Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-25

A stubborn fire, which burned for
about three hours, caused loss Of about
sS, 600, Saturday morning, at the viii.
mington house of Armour e. Co. of
Chicago, ILL.,, No. 3l2 West Front
street. The flames evidently originated
near the chimney leading from the
smoke room, which tis on the ground
floor at the eastern side Of the build
ing, and. owing to the peculiar con-
structiun of the floors and partitions, it
was with the greatest difficulty that the
firemen were able to work effectively.
Friday the smoke room was filed
| with hams and the fires 10 the furnace
were started and the apparatus was
worked to almUst its fullest capacity.
| The presumption is that the second
| story floor was ignited some time dur.
ing the night and smouldered for some
time before il broke out into blaze.
James I. Howenstein, the chief clerk,
was at his desk on the ground floor,
Immediately in 'front.' OF the smoke
room, until II o'clock that night, and
when he left there was nothing to in
dictate that there was anything wrong.
| There was not the slightest odor Of
smoke and nothing to arouse suspicionH
The watchman, Joseph Goodman, was
also about the building until q 45
o'clock Saturday morning. just before
he left he made tour OF the several
rooms and found everything all right.
At about 4. 10 O'Clock Howard Craw
ford, salesman, went to the meathouse
for the purpose of beginning his day q
work, and he was surprised to find the
entire building filed with smoke. After
Il hurried investigation, in which hr
| Aksk
necessary, he set telephone messages tc
the WeGcacoe and Warrington fire com
panies, which Immediately sent theii
chemical engines.
The Washington chemical engine,
being the nearer, arrived at the scene
of the fire first, and went into service
as soon as was possible. The hamei
were in part of the building that wai
difficult to reach, and the fi-emen hac
great trouble in getting at them on ac
count of the smoke.
Al 8. 20 o'clock an alarm Was turned
in from box No. 81, at Front and Justi
son streets. The district companies
Washington, Fame and Weccauoe, sen
their engines. On -acpount OF tn
peculiar location of the flames; ths fire
men cut holes in the roof, through
which the streams were turned oil tn
lire. They were at work until nearl
s clock, at which time it was eviden
that the flames had been extinguishe
and they were released.
Manager Edward j.. Penley, who wa
seen at his offico at o. clock, said b
was unable to tell what the loss woul
, amount to, hut it would aggregate somo
thing like S5, 600. At the time OF tn
, fire the stock on hand was worth some
thing like 50, 600, and it had been abso
lutely ruined by fire, water and smoke
: The smoke room, which iH larg
apartment, had buen totally wrecked
! while the room above and those ad Join
! iug suffered considerably. lie coul
, not tell what the damage to the ma
: chiuery would amount to. He ha
! been looking around, hut as the electri
light service had been ruined the 10
3 vestigation was pursued with difficulty
, The damage to the building will auIoun
. to about 80, 800.
Mr.. Penley stated that all OF the in
3 surauce il carried from the main of1ic
t in Chicago. and he wac not prepared I
! say Just how matters stood In tha
, direction.