The sun., 1898-10-08
The Loss Will Aggregate at Least $35.
COO and May Run Up to $4,000.
Fully Insured..-Fire Depart.
It ment and Police Do Good
Work Under Sasse
and Kane.

and water Will aggregate several thou-
sand dollars.
The fire was discovered at 10. Is o'clock
by IewisJ. Thompson, who lives at No.
/ 2lO West Fourth street. The key to the
nearest fire alarm callbox could not be
secured, for some unexplained reason,
and to save time boy was sent to the
house Of the Fame Hose Company which
was first to respond.
The fire is supposed to have origi-
Enated directly over the great steel boiler,
(which was Installed by the Hil!es q
Jones Company less than two years ago:
This boiler and great quantity OF
lycerine on the premises offered
beautiful possibilities for a disaster
Prompt and efficient service on the part
|5pf the Fire Department prevented ex-
splosions which must necessarily have
resulted in many fatalities.
The police, under command of Cap
tain Thomas Kane, preserved perfect
order and kept the great crowd OF people
from interfering with the tiremen. Cap
/ tain Kane was the first city official on
I the scene.
Chief sasse, in full military regalia
directed the work of the firemen. His
presence undoubtedly saves him from
adverse criticism which would surely
have followed his absence, whether en-
forced or not.
Tie Fame company had just con-
cluded stated meeting and was thereby.
enabled to muster full complement OF
men.
N, M, The fire spread with wonderful rapid
itysfrom floor to floor and within very
4 few moments the great FIVE story struc-
] tute was seething mass of flames. The
greasy floor boards and benches, the
shelying and oily hides furnished the
fuel needed for real "lurid" blaze.
Great clouds OF dense black smoke rolled
out OF the three score windows on Fourth
street binding the firemen and damag-
ing everything white within a block OF
the place. The smell of burning leather
permeated everything.
There was no sensational work done
by anybody; no hair-breadth escapes, no
actual risks encountered, except the pos
sibilities of bursting boiler, which did
not burst, and an explosion OF glycerlne,
which did not occur. 1t was simply a
red-hot fire that completely destroyed a
N great building and robbed nearly hum
y dred people of employment. In less
than two hours over $4,000 went up in
smoke. The good work of the Fire De-
partment undoubtedly saved the adjoin-
ing properties.
The walls did not fall, but it is more
than likely that one or more Of them
will be condemned by the building in
spector today.
The fire companies were stationed as
follows:-
Fame Hose, the first there, took the
plug at the southeast corner OF Fourth
n and Tatnal streets, with two streams,
one on the Tatnall street side and one on
J Fourth street.
Weccacoe, stationed at the northwest
corner OF Fourth and Tatnall streets,
two streams on the Fourth street side.
Phoenix, at Fourth and Orange, two
streams, one OH the Fourth street and
one on the Orange street side.
Liberty, located at Third and Orange
I streets, two streams on Third street.
Washington, stationed at Third and
TatnalI streets, two streams, one on
Third street and one on Tatnall street.
Washington chemical had stream on
Orange street.
Water Witch, stream on Fifth street.
The Delaware Truck was directly in
front OF the burning building.
The adjoining buildings were damaged
only by smoke and water
\ No. 2l0 West Fourth street, occupied
by John Carson, flooded with water.
No. 2l2 West Fourth street, occupied
by John T. Price, flooded and much
damage done by smoke.
ID No. 206 West Fourth street, occupied
by Harry Lange, flooded and damaged
i by smoke.
No. 204 West Fourth street, occupied
by Albert Fennimore, damaged by smoke
and water. ~
|s /, No. 2O2, occupied by E. 7. Rhinehart,
damaged by water.
x No. 200 West Fourth street, vacant.
WI. Corner Fourth and Orange, furnishing
Il and notion store and dwelling of E. A.
! q M, Dolan. Stock damaged to the ex-
tent Of $500 by smoke and water.
Stable ON Orange street adjoining store
unoccupied and uninjured.
No. 315 Orange street, Elizabeth Camp
bell, lodging house, damaged by smoke
and water
s No. 81 Orange street, Ben amin +;
Shaw Il Co., steam filters, damaged
srreatly by water.
n Corner Of Orange and Third street, oc-
! Sied by Wilmington Macaroni Works
.aariagsd by smoke and water.
No. 201 West Third street, +. f. Slo-
i comb, tenants, machinists and mill
rights damaged by water.
Charles L. Frists morocco works on
Third street, damaged by smoke and
water.
The place which is now owned by
Tadman 4 Hickman is regarded as a hoo