The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-11

of alwell filled and comparatively
good barn. They stood in strong
silhouette against the leaden sky,
mute invitations to people who
travelled the road to stop and view
the work that fire had wrought.
And many people stopped. Farmers
who had heard of their neighbor S
| great loss or who had seen the
mornings fire, were there by the
dozens. Many people from this city
drove out and not few brought into
requisition the cars of the Whining
ton and Brandywine Springs Com
pany as a means for reaching the
scene. All found within the walls
a composite mass of flesh and bone,
ashes and warped iron, the latter
the remnant of farm wagons and
farming implements. Every one eX-
pressed horror at the sight of the
charred remains of the cows and
horses, and not a few uttered ex-
pressions of contempt against the
man or men who had committed
such damnable deed. Express
sions of sympathy were also offered
Farmer Woodward.
THE wooDwARDs TALK,
Both Edward and John Wood
ward talked when approached by
the reporter of the REPUBLICAN.
Edward said that when he reached
the burning barn the flames were
eating their way into the eastern
end Of the building. A fodder stack
which almost adjoined the road,
and which was within ten feet of
the barn, was ablaze. Mr.. Wood
ward believed that this stack had
been fired, but by whom or for what
reasons, were unknown to him.
John Woodward differed with his
uncle concerning the location of the
fire at its outset. He said the
flames seemed to leap from every
corner of the barn. The fodder
stack and the western end of the
barn were ablaze, but flames were
likewise leaping from the eastern
end OF the structure. John was OF
the opinion that the barn had been
fired from perhaps half a dozen
places. He said he had been in
Wilmington Saturday evening on
business and that he had returned
home about midnight. He stabbed
his horse and locked up the barn
Tor the night. At that time he saw
no one about the premises or met
no one on the road. He took no fire
into the building with him and he
is therefore satisfied that the most
destructive blaze was caused by an
incendiarv.
While Mr.. Woodward lost nearly
all his possessions in the fire, he
has something to be thankful for.
Two weeks ago the barn contained
$50 bushels of wheat but he found a
market for 400 bushels of the grain
and he has just that much money to
the good. Saturday evening, Mr..
Woodward loaned one of his driving
horses to friend, William Fredcr-
ick, who occupies a nearby farm.
The animal was returned yester-
day afternoon and is the only horse
Mr.. Woodward now owns. The
only property saved from the fire
was two carriages, hay teddcr, a
binder and the thirteen cows.
LOSS WILL REACH $4,000.
The loss on the barn, the contents
and the stock will total almost $l0,-
600. This is only an estimate, how
ever. Mr.. Westward having de-
sclihed, to make public his alosss
>'sioneean say that l am insured
fairly well in the Mil Creek Mutual
Insurance Company" he said.
FIREBUGs HAVE MARKED wooDwARDs.
The Woodward family seems to
be marked by frebugs. About
twenty y-one years ago the barn on j
the farm of Aaron Woodward, Ed
ward brother, on the Ferris In
dustrial School road, was destroyed
together with much stock and grain.
In 1881, nineteen years ago, the
barn on the farm of Edward Wood
ward was fired for the first time.
In that fire Mr.. Woodward suffered
a heavy loss. He rebuilt an even
larger and more substantial barn,
however, and it was this structure
which was reduced to ashes early
yesterday morning.
''Will you rebuild again, asked
the reporter of the man whom fate
seemed to be against.
Il cannot say at this time. l
have had much to contend with dur
the past nineteen years. but you
know some men can stand mistor-
tune better than others he con-
cludcd with an apparent lightness
Of heart