Evening journal., 1893-04-04
LIKE A SEA OF FLAME
Graphic Description of the
Burning of Galena.
AWFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY

Terrible Work of the Fire Fiend in the
Pretty Maryland Town-The Heart of
the Town Wiped Out of Existence.
Looks Like the Rim and Broken spokes
OF Wheel without Hub.
The business portion Of the pretty
town Of GaleDa says the Kent News Of
Chestertown, Nd, is to-day a mass of
mouldering ruins. The heart of the
town was wiped out Of existence, leaving
the remaining houses and stores like the
rim and broken spokes of a wheel with
ont a hub. The tall ohimDeys stand
boldly out like giants. while about them
are only the smoking ashes of pleasant.
homes, business houses and stores. II
fills every ones heart with sadness as
he stands and views the dread havoc
which the flames have wrought in this
inland town of Kent. Scores of our best
citizens are to-day without places of
their own to lay their heads or the where.
withal TO be clothed; but this condi-
tion of affairs will not exist long, for
those who have been spared the fury
of the flames are doing all in their
power to render assistance to those in
need.
The fire originated in Henry PARIS
kitchen. To a reporter Mr. Parr stated
that he arose at the usual hour on Friday
morning and built a fire in the kitchen
cook stove
ut was not long afterwards that Mrs
Parr came down and prepared breakfast
and we detected no smoke nor smell of
fire up to this time. After eating break
fast | went around to my shop where l
met John Voshell, the constable.
81 had no sooner reached my place of
business than / heard my wife calling
me from the kitchen window, saying
that the house was on fire. Mr.. Noshtll
and Immediately ran to the house and
found smoke pouring out from the
chimney between the lathing aud plaster
ing. We soon saw that the house was
doomed and after throwing several
buckets Of water on the fire went to
work trying to save the furniture"
By this time quite a number of persons
arrived on the scene and commenced
removing goods from the adjoining
property. IL was 745 when the fire
first started and in less time than it takes
to tell 1t Mr.. PARIS house was wrapped
in flames while the roof of the big town
ball was seen to catch. Willing hands
went to work removing Joseph p. Ire
lands stock of medicine, ETC., to the
hotel opposite; the telephone being in
this store IL was impossible to communi
cate with the surrounding towns for
help.
Operator Vanssnt at once saw that the
town was doomed unless help was re
ceived from some place so he wired to
Wilmington for an engine, but after.
wards cOuntermanded the order. Per
sons were hurrying in every direction
carrying furniture of every description
and other articles to places of safety
while the flames were left to lick up the
buildings at pleasure. But the hall was
not the only building that caught from
Mr.. PARIS, for his neighbor, Asbury
Ruth, had not removed all his furniture
before his home was blazing.
The witnesses of this awful destruc-
tion of property thought that it would
| be impossible for the fire to get out of
this section, but cry soon rang out
from score of voices:
my, God, there's Woods place
ablazew
And It was too true. There in the
north of the tSwn was the fire fend get
ting in his awful work From Wood s
went the fire to Peacock's and from the
latters buildings to Pennington's hotel
and from there the flames had Joined the
scene of the original blaze and by this
time Ruth's store Scott's dwellings.
Hicks's shops, and other places were sll
burning aud everybody despaired of saw
ing anything so fearful was the scene.
10 really looked like sea of FIRE The
| pumps were all dry and those who had
any ambition Of saving the town looked
upon it as a hopeless task.
Every effort was put forth to save the
store goods and furniture. but in many
cases the flames were too quick and en-.
veloped all the costly articles.
| Send Nn.,r rnrr.nan a.. -. r,l--l-.- -. j.