The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-10-09

Second street near Poplar, but wa: form.
DRY which 10 now the property and is ocou
pied by the Charles Baird. 1t is-
| practically connecte to the Baird factory
| so close does 1t run to 1t.
Along the rear of tho two factories Is a
small alley from Front street, which comes
out on Second by the side Of the Garrett 81
Barr factory. The three factories occupy
most of the block bounded by second,
Poplar, Front and Walnut streets, ana
tho remainder of the space is occupied
with small houses. Strange as 1t may
| seem none OF these houses caught on fire,
| though the houses on Front street were
near the burning building and are Of
frame-
The Garrett G. Barr factory is the only
one that is total loss. The flames ate
their way through the building and con-
sumed all the product and warped the
machinery into SO many stems. The
Baird property was burned in the rear.
The fire was from the second story up and
this portion this morning IL one mass of
ruins. The basement and first floor is
damaged by water and the stock and
machinery there are almost yalueless, the
stock in particular.
Tho Jones building is five stories high,
but 1t like the Baird property was only
chinery and stock on the first and second
floors were also damaged and destroyed.
Never before did the tiremen work as they
did
Surrounding the buildings are rows Of
frame houses, but never were these ablaze.
The occupants Of the houses lost no time
in getting their household effects to place
of safety, and the street was piled full of
the goods The houses on Front street are
occupied principally by colored people and
Poles. They made the scene lively one
and were badly frightened They moved
back into their houses this morning. The
people Oh Poplar street also moved out OF
their houses. Many of the people carried
their goods to the p, W. b. railroad car
sheds, which made an excellent place to
store them, and under the circumstances
the railroad officials offered no objection.
The car sheds nlso furnished good
place from which to view the flames, and
We're crowded during the progress OF the
fire.
At midnight the flames had been drown
ed out and when tho final tap had been
sent in the firemen had finished the
work of fighting the biggest fire in the
history of the city, which work they had
done nobly, The supposition is that the
fire started in the boiler room. The state
mcnt of Frank Boyle, who was the first
in another part of the building. He So
that he was in the vicinity of the building
when the fire was discovered and when he
arrived on the scene there was little fire
in the boiler room, He tried to get into
the room to shut off the steam TO prevent
IN explosion. He then climbed up on the
fire room roof and found the building In
the rear toward Front Street in II blaze.
The saddest feature of the fire was the
of n Ha
ried and lived at No. lO) Monroe street.
He had been II member Of the Washington
Fire Company for amber Of years, and
was also Il member Of the Ancient Order
of United Workmen He was ~ machinist
by trade and was well liked by all of the
members of the company, and also his
fellow employees. The arrangements for
the funeral have not yet been made but
it will probably be attended by many Of
the tlremcn of this city.
George W. Sasse, who was with Mr. Nc.
Neal when he was struck, was hit on the
leg with brick but helped to carry his
more injured companion to the patrol
station.
Even this morning representative of the
companies could not give an exact estimate
Of the losses nor tell i'll which companies
the buildings and stock We're insured.
Rcprcse ntatives OF tho Garrett u Barr
Company place their loss at $4,000, This
amount may bo Increased $1,000 as it is
impossible to tell what condition much Of
the machinery is in. The stock is entir ly
destroyed The plant gave employment
to about fifty hands, but orders were COM
ing in and it was the intention OF tho com.
pnny to engage many more hands on
Monday.
The heaviest loss will fall on Washing
ton Jones and Company. Their building
was completely Quilted and the large a.
mount Of stock consumed The aggregate
loss will foot up to Sl5O,OJJ This is part
ly covered by insurance but rs those hay
ing in charge the policies were out OF the
city it could not be asccrtaincd in which
companies the policies were. The plant
was not in operation but was to have been
started in two weeks with one hundred
hands.