The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-08
Flames Were So Hot that
a Boiler Explosion was
Feared. Excellent
Work of the
Firemen.
SCENES DURING The NIGHT.

wore many brave acts on the part of the
fire fighters but none resulted In fatality
The fire broke out at 10 25 clock, a time
when tho streets were almost deserted.
Lewis j. Thompson who occupies the ad.
joining dwelling discovered it and as the
key to the alarm box No. 2l2 at Third and
Tatnall streets could not be secured. West
ern Union Messengers Warren md Croft,
who had subsequently been attracted by
the glare hurried to tho Fame engine
house. a square distant
The company was at the scene before the
first alarm had been sent in, and had IA
we'll directed stream playing on the boiler
house of tho plant whore the flames orig!-
mated.
This structure was of two stories and
when the first alarm companies arrived
the flames wero lcaping from it to tho
three story building adjoining. The lurid
glare and the excitement caused by tho re.
spondiEg companies drew five thousand
People to tho place but they did not inter
fere with the fire fighters. Tho police had
ropcd off the streets and big blue coats
kept back tho crowds that attempted TO
reach the building through alleys running
off Orange and Third streets.
The Orange street crowd was the oasics t
to handle Notwithstanding the fact TINT
it.was the larger. Through the alley WY
the fire appeared hottest, and then 1t
seemed as II the flames had finished It's
work on the boiler house, roaring noise
added to tho excitement. Clouds OF steam
waftod hpavenward, and as II TO sound u
motto of warning the whistle on the boiler
footed load and continuously. Firemcn
who were near tho burning boiler room
had, in some way, opened the exhaust
pipes and the stream was making its es.
cape, thereby preventing an explosion of
the large boiler which had been feared by
tho tiremen as soon as they reached the
scene.
The footing of the whistle caused the
stampede of the crowd from the Orange
street side and the police had no further
trouble during the night.
The fire spread rapidly. From the L.
struc ure it alto its way through the build.
ing and into the main Ave story structure
fronting on Fourth street. Herein was he
valuable machinery, oily ides and greasy
wood work, just tho food for flames.
From cellar to cellar the fire leaped and
within ten minutes after the second alarm
had been sounded, tongues Of fire were
shooting through the roof, lighting the
neghborhood almost as bright as day,
and showcring Oh the firemen ashes aud
cinders. Tho fire was in the rear of the
main structure, however which fact al
lowed Delaware trucklnen to raise ladders
to the roofs of the Fourth street properties
from which position streams were poured
into the soething furnace to better advan-
tage. Phoenix, Weccacoe, Friendship and
Waterwitch fremcn were there, but their
combined efforts had little effect for an
hour.
They had extinguishod the fire in tho
first and second floors but the third and
fourth floors were as full Of fire as they
had been during any timo of the night.
The streams from the Orange, Third
and Tatnali street engines were being
used in eytinguishing the fire in the l.
structure and prevented the spread of the
blaze to the factories of Charles f.. Fritz
a. Company, Benjamin f. Shaw Company
Wilmington Macaroni Works and +. +.
Slocomb e. Company, consequently it fell
to the lot of the Fourth street firomen to
extinguish the blaze in tho main struc-
ture That they did not have it under
control for over an hour was due to the
fact that the heavy shutters could not be
kept open The dense clouds of smoke
through which flames leaped made it i'm
possible tor men to ascend ladders, but
whom the flames had been driven back and
the smoke had turned its course one Of the
long ladders OF the Delaware Company
was raised against the side Of the building.
III an instant fireman was on it and
when he had reached the third story he
disappeared. Tho crash of ~ falling shut.
tor told that he had entered tho building
and hammered the piece from Its fastea.
ings He soon appeared at tho window he
entered and ordered line of hose which
was quickly raised and which brought the
fire under control so soon that the fifth
floor saw no moro fro. and fortunate for
the company tnnt it did not.
On the floor was stored many valuable
skins, only few OF which were destroyed
By the fire which had an hour before eaten
a path OF go by 90 feet through the rear
of tue building. Four streams were kept
on the third and fourth floors until 1880
o'clock when engines sounded Whistles
and all but ono withdrew. At 8 o'clock
the ruins were only smoulderng.
Chief Sasse directed tho work of the fire.
men. He had boon attending to military
duties early in tho evening and had an.
swercd the alarm in his regimentals. To
his work is wholly due the efficient work
OF his subordinatcs. He kept the frcmen
at safe distance from tho boiler and gly-
cerino casks which thrca enod to explode,
and received congratulations Oh his gcner.
III efficiency.
The loss on building and stock will reach
almost $50, 900, $50 0OO of the amount being
on the bnilding and machinery Messrs
Tadman and Hickman were at tho build
ing while the ircwas in progress and sue
cecded in getting out all their Office effects
which are slightly damaged by wator. The
insurance was all placed by L. A. Van
Trump.
The factory will be rebuilt, hut ho work
will not be started for several weeks.
THE SECOND FIRE.
The fire was the second one which has
destroyed the building. j. Pnrke Postles,
trading ns tho American Leather Com.
pany, lost heavily about four gears ago.
The building was then six stories high,
but the top ilGos was so completely burned
that i was never rebuilt. About u ycer
ago 4 m of TadmRn and Hickman took
1t and until las; night was blsJ on many