Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-09
Two BUILDINGS CONSUMED
'WereLocated at Twenty. eighth
and Jefferson Streets.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES SUSPICIOUS
Destruction Probably Caused
by lncenoliaries.
The Kumors That Two Persons Perished
In the Flames Disproved - Another In
dividuai Mentioned in This Connection
Not OIL the Premises at the Time.

Two frame houses at Twenty. eighth
and Jeiferaon streets were destroyed by
fire Tuesday morning under circum-
stances which have arorsed suspicion
OF incendinrism, The houses were
pwned by William II. llayman, u Gar-
henter, who made his home at No.
R80l jefferson street, the corner house.
while tho adjoining house, No. 9503
twas untennnted. Although reports
hrose that two persons wcrc burned in
be corner houss. neither Mr.. Iayman
por James Jordan, who lived with him,
were in thu house at the time Of the
&hre. a third person had hean noticed
{fround the place recently, hut so far
be known be was not in tho house.
1t was about ! O'Clock in the morning.
whom Mrs. George Mccoy, living with
Bier husband and three children at No.
2305 Jsfferson street, having occasion
10 leave her bed, saw n fire raging in
the next house. She called her hus-
lband. who at once ran downstairs and
l.oser ths neighboring pair nf houses
10 call this supposed inmates from
Hanger. When ho reached No. 2SOl
he found the front door open crack.
Upon pushing it wide open he was un.
able to enter for heat and flame, and
at once set about warning the neigh
bors on tho other silu Of his house.
" BY that time the fire was under full
headway, Alarms were eent in from
the police box at Twenty-ninth and
Jefferson hy Louis Weiderman, who
'']ives at that corner, from fire alarm
box No. 2l4, at Thrtieth and Wash
ington streets, and No. ut Twentieth
and Market streets. When the engines
reached tho scene there was no hope of
having either of llayman houses and
the fire had leaped over 10 or ID feet OF
open space and caught upon Mccoy q
house. With the assistance of chemi
cal engine its spread through the house
was checked, hut for time it looked aa
IL the house would be consumed. The
only damage to McCuy's was the
breaking Of psnes of glass aud the
tearing OIL Of plaster. Az il was. Mrs.
Mccoy thinks herself and family had a
close call from being burned to death.
Their neighhors were preparing to move
out when the progress OF tine ire wHH
checked. Had high wind heen blow
ing from the south the whole row OF
frame houses would have stood poor
show OF escaping the flames. The water
bead was poor and the engines rutflti
not he effective.
The report that two men were in the
wrecked corner house caused great ex
citement among the crowd at the fire.
Ono Of the men who had lived there
was James Jordan. Mr.. Jordan wus at
the scene later in tho morning. lle
is authority for the statement that Mr..
Iiayman, the owner of both houses,
went to Townsend last Saturday, where
he is staying at a brother's AS for
himself, Mr.. Jordan said that lie was
nj the house Monday afternoon about
d.30 O'Clock and then loft there, and
instead of returning to this house al
night to sleep, had gone to his mothers
home, down in Brandywine village.
He could give no other explanation
of the fire than that it might haze
started from the kitchen stove, which
had fire in it when he left the premises.
Mr.. Jordan made nu mention of there
leing any other uccupant OF the houss
md there probably was nome, although
resident in the neighborhcod spoke
OF having seen third person about the
fire.
Neither we're any chickens burned,
rs reported, go far rs Known. large
numher of chickons were raised on tht
property, some of them being OF thu
game breed, and they were formerl,
Kept under the rear porch. BUT ahou
last Thursday a new coop was erectet
in the rear OF the yard. 20 or 30 yard
AWAY, ana the chickens wore well ou
OF danger.
Tho value Of the houses, which wsrI
two story frames, 10 placed at abou
3 5000 zach,