The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-05
bLUMENTHAL PLAN 7
Loses 100000.
Fire Visits the Factory and 0b|itefates
the Reed Street Building.
A BIG CONFEDERATION.
Fire Has Its Origin in the Oiing off Room and Soon
Spreads Throughout the Building. Fremen
Keep fire in the Building where it Originated,
Thereby Saving the Company Half Million Dol
lars Loss
GALL ANT VOLUNTEER FIRE. LADIES,

Wilmington firemen were
given lots of hard work lasl
evening, when the big Reed
Street factory of +. Blumen-
thai g. Company, morocco
manufacturers, was partially
destroyed. Tie blaze broke
out about 9 o'clock, an hour
when many residents of the
neighborhood were preparing
to retire, they were aroused by
a mans frantic cries Of alarm,
a dozen families in the little
dwellings on Chestnut St. ran
from their houses. to 6nd their
lives and homes in peril Long
tongues OF flame, seemingly
greedy for more prey, leaped
toward The adjoining buildings
OF the morocco company and
toward the houses.
An hour before this great
torch, that Illuminated miles Of
sky, had been a solid three
story briok building. 1t occu-
pied l75 by 90 feet of ground,
connecting it Oh the Monroe
street side is a Il shaped struc.
ture, lG0xo0 teet, extending to
Reed streets, With a north
easterIy wind whipping the
flames toward this portion OF
the structure aud t1Ward the
Reed street houses. it seemed
certain that they would DO en-
quilted.
From the first it was plain
that the task Of s wing the mo.
rocco building was hopeless.
So the liremen did their
best to prevent a spread out,
tins they accomplished.
THE FIRE BREAKS OUT.
Watcllmen McGovjrn and
Wigglesworth were down in
tie engine room of the big
plant at $50 o'clock, but there
was no fire there at that time.
They returned: to the well 25
minutes later, when great shafts
of red lights fell upon the build
ings adjoinings. The men rdn
out Of tie building. looked up
and boEeld the top fl ,or OF the
drying out department ab!azH.
They hurried to box No. II
at Lancaster avenue and Mon.
RE street aMd sent IN all alarm.
Upon the arrival ofCllifes Sasse
and looking upon the fire as a
most extensive one, he sent ia
second and general alarm.
From all rarts OF the city the
fire companies came, followed
by q throHg of people.
Dire was the outlook wien
tue firemon began work. The
first l.ose at ached to a fire
plug at Lancaster Avenue and
Adams street gave out q weak
stream that did not reach high.
er than tho second story of
the building. Then tho en-
gines pumped Gt to tear them
apart, and the water came with
greater force.
When tile engines arrived
the flames were darting through
the roof of the building. The
fire was then in the drying out
department. 10000 dozen mo-
rocco skins were located in this
department. This represents
the output of the BlumenthaI
plant for one day. The flames
swept through the drying de-
partment, completely destroy
ing the skins.
At 10 O'Clock the entire
Reed street factory with the Elk.
ception of one wing fronting on
Monroe street was q seething
mass Of flames. Thousands OF
people viewed the con.
fagration from the streets and
the neishboring house tops. In
turn the oiling, shaving, color
ing and putting out depart
ments wers gutted. The flames
we're quick to spread and with
each passing minute seemed
to gain force.
New machinery valued at
$4,000 was ruined on the
ancnnd Hoor of tho fociorv