Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-05-08
TOWN ENDANGERED BY FIRE.
POST OFFICE, CHURCH AND STORES
IN VIENNA BURNED.
THE Loss Is ESTIMATED AT $4,000.
WHILE THE INSURANCE AMOUNTS
TO ONLY ABOUT $S.OOO-TowN NOT
FAR FROM STAFFORD.

WHILE TINE INSURANCE AMOUNTS
TO ONLY ABOUT sS.OOO-TowN NOT
FAR FROM sEAFoRD.
Vienna Nd, May S.-About 13O O'Clock
Saturday morning fire broke out In the
post Office In Vienna, Dorchester county,
and spread so rapidly that the whole
town was endangered and the greatest
alarm prevailed among the inhabitants
who were aroused from their slumbers
by the occurrence. The post office In a
public hall. the Methodist Protestant
Church and two stores were destroyed
while several other buildings were dam
aged. The total loss is estimated at
about $4,000 and insurance 5000.
The post office where the fire began,
was located In Derley Hall. which WAS
soon wrapped in flames, and the fire was
communicated to the barge store OF Webb
Bros, and almost as quickly shot across
the street to a large fine Methodist Prot
estant Church. From there II communl.
Gated to a small store on tho same side
of Church street and within a space OF
ten minutes all four buildings were a
roaring furnace. There being no modern
way Of fighting the fire, the bucket bri-
gade had to use its best efforts The
flames crossed Back street to the resi-
dence Of James A. Higgins. Part OF the
roof OF this house was burned on the
west, and on the east the Protestant
Episcopal Church and the residence Of
James S. Smith were both on fire.
The burning Of the steeple OF the Meth
odist Protestant Church was a grand
sight. The steeple was eighty feet high
and the flames played up its side until
the entire steeple was all aglow high up
in the air. This pillar OF fire remained
stationary for a while, then fell with a
crash.
The fire fighters separated into two
squads. one taking the east and one the
west end Of the blaze. From O'Clock
until 7.SO a. m. the battle was waged .to
save the town from destruction and only
from the fact that It was a calm night
were the efforts successful. A force
pump was taken from the canning fac.
| tory of James A. Webb and worked from
a barrel with about thirty feet of garden
hose apd did very effective work Tn,
saving Of the Episcopal Church was at.
| tributed to this agency.
Many large trees which have just pu
out their foliage helped to save the ad
joining property from destruction. Any
one looking over the scene can hardly i'm
agine how the adjoining property was
saved. To give an idea Of how hot q
was. the drug store Of e. p. Gullett wal
just across the street from the largi
store Of Webb Bros, and d was so no
that a whisk broom hanging in the show
window was burned to a crisp and tn
handles of knives and forks melted from
the heat, and yet the building was saved
The following buildings We're destroyed
|. Derley Hall, owned by James "A. Hig
gins & Son, loss $3.50, Insurance $1,000.
Webb Bros old grocery store. loss 81,
600.
r webb Bros large store, loss on buili
Z ing 5000 insurance, $3.50.
Webb Bros stock OF goods, $1,000: in
surance. $1,000
, Webb Bros office and warehouse: los
$50; insurance 800.
Methodist Protestant Church loss. S.
900, Insurance $1,000 The church ha
Z been insured for 5000. but the pollcie
lapsed
The post office, in Derley Hall. was
D total loss. The mails were burned an
5 some money in the safe lost. The pos
office Is opened temporarily In the j. II
/ Star building. J. ~ Lecompte also ma
a butcher shop In the same building. a
G did also James A. Outten a barber shoI
The cause of the fire is unknown, but
r is believed to have been the work Of
strange tramp, who is suspected of rot
; bing the post office and then setting fir
h to the building. The tramp was see
T. lettering about the post office and afte
I the fire broke out he was seen going tC
( ward the river, where he paid the ferry
= man a dollar to get him across. a part
= OF men followed the stranger out
!. town as far as Mardela Springs and the
( lost him. The ferryman told the tran,
of the burning Of Deimar Friday nigh
n and he said the town ought to have burn
e ed and some more of them would bur
D soon. Vienna is a town Of 500 mhab
tants, situated on Nantlcoke river.
Dorchester county. 1t Is closely bul
and all the houses are Of wood The tow
has not had fire since 1869 until tn
one. Telegrams were sent to SallsbuI
for the fire department, but on aocoul
Of the fire at Delmar the lines were NJ
y. open. 1t is thought the citizens will no
= get together and purchase a hand engn
The town is not incorporated The ar
both of Delmar and Vienna were seen
Salisbury.
The destruction of Webbs large sto
leaves the place with only one grocei
he store. and had the flames reached tn
Df one the people would have been IN wa
IT OF provisions. ]. W. T. Webb & Bro. W
Vi rebuild as soon as the Insurance Is a
ig iusted, as will also James A. Hlggir
Ie who owned Derley Han. It is thoug
t, the Methodist Protestant Church viii n
I. be rebuilt. eT