The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-11
FIRE BURNED
MUCH STOCK.
Farmer Edw. Woodward
Loses $4,000 by An
Incendiary's Fiend-
iSh Act.


burners who early yesterday morn
ing applied a match to a fodder
stack on the farm OF Edward Wood
ward, three miles from this city. on
the Brandywine Springs Road, has
certainly been satisfied, three
horses, three mules, one colt, ten
cows and three calves having been
burned to death as result of his
devilish act. Beside the shocking
sacrifice of dumb beasts life, the fire
destroyed the large barn and its
contents of provcnder and farming
utensils. 1t was the most disas-
trous fire any New Castle county
farmer has ever been visited by and
such one as will therefore lead
the farmers of this section to guard
most zealously against those tiends
in human form who are Just now
taking delight in the destruction of
beast life and of farm property,
The Woodward farm is one Of the
largest as we'll as most profitable
one in this county. 1t is situated
directly on the Brandywine Springs
road. The dwelling. substantial
stone structure, a frame wagon
house, and a double-decker barn,
with Il silo, cistern and wagon shed
adjoining, constituted the buildings
on the property. Today the only
buildings standing are the dwelling
and the carriaur hollSa
The barn was 45x6O feet in size.
Its walls were of stone. The silo
house was about 20 feet square,
while the cistern shed was of SINH
lar proportions. The wagon shed
ran the length of the barn. In the
barn were twenty three cows, be-
side three calves, the horses, mules
and pigs above referred to, 500
bushels of oats, fifty bushels of
wheat. $50 bushels of corn, 100 tons
OF hay, fodder from twenty-siX acres
of land, much harness and many
farming implements, including an
improved thrashing machine. In
the wagon shed were several wagons
and in the silo, much fodder. All
of this stock with the exception of
ten COWS. and the contents OF the
barn and wagon shed mentioned,
were destroyed by the fire.
The fire was discovered about 3
clock by the entire Woodward
family simultaneously. At that
hour the glare of flames lighted the
house as brightly as could have
been the monday sun. Every men,
Der of the home was running to-
ward the burning barn which by
the way was about one hundred
feet from the dwelling; a second
later; John Woodward, a nephew
of the owner of the property, was
the first to reach the burning build
ing. He wore no shoes, neither was
he provided with sufficient clothing
to protect his body from the coldncss
of the night. the thought Of thirty
nine dumb beasts in a pen of fire
was such as to demand his efforts
of rescue in the least possible time.
And so he ran to the south end of
the burning barn, unlocked the
door in shorter time than he had
ever before done, and began the
work of rescue. Thirteen coNs
which were chained at that end of
the burning barn were driven out
in safety.
Then brave John Woodward re-
turned to save the lives of the bal
ancc of the live stock in the burn.
ing building. But he was unsuc-
cessful, the flames which found ex-
celcnt food in the hay and other
intlammable material in the loft Of
the barn having eaten their way to
the ground floor of the building and
completely penned in the three
horses, three mules, colt, ten COWS,
three calves and six pigs that re-
mained. The neighing of the horses
and the believing of the COWS were
John Woodward as
though determined to rescue more
of the stock. drew near the pen of
death. but the flames fought him
the harder. Then he turned to
leave the building. Flames were
lcaping from every quarter Of the
big structure and the flight from the
building was race for hut
man life. John Woodward won,
but he bears extremely, painful
marks of the fire today as evidences !
Of his narrow escape from death in
the flames. HIS hair is singed. his
ears, arms and legs are so badly
burned that the skin is hanging in
shreds. DR.. Finn Of this city, is
his physician.
While John Woodward was max
ng superhuman efforts to drive out !
he cattle from the western end of
he building. Edward Woodward |
vas making strenuouse Efforts toopen
he doors in the southern end OF the
structure at which portion of the
was stabbed the horses
md mules. These doors were fas-
cned from the inside, but they
would have been opened had hot
he flames compelled this second
orave man to retreat from his life
saving purpose. The flames swept
oward the western end of the barn
Irving the imprisoned horses,
mules and COWS with them, and
when the flames had exhausted
heir fury, roasted flesh and pow
Tered bones lay in one great heap
II the extreme western end of the
burned barn.
But not only did Edward and
ohm Woodward render heroic SER
ice at this most terrible conflagra-
ion. While they were caring for
he live stock as best they could, !
he women of the home were bravely |
the flames in the wagon
he'd and silo. They succeeded in
.etting out all the carriages and
ONE fodder, then retired to allow
he fire to delight itself in feasting
pon the dry wood which formed
he small buildings and which made
hem veritable finder boxes. Many
OF the surrounding country
we're witnesses to the terrible de-
truction, but they could do moth
ng. The only supply of water
bout the premises was in the cis-