Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-05-23
Franklin City
...Swept Out F!
The People Awakened Early
Sunday Morning by the
Cry of Fire.
ESTIMATED LOSS $4,000
Seven Freight Cars and one Pas.
Scnger Car Burned.

When the people of Snow Hill
heard the whistle of locomotive last
Sunday morning, they realized that
something unusual had happened
somewhere along the ID. NJ. d V. Il
r., and investigation showed that the
estimate was correct one. The news
that Franklin City mad been burned
out was soon spread and many of our
citizens who owned teams geared up
at once and drove down to the scene
of the conhagration.
An eye witness OF the fire thus
describes it to the editors of tine MIS-.
sENGER.
1t was quarter past two o'clock
Sunday morning when Frank Price,
who resides with his family in a barrel
house near the ID. NJ. Il V. depot, was
aroused by the glare of light and the
cracking of flames from burning
building. He jumped out of bed, saw
at once that the railroad station was
in light blaze and was sure Of total
destruction. He ran out and gave
the alarm, and in few minutes all OF
the inhabitants of the little city were
screaming "fre - as loud as they
could. The wind was blowing sti fly
from the southwest and people who
were not excited so badly as to loose
their judgement saw that the town
was doomed to destruction, because
the wind was setting the flames right
over to the big storehouse of John +.
Powell d Co. This building soon
caught on fire and Mt the same time
seven freight cars and passenger car
were burning.
From Powell's store the fire began
to spread rapidly and in the space Of
an hour it had licked up almost every
thing on the east side of the railroad
track from the pier to the Methodist
Episcopal Church where the flames
were stopped and the church saved.
1t took hard work to save this building,
and had not there been considerable
vacant lot between 1t and the nearest
residence it would surely have gone
up in smoke. 1t was impossible for
them to telegraph Cor aid and even il
they had possessed telegraph instru-
ment no help could have reached
Franklin in time to save anv of the
property destroyed. An engine was
gotten out OF the round house as soon
after The fire rs possible and it took an
operator TO Stockton where he sent
the news over the wire to Clayton, and
the Railroad Co sent down Il wreck
Ing train.
Over $4,000 worth of property
was destroyed and only three honses
besides the small oyster sheds remain
Many families were rendered entire
~ destitute by the flames. and several
people barely escaped with their lives
Bernard Powell, of the firm of John
+. Powell IL Son. who was asleep, did
not awaken until the bedclolhes were
aiire He and his wife grabbed some
articles of clothing and made their
escape by the back stairs, the front
roof falling in before they had cleared
the house. Many others escaped With
only their night clothes Only about
one half Of the loss is covered BY rlsur.
ance.
The losses are as follows: Pennsyl.
vania Railroad Company, building.
cars, etc, s25, 900; insured.
John +. Powell II Son. merchan.
disc, $1,000 insurance $4,000.
A. +. Hancock, stock, 81 100; in.
surance $500.
Smith, Bishop IL Covington. store
and dwelling, $4,000; insurance 81
800.
Smith, Jones Il Co.. dwelling house,
$500; no insurance.
Mrs. Richard ii. Grady, hotel prop.
erty, $1,000; fully insured.
+. Conger, store and eight dwellings,
So, 700; partly insured.
+. +. Jones. dwelling and furniture,
50, 800; insurance 81 $50.
VIM. NJ. Needles, dwelling and
office, $1,000 insurance $1,000.
Coard Chapman, furniture, horse
and COW, s 900; no insurance.
A number of tenants lost furniture
and clothes, with no insurance Among
this class of sufferers are the follow
ing Captain Brown, 5000; Mrs.
Tull, 5000; Mrs. Collins. $3.50
Levin Conner, s25; Daniel Price,
$50; Ephriam Mason, 500; Burton
Gray, 5000; John Jones, $50; Chas.
Dougherty, 5000; VIM. IngersolI,
5000; VIM. Brown, 5000; George
Tarr, 5000; Ranzoe Wilgus, 5000
lshma Bowen, $3.50; Lee Hudson,
$500; Washington Mason, Sl50
Mrs. Kelley, 5000.
The people OF Greenbackville, Il
mile distant. and Of Stockton, in Wor
cester county, four miles distant, have
been very generous toward the suffer
ers of Franklin City. They have
supplied the destitute people literally
with food and clothing, but much re.
mains to be done to relieve the dis
tress which prevails.
Franklin City is at the terminus Of
the Delaware, Maryland and Virgins
Branch OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
and was one of the most prosperous Il:
well as unique villages on the Eastern
Shore. The houses were for the most
part built at the very edge OF the
water, some of them resting on pile.
driven in Chincoteague bay. The in
habitants consisted chiefly of oyster
men, whose sole possessions were their
furniture and clothes. In losing this
they lost their all. The main part OF
the village was built close together
and the fire once started, all efforts Il
stay its progress ere in vain. The
occupants OF the houses in many case:
escaped only with their night clothes
on their backs and took refuge in
boats.
Franklin was founded in 1876
when the old Franktord and Worces
ter Railroad was run down to that
point 1t took its name from Judg,
John r. Franklin, who owned most o.
II