The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-20
FLAMES ROAST BEEF
AND DAMAGE BUILDINGS.
Water Could Have Kept the Loss Down to
$4,000.
CHEMICAL ENGINES FAILED.
But Their Operators Insisted on Their Use
With the Result of Heavy Damage
Story Of the Flames.

Quito o disastrous fire resulted early
this morning In the almost complete de-
struction of the big beef house of Armour
g. Company at No 3l2 West Front street;
The adjoining property of Schwarzschild
a. Sulzberger was also slightly damaged
by smoke and water. 1t is not likely.
however, that the loss will exceed 5000,
and the insurance will probably cover all
that.
Tho fire was peculiar one. When tho
doors of the house were closed last night,
about II o'clock the only fire in the build
ing was that in the furnace in the base
ment of the building.
During the day the furnace had been
heated to several times its usual heat, the
company having on hand large number
Of hams for boiling and smoking, This
work was accomplished and the provision
carried to the second floor Of the building
and placed in the stock room which is d.
rectly above the furnace and In touch OF
tlue from that source. The floor at this
point has air compartments beneath, 1t
through which cold air is waited to keep
the meats fresh.
Watchman Joseph Goodwin was In the
room frequently during the night but did
not detect even the 'odor Of smoke. He
left the building ut z. As o'clock. An hour
later the warehouse was opened for bust.
ness.
Howard Crawford, "a clerk was the first
smoke but half an hour later when Frank
West and another driver of tho company
reached the place, West discovered smoke
issuing through the smoke house floor in
the vicinity of the fue.
He called Mr.. Crawford and several
other employees of the company, who be-
gun stamping out the flames as they be-
lieved. But the fire was stubborn, where
upon tho men, with the exception of Mr..
Crawford, began removing the large
amount OF dressed beef and provision
from the building. They succeeded In
getting wagon load outside the building
and another into the stock room by which
time the fire had eaten its way through
the hemlock flooring and had filled the
building so full of smoke that Mr.. Craw-
ford called over tho phone for the Wecca-
cce Chemical engine.
The company did not respond lin fifteen
minutes, whereupon the Washington com.
pany was called This response was i'm.
mediate, but the flames by the time, 30
o'clock, were rapidly eating their way to
the upper stories of the building. Finally
the Weccucoe tiremen arrived and with
tho Washington compsny began pouring
the chemical on the burning. building;
But it was of no consequence. The fire had
obtained u Roadway which threatened the
complete destruction of the building.
Great waves of fire rolled through tho
front Of tho building and writhed and
twisted in the air. Some one declared u
general alarm would have to be sounded
but the Weccacoe and Washington fire.
men insisted against such action, saying
that the other Companies would only
food tho building and damage the stock
by water. Finally Lewis Scheu insisted
81 l,rr in n M
Front and Jefferson street and sounded
an alarm from the box there.
simultaneously with Mr. Scheu a!mem-
ber Of the Fame Hose Company ran TO that
engine house and called out that company
and In ten minutes half a dozen streams.
were being poured into the building from
the roof Entrance from the rear floors
was absolutely impossible, Rbecause of tho
smoke which poured In dense volumos
from the open doors which the cheinlcal
fremen had left.
To the top of the building the long lad
ders of the truck were raised. The flames
seemed to DO licking the top rungs when
several fremen began to climb up. one
fellow was In among the flames in mo.
ment, struggling to get the hose in POSI-.
ton. The flames were all around him
looking his face and chest. He put his he'll
met to his face, while his comrades shout
Tho water came In sudden powerful
stream which met the flames and beat
them back.
Then it was believed the fire was under
control but In an instant tiny flame
peeped through the roof Of the building.
Axes were brought into use and through
tho holes made streams were poured down
into tho fire which had eaten los way
through the second STORY. When tho
blaze was extinguished somewhat. brave
flremen crawled through the opening and
carried hose lines down the ladders to bot.
ter fuht tho flames. This was the only
way the firelnen could reach the fire.
Then they stood directly over 1t as II
leaped up tho big tiue from the boiler
below. But 1t was not easily extingulshed.
1t had communicated throughout tho air
chambers OH both floors, and unseen, was
slowly but surely at Its destructive work.
For an hour the tiremen poured water on
smoke and for another hour turned their
hose on flames which burned 80 stubborn
ly that the brave men almost gave up
hope. The unusual position OF the flames
caused this set back.
Holes could only be cut in the floors and
the water allowed to flow between. This
method of fire fighting was continued
until $ clock, then the: streams were Or
derel off.
But long after that hour tho wood work
about the llue smouldered. A!REPUBLlCAN
reporter saw that at 10 o'clock at which,
tiino it was believed the fire department.
would again have to be called In. But 1t
was not.
Edward E. Pingree manager Of the house
was on hand and Immediately began pre-
partitions for the rdopening Monday
morning. TO him it was clear that the
fro originated from the boiler and had
boon carried to tho upper stories through
tho (lues. He was loud in his condsmna.
ton OF the way the chemical flremon had
handled the blaze and expressed himself
as being satisfied that II the department.
was ALARMED when the blaze began 10
grow that the damage would not have
been eno-fourth the amount it IS:
In the basement OF tho building was
stocked perhaps $40 hams, shoulders, oic,
rendy for smoking. These are roasted and
totally unfit for use. On the second floor
Of tho building, beside the stock which was
in the smoke room, there Woro over ono
hundred sides of dressed beef, veal and
lamb. This Il also completely ruined by
smoke Some sides wore roasted. On INC
second floor was the leo house, filed with
ice, which the heat reduced to water.
The stock here was also damaged by
smoke. This floor had just undergone an
ovcrhaullpg. a rear room for the storage
of meats had been built, and the wCrs
will have to be done again.
The loss on tho stock reached ii, 900. The
balance is on the building. The loss on
the adjoining building will not reach 800
Mr.. Pingree was unable to state In
which company tho GtoCk and building
we!o insured, but was confident that the
amount would not DO below the damage
incurred by tho fro.
The onl, remedy in tho world that Will
at unru strp ichinCss OF tho skin in amy
part Of tho body, that ID absolutely safe
and nevor.failing, is Doan's Ointment
| Get ii from your dealer.