Democratic messenger., 1895-08-10
Berlin Fire !
The Entire Business POr-
tiOn of the Town Licked
up by Fiery Tongues!
STARTED mas STABLE
n n
And Rapidly Spread Over Town
While the Men Were Away
From Home.
LOSS 100000! 4!
And There is Only $4,000 In-
Surancc.

ldst DeeIl DuTflcu OUT. he Iatt So
long predicted for it has been met and
of the business portion Of the town
nothing is now left but smoulde-ing
embers, towering chimneys, and char
red timhers. Where only week ago
thousands Of dollars Of well invested
capital seemed secure, now all is ruin
and chaos. Merchants, who on Saturday
last were considered prosperous and
on the high road to wealth are now
standing around with their heads
bowed, wondering how they are going
to provide for their families. Nothing
like it ever happened on this Peninsula
because the towns of Salisbury, POGO
moke and Snow Hill carried more in
surance than did the people of Berlin.
The sympathy of the people of the
entire State goes out to the unfortu-
nate ones:
THE SCENES WITNESSED BY ONE OF
THE MEssEN GER EDITORS.
On Sunday evening about half past
eight o'clock mill whistles sounded
the alarm Of fire, bells rang, people
screamed at the top of their voices
and soon all who were in town had
gathered around the stables of George
w. Henry which he had discovered
on fire. Mr. Henry was taking pair
OF horses from carriage which had
just arrived when stable hoy called
TO him that there was fire in the stables,
he rar up into the hay loft to see
where ii was; he saw mass of flames
about three feet wide in the pile of
hay and right up against the root
Before he could descend to the street
the flames had bursted through the
roof and illuminated the heavens. All
OF his teams had been hired out for
the day and consequently he was able
to turn his attention nj once to saving
the building. The people responded
quickly to the alarm, those who were
in town, for strange to say nearly all
of the business men of Berlin were
either at the Sound campmeeting,
Frankford camp, or at Ocean City,
there were some lett however. and
many of these were attending services
in the various churches. which were
instantly emptied of their audiences
and everybody hurried to the scene of
conhagration.
Remembering their experiences Of
the past. and that they had subdued
fire in Harmonson's stables not many
months ago the bucket brigade at.
tackled the frey fiend and tried hard
10 subdue it, men, women and children
carried water and shouted encouraging
words to each other, but the wind
breezed up strongly from the south,
Savages hotel caught on the one side
and Harmonson's livery stables on the
other side OF the burning building and
both were soon enveloped in flames,
and the fiery tongues Tapped those
owned by Emory +. Bell west of
Savage's Hotel while on the ether side,
J. H. Richardson's. Rayne's barber
shop and other places in frout OF them
caught The wind then shifted and
setting the fire towards Germond's and
Patey's machine shops. 1t was thought
by some that the Atlantic Hotel would
now escape and with it many valua-
BILE buildings across the street occupied
by +. S Furbush Il CO., A. F. Powell,
l.. l. Di.ickson and others, hut these
were not to be among the fortunate
ones. and although the little hand fire
engine with one hundred or more feet
of hose was dragged into the backyard
of the Atlantic Hotel, and was worked
with might and main, the flames gain
ed steadily upon them and the ground
had to be deserted on account of the
intense heat. The string Of little
buildings attached to the hotel caught
on fire and then the storehouse OF u. =.
Henry Il Sons. Zed Henry, Jr., re
manned upon the roof of this building
until he was almost overcome by the
heat. and while il was burning from
under him. When these buildings
caught, the most of the people stopped
| fighting fire and those who owned
places of business went about saving
their goods. The guests of the hotel
and Messrs Wilmer Purnell, George
w. Henry, Gordon Marshall and a
hundred others ran up the stairs and
commenced to send out the furniture,
bedding, etc, belonging to Mr.. fIar-
monson, he and his wife being out of
town. His little daughter Minnie ex.
hibited wonderful nerve and presence
OF mind. She broke into the ward
robe and saved her mothers clothing
then searched for valuable papers and
a pocketbook which she knew her
father kept in the house. but we can.
not undertake in this limited space to
describe the many daring feats per-
formed on that memorable night. nor
tell one-half of the brave acts of men,
women and children.
When the fire got into the blocks
occupied by Lane, Connowav, Keas,
and others, everybody saw that Berlin
was doomed to destruction and it was
only question rs to where a gap
large enough to prevent the fire from
spreading would be encountered.
Everyone then looked out for his own
place OF business or home whichever il
might be in danger; those who had no
one to help them begged piteou,ly for
passers by to assist them in saving
their things, but nearly every man
had special mission and all had to
do the best they could
The town was as light as day, kegs
of powder ane barrels of coal oil ex-
ploded, horses neighed, women and
children wept bitterly, strong men
trembled with excitement and even
those who were strangers in the town
were filed with the excitemen OF the
hour. Many persons carried their
goods To the various churchyarls for
safety, some placed them in Dirick-
sons brick building, believing it To he
fire proof but it was swept away rs