Evening journal., 1895-12-12
THEFIRE M EN- WERE BUSY
Two Big Fires Occur During
the Past Twenty-four Hours.
A MOROCCO FACTORY DESTROYED


Hard to Fight, But Finally conquered-It
Was Hard Work for the Boys Though.
Another Blaze at Lea's Mills About
HIidnieht-And Now for the Third Blaze.
The immunity from big fires which
Wilmington has njoyed for some time
was rudely broken last evening, when
the large five story morocco factory on
Liberty street Just east OF Maryland
avenue. owned by the Wilmington and
Northern Railroad Company and operated
by Mitchell & Thomas, WAS burned to
the ground The alarm was sent In
about 5 o'clock and at that time the
flames had made so much headway, that
ths ref actlon could be seen all over the
city. The building is In the shape Of an
l. with the first two stories OF brick and
the other three OF frame covered with
corrugated iron, q combination which Is
dreaded by fireman the world over. and
especially where a morocco factory with
its oil soaked floors rs back OF It,
The fire started in a small angle Of the
L Immediately over the boiler room, and
then literally lesped to the upper stories
from which the flames we're bursting
when the apparatus OF the department
arrived Il T. Sergeant. whose coal
yard 40 bins the factory was one OF the
first to see the FIRE aud he states that the
flames first made their appearar CO near
the west end Of the l., and seemed to
have been at work for some time SO
quickly did they eat their way that the
roof had been burned away by the time
the irst stream was thrown on It The
firemen had great difficulty in getting
at the blGzs as the windows we're high up
aud had to be broken In. The water as iJ
struck the red hot iron was turned into
steam. and fell In a scalding shower on
the heads Of the workers below, while
the corrugated plates bulged outwards
threatening with oeath anyone who
dared venture near
At the rear OF the factory was q brick
annex. and adjoining on Liberty street
Was a frame house, and on Maryland
avenue only few feet away stood a row
Of houses of frame and brick. The FIRE
chiefs realizing the Importance Of
promptly settling matters, sent In q
second ana general alarm, and the entire
department responded Then the efficiency
OF the fire servics was demonstrated
Despite the difficulties met In getting at
the fire. It was handled in a mastery
manner. and In less than two hours was
under control None Of the adjoining
property was destroyed. although for q
lime the hottest Of the Ere was but few
feet away from the frame house on
Liberty street. Even the brick annex
was saved An immense crowd witnessed
the corhagration.
Mitchell & Thomss have operated the
factory for two years ana the loss to the
firm will aggregate about $50 coo, on
which is an Insurance of $65 600 The
loss on the building is about the same
and this is also covered by insurance.
The Fire at Lea's.
After this ere the mem bers Of the
several companies we're pretty well
tired out, but when an alarm was rung
ia from box at Twentieth and Market
streets, shortly after midnight, they
promptly responded. This call was
caused by e Ire In the Office OF the big
-four mills OF the William Lsa & Sons
Company, on the Brandywine,
which WAS all in flames when The
engines reached them. The building
is Of two stories and is In the heart OF
the mills, and for a time it looked as
though there would be a repetition Of the
big Gre Of February, 1894 There was
some good work doue and the flames
were confined to the building. The first
f oor was completely gutted and the
second badly damaged. The Ere oriei
mated among some papers which had
been dumped In q corner OF the Office.
The loss will not exceed 81 900 and was
covered by Insurance