington the tirt
. was under control and the call was coin
! termanded, The telephone instrument!
4 were burned in the drug store Of Mrs
/ Ireland, and messengers had to be sent u
mbson's Station, the nearest telegraph
office, thus causing the delay in asking fol
assistance.
IN AN UNEXPECTED QUARTER.
While the fire was at its height flame
: were discovered issuing from the rear .
i the hardware store of w. l. Wood, somt
distanceaw This was i'll the very hear
S of the business block, and was located in
/ position supposed to be safe. When tn
. fire broke our Mr.. Woods was making
. fire in his store. lie started out to tigh
G the flames, leaving the draft on his stove
r which became overheated and set fire (
e the store. The flames rapidly spread iron
y Woods store and destroyed one after an
r other the unuccuped residence Of Jane
5 Walls, the drug store Of DIR. A. II. Dickii
e son, the unoccupiei stone building Q
!, Jerry Peacock's the store Of j. Peacock
I unoccupied residence of jeremiah Peacock
l. Frank II. Ruth'S large general store, I. /
|
/ wright and blacksmith shops. A. Brscoe
!, oyster saloon and the residence of tn
y Misses Scott, the barn of Z. j. scott, tn
e shop of Mrs. Nichols, the millinery stort
IS of Miss Ella Parr, PARIS shop, Briscoe'
Il residence and an unoccupied shop and TIN
unoccupied hotel Of X. o. Pennington.
= The progress of the fire was tinall,
l. stopped by the removal of butchers sho
Y between the residence of James Walls an
u the store of Mr.. Dekyne on the north, am
II on the east the large store of L. IL. Horse
was with difficulty saved, The fact tina
Il large storage warehouse was burned las
d fall and left a wide gap rendered this pos
{, sible,
ID Hundreds of people from miles aroun
II poured into the town and rendered ever
l. possible assistance. County COMMISSIONS
Il Robert C. Morgan in assisting to fight tn
Ie flames, was badly burned about the nee
&c and face. TIE fire burned fnriously 70
more than three hours and for a time
was feared that the entire town would b
destroyed.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Frank Ruth's large stock of goods wa
partially insured in the Kent Mutual c
IS Chestertown, but he loses over 81, 500.
u jeremiah Peacock lost nearly his Who'll
u stock of dry goods. He Carrie abot
+ S6OOO insurance III the Kent Mutual. Los
~ on stock and buildings, $4,000 or $4,000.
&c Harry PARIS property insured III tn
= Kent Mutual fot about $780, loss, 5000
y or 5000.
=, ,e Hotel partially insured, all of the furn
< ". r. Wood insured for about 5000, los
? about 5000. m..
a, a, Or. Dickinson insured for about 500
io loss heavy.
The drug stock Of Mrs. Ireland insure
fore about 81 900, but the loss is far i'll eS
,ass # fhia sii,n