Middletown transcript., 1893-08-12

<.S -
being discovered in the store of G.. Marion
Dryden, situated in the midst of soiic
block of frame buildings. When discovered
the flames had gained considerable head
way, and within Is minutes had communi.
Gated to the drug store of P. D. Cottingham
& Co. on the one side and T. Smiths
clothing store on the other. The people
realized at once that the business portion of
the town was doomed, and not possessing
any fire apparatus their only hope lay in
the meagre protection afforded by the or
ganization of bucket brigade. Storehouse
after storehouse fell prey to the flames.
Merchants endeavored to save their goods
as best they could, conveying them to the
courthouse yard as a supposed place of
safety. But it proved o costly error. s
The flames leaped across to the big dry
goods store of Richardson, Smith, Moore &
Co., and J. s. Price & Co., on the east and
west corners of Green and Pearl streets, and
building after building on both sides of
Pearl street were soon ablaze. The fire
rushed on until it reached Market street
and began to consume the Democratic Mes
senger newspaper Office on one side of the
street and the old National Hotel ON the
other. The hotel, large wooden building,
rearing high up in the air and surrounded
by porches furnished excellent fuel and
and was soon all ablaze, the flames srom it
shooting over to the cupola of the court
house, which ignited and soon the
interior of the old temple of justice was on
fire. The building was destroyed except
its walls, which are standing. Around on
the north side OF the square the Washington
Hotel, owned by Levi A. Purnell, was on
fire. In less than one hour from the time
the alarm of fire was made the whole
square between Pearl and Washington
streets and Green and Market streets was IN
asolid blaze, and the fire was making rapid
headway northward from its starting point
toward the Pocomoke river and the saw and
planning mills of Smith, Moore & Co., and
John Sames Collins, located along the bank
of the river.
The fire was checked in this direction by
the heroic efforts of the bucket brigade, .
directed by Colonel John Walter Smith, who
fought the fire until he was soaking wet and
exhausted.
r. j. McAllen & Bros, grocery and con-
fectionery store, which was one of the finest
storehouses in the town. was ablaze and the
large dwelling house of Mrs Ellen Robins
near by, tenanted by Walter w. Hurlock,
was meeting with the same fate The JAIL
which was brick structure like the court
house, caught on fire about the same time
that the temple of justice was besieged by
the roaring flames and was destroyed.
When the fire was first discovered an eff
fort was made to get telegram to Salisbury
and Wilmington, but it was not until mid
night that the messages reached the FIRE
companies. Both places responded to the
call for aid and arrived on the scene about
$50 o'clock. They Immediately commenced
throwing water on the. vaults of the court
house and the First National Bank.
Mr.. o. ~ Purnell no doubt saved many
residents in the southeastern section of the
town by using force pump in his yard to
which was attached one hundred feet of
hose He kept his building well wet with
water and the fire was checked at his resi-
dence. The Mackenzie Memorial Presby-
terian Church caught on fire several times
as also did the residence of L. Edward
Bolton and Horace Payne, but each time
the fire was put out before it did much
damage. si
Only three stores were left in the town
those of Capt. ]. Parker Smith, Stephen L.
Purnell and William Young-but with
commendable pluck and energy several of
the merchants who suffered the heaviest
losses have already telegraphed to Baiti-
more for goods, which will be placed in
private houses for sale until shanties can be
erected.
Seventy six houses were burned in all, in
Guiding three hotels, two banks, the Metho.
dist Protestant Church and the courthouse
and Jail. The total loss is estimated at $500.
900, and the insurance amounts only to
about $4,000, which includs insurance of
$4,000 on courthouse and Jail. The fire
swept away four blocks of houses and
stores, covering about six acres of ground.
Happily, no lives were lost and no person
was seriously hurt. William Tingle Dicke;.
son. attorney at aw and the representative
of large mum Der of insurance companies.
said that the loss would fall heavily upon
the town. and that it might be necessary to
start relief fund. The merchants and
business men of Snow Hill are certainly
badly crippled, but they have made up their
minds already to adopt new methods and
to build up the destroyed portion of the
town in more modern STYLE The Demo-
cratic Messenger will issue paper this
week, although all of lis type and presses 5.
were destroyed.
Ali of the court library was burned Up
in the clerk Office.
The First National Bank announced the
next day that it was ready for business in
the law Office of Clayton J. Purnell, which
together with the Office of Georgel w. Pur.
nell. were the only buildings lett uninjured
GoutiufIed nm Eo,,r,b De-