Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-16
BIG BLAZE AT BRADFORO'S.
1t Broke Out Two Hours Before
Dawn.

Dawn.
| An Estimated Loss of Less Than $50, 900, |
Fully Covered by Insurance The Isig |
Brick BuIiding Almost Totally be-
stroyed.
Fire broke out about $40 Tuesday |
| morning in the James Bradford Company |
| Building, Nos. 6-l0 East Third street. The
building and contents all but the first and
| second floors and the cellar are total loss. |
Mr.. Bradford estimates his loss within
$4,000. But this is purely an estimate, as
no cXact Information is accessible The
upper floors and contents are total wreck
| The first and second floors are Hooded and
investigation OF the condition OF things
had TO be made under the shelter OF INN
brelas, as the ceilings were dripping with
a continuous downpour of water. What
ever damage there is to the contents of the
first and second floors is due to the flood
ing by water.
Following the alarm from box No. 81 "A
general alarm quickly followed, and i'll
very few minutes the entire fire departt
inent was i'll service. No one was in the
building at the time the fire broke out. Its
origin and cause is at this moment a mys.
terry. 1t is commonly ascribed TO spon-
| tUneous combustion.
The department at once took hold of the
fire in the most systematic manner. In but
a few minutes the fireman realized that
they bad a most stubborn contest before
them. The big building is nestled closely
around by other structures. Telegraph and
telephone wires in front of the building
increased the fire laddics' difficulties.
Meanwhile the flames had heated up
the whole rear Of the building 40 feet
back to almost furnace heat, and were
roaring and belching out from rear aud
sides and had at length advanced TO the
Third street front darling out in tongue-like
flames from the windows OF the upper
stories and curling arulpid the corners of
the building to the street front. The roofs
of neighDOring buildings were heated like
bake oven. Window pancs snapped like
parchment. At the moment il looked eN-
up portion of the city. The whole neigh
D0rhood was lit up bright as day.
Momentary apprehension was felt that tile
flames would creep down to the cellar
where numerous oil barrels arc stored.
II was ut this moment thai the liremen
redoublel their efforts. From every dlreC-
, ton. in the interior Of the building and
!, along the ncighhoring roofs they posted
! themselves. carrying out the orders of the
chief with the closest watchfulncss and
exactitnde.
Water was kept pouring on the Third
: street market house structure to the east Of
J. the burning building. But the best efforts
of the department could not prevent some
damage to the roof and the consequent
. flooding Of the contiguous portion OF tic
= building. ON the west side, the store of
: Leonard lleisS and the rear premises of
, | Fnld's store adjacent to it, were saved
from fire contact only by the efficiency
/, and vigor Oi the iiremen. However mum
berS Uf window paurS cracked SpUuta-
uenusly from the fierce fire glow. At the
4 rear another line OF hose Kept playing
+ from Cams Hat Immediately sonth Of the
y Bradford Building,
: From the TOP story of Mr. Fuld's store a
y comprehensive idea of the destructive tire
is gained. From there the bradford
4 liuilding appears complete wreck. The
y roof has fallen in and the whole structure
y is a iumbled wreck of bricks and debris.
u The wonder Is how that such quick dc.
strllction TRANSFERRED in the two short hours
Or less, ut which Limit OF time the tircmen
= had gained control Of the contlagration.
> "lhc tiremen could not have worked
harder, exclaimed u gentleman Tuesday
morning who witnessed the incident, ''oi
r more faithfully or moro bravCly
d Talk about paid fire department -
ie exclaimed another why nothing could
"a have been done better or have been con
e Quoted better considering the difficulties
Of TO be overcome
L. There is no doubt that if the fircmer
At had not been kept diligently and in full
3 SWING constantly at work the whole build
at ing would have gone down, and then, hat
IL the flames reached the cellar, there is nt
knowing what the condition OF that par
CT OF the Guy Woulu nave been,
cr In conversation with Mr.. Bradford Tues
he day morning that gentleman said No
pit | don't think 100000 would pay TO
in the loss ! have hao. II may be nbou
that, but have no idea of to what cEten
iy the stock and machinery is damaged.
n have no idea whatever of the cause OF til
&c fire. But there will be an examination b.
"a and by.
All my insurance runs out at noon tc
us day. So you see am very fortunate
Is. | arm fully insured | believe on stock an
VI. building
NJ. THE INSURANCE.
ia Among the insurance agents it is ascel
ne tanned that the James Bradford Compan
ne has policies 10 the extent Of $4,000 upo
mt the bTicR building and contents-on th
a building 1000, and on the content
ed SIG, bc5.
'rs The insurance is distributed among III
city agents and neighbOrlns offices as 70
TO- lows
g. Gtlpln Co. on hulliing: Insurance CO.
~ A., {, $50 American, Pa, El,2sv; CommerCI
~. | zion, fl.25n; spring Garden, tl,2bl On COZ
nd tents Imperial. s. GBl; Assurance Pa. 81 -
Insurance. n A., 1850. mIAerrial tnio
$1,000; llnoyer. 81 800. spring GARDEN, 81 .,iS
Western nronto, $3.50; fennsylyauIe, {lvl
Nm. i. A. van trump blit. ing. i.tna. seOt
~, on contents d!tua, s3,325 Commercial SIS.
~ American, n. NJ, ii,liO; total, fi,iSl
Try Chester GpunsC Aulual-On CONT nts F9OL
ht, on building, II ON; total. s3,uO0
mo d. 81, Ma'Her 4 vo-On contents wi
IT,. Equitable, 4. t., sl3lD.
Lp- iItw ans \ Coon contents with Germt
rd, American, $1,000.
list, Farmers Nutual--on building, 5000; on co
ana fonts, fl,'Gt
Nm J,i, llugh7s- On contents win Caledonia
.er. sl,3au.
by IN addition to the above total insuran
and ul c'ltfJh there Is an insurance ut 500
net On tic Third street market house, the 10
Of which has been damarod and the
min terror the bullQilV IiIu.twrl mara