Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-16
DRlrEs FROM nED Br rIEE.
Total Destruction of ths House OF Freder-
ick Bartch, on the FAUX Road.

With the thermometer lowering |
around zero, Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick
Bartch and family, seven in all, were
forced to flee for their lives from their |
burning dwelling on the Faulk road, |
three and half miles from this city, |
about o'clock Thursday morning. They |
hadn't time to dress and save any |
clothing and left the house in their |
bare feet and with nothing hut their |
night clothes on. Two of them es-
capped by means of the stairway; the
rest by means of n window in the
second story. Mrs. Bartch, who is a
heavy woman, in attempting TO climb
ont window onto the porch roof,
slipped and fell to the ground, sustain
ing severe injury to her back. Her
| feet We're also frozen and she was UNI
able TO walk. The unfortunate family
was kindly received at the house of l..
p. Beecher, which lies just across the
road.
Mr.. Bartch is German, who has
gained reputation for industry in his
10 or 20 years residence in this coun-
try. Soon after he came here, he
secured employment at the Clymer car
riage body factory at Third and Orange
streets, where he was carriage part
maker and where he remained until
Just about two years ago. Some years
before that he had purchased the farm
which he now occupies on the Faux
road. This farm is about mile and u
half from the Blue Ball, and has borne
the name of Cedar Lane. DIR. j, Nj.
c. Cardeza, now of Claymont, formerly
owned it and sold it to Maria Jordan,
from whom it passed into the hands of
William Il. Derrickson. Mr.. Bartch
purchased ii from Mr.. Derrickson and
it lies opposite the Derrickson home
stead place While Mr., Bartch worked
here his sons ran the farm. They also
have milk route. The dwelling house
i stood possibly I'D yards from the road
and was two stories high, the front
, portion being Of frame and the rear of
! Mrs Bartch, their children. Theodore,
!. Oswald. William aud Ellen, and an
! adopted boy.
i Mr.. and Mrs Bartch were in town
4 "Wednesday, and while here, the husband
called at his old place of employment,
: the Clymer factory. He had brought
! several fine pieces of oak that he de,
: sired trimmed, and Mr.. Clymer allowed
/. him to trim them up himself. He took
occasion to say what prosperous veal
it had been for him and was in mos
r excellent spirits. The midnight fir,
must therefore have been sadly rud,
: awakening for him.
The eldest son, Theodore, was tn
- first TO learn that the house was afire
! All the family were asleep when he be
4 came alarmed by the odor of smoke AM
y n very brief investigation sutliced 1
u show that the lower part of the hous
Z was ahlaze. lie could hear the sashe
= falling He quietly alarmed the othe
y children and his parents. He aud on
y of his brothers were able to escape b
= the stairway, but tn fire had game
~ such headway that it was found adyisa
= BILE for tho others to get out in som
" other way. The children climbed on
- . second-story window and reached tn
- ground in safety, but attired only !
!, their sleeping garments. Mr.. and Mr..
~ Bartch were m the front of the hous,
liS and Theodore rushed TO the barn 10 9,
ny ladder for them Mrs. Hartc
~ climbed out OF the window but missy
~ y her foothold and was precipitated
~ the ground, sustaining such severe il
" inrieS that she hau TO be removed
uh the Beecher place in wagon, NJ
VI Bartch escaped without injury. III
~ ~ large farm bell was rung as an alarr
VI but with the exception OF Mr.. Beech
~ and his son, who were soon on L
~ scene, il was some time before ne
VI came. Nothing was saved from /
~ house except the parlor furniture. I
pie s fire is supposed to have started in I
e; kitchen.
W All the family went TO Mr.. Beecher
1T " where they were Hospitality received,
~, ~ The house which was worth SIT
ees to 5000 is reported to have been
ano sured, but Mr.. Barteh sustained
'hs large loss on money, watches and otl
articles which were consumed with