The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-27
WAS IT FIRED !?
sPolice And Firemen Believe Green
baum's Store Was.
pRopRIEIuas THINK DIFFERENT
Gsas riahts Were Burning and slessrs.
= t;rosnbaan n BelIeye Lace curtain. We're
MA wn Into the RIame-Flre Was
E,crs whcro.

y Fire which broke out in over o half
dozen places tbr eatenei the com plete de-
lsiruction of the large threo'story brick
|buiiding No. 200 Market street, shortly
before o'clock this morning. Tne build
Ting Is occupied by A. Greenoaum aud IL
stocked with full line OF general mer-
lchandse. Tue loss will amount to several
Thousand dollars. principally on stock.
snnd ls Insured.
H. According TO custom. Joseph Greenbaum
opened the store about 7.So O'Clock. He
lsays the only fire In the building at tho
ltime was several gas lights. and they
were burning in the 1entre OF the at ore
Iuuder lace curtains. which ware hung
from the ceiling. AZ twenty minutes be-
fore O'clock he went outside the front
door to hang polo for the display OF
some goods. Needing hutchet he re-
turned to the store, and to his surprise
discovered the Interior TO be ublazs.
About tho same time Palrotmen Ma.
loney and Shields were passing down
Shipley street. They were attlacte by u
light In the building and upon crossing
the street saw hanes In over bali dozsn
PLACES and along zach Side OF tho build
Ing. The greatest blaze was on the lower
side OF the bnilding.
Before the officers could reach the alarm
box, only n short distance away, Joseph
6reenhau N had sounded tho alnrm which
called tho district engines out. The Eams
Hose Company effected an entrance to the
building by breaking tho Shipley street
door and the dtaught Tanned the Hdme5
into one sheet into the facos of the II ro
fighters.
The smoke blinded tho uen. but they
made thoir way to the centre OF the store
and soon hud water on the burning cot
ton, blankets. coats and other iuilamma
ble material. The fire was in the centre
OF the store. and In some places along The
fioor, aud also on the upp9rmost shelves.
Several curtains which hang from the
ceiling were burned but the fire destroyed
principally bniled cotton ana blankets.
Ihe Washington Company fought the
fire from the Market street entrance, and
in short time all trace OF the blaze hud
disappeared.
Mr.. Greenbaum Is OF tho opinion that
whom he opened the trout door OF the
store the wind blew ono OF the curtains
into tbs burning gas. while those mem
bers OF tho Fire Department who first
reached the burning store say tho llre was
the ilercest directly back OF the cashlors
desk. whero quantity OF bills, letters
and stationery wns stored. Inls point
showed clearly that the devastation was
greater than in any portion OF tho store.
although considerable merchandise on
the upper shelves was destroyed.
The Police Department is also OF the
opinion that the building was fired. The
blaze might have b.en started during the
night and smouldered until famed by the
draught formed when MI. Grsenbaum
opened the store doors.
Tho building is SO situated that had the
lire gained head Nay great eoullag ration
would hive been threatened.
The large four story building OF Jamet
Morrow a Sons adjOlns on'the north and
the three story building recently occupied
by the Delaware Hardware Company OIL
the eouth.