The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-27
THE FIRE AT
LAUREL.
Insurance Rates S. on the
Hundred. Risks Con.
Z sidered Big at
This Pre-
MUM. =

DR.. Fowler. Insurance Commissioner.
whose residence md its contents were con.
sumed In the fire which took place at
Laurel early Saturday morning. said he
was awakened about midnight by tho CRY
Of fire and when he arose from his
slumbes and dressed, dense smoke only
by A. ]. Kersey. The first floor was oocu-
| pied a. pool room by j. ], Laramsr,
1 while the second floor had been rented
lately to a party who conducted a,oard
room. This 10 whore thu fire is thought
to have started during quarrel over
game Of cards.
1t Is supposed that during the fracas 4
|. lamp WAS overturned which set fire to the
frame structure. 1t was located In the
business portion of the town aud owing to
inadequate fire protection aud lack of
water facilities that tho fire got under suoh
Roadway that In a few hours Il had con.
surned three blocks Of the most prosper
GUS portion of tho town,
DR.. Fowler's residence situated on Gen.
trail Avenue was nearly the last building
to he licked up by the elements. He and
hts family succeeded in saving hundreds
of his books and his insurance papers, but
very few articles Of household goods and
wearing apparel. All Of the doctors
clothing with the exception Of the suit hc
ia now wearing being consumed in the
fire
Albert Bacon, halt dressed, turnel out
and helped fight the fro and while engage
ed In saving bis neighbors property his
house was burned to the ground. His
wife sIccesded In saving few personal ef-
fects in hand bag. Kind neighbors pro-
vided Mr.. Bacon with pair Of shoes.
DR. Fowler had 81 400 Insurance on bis
dwelling but nothing on the con tents, In
tho Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
of this city.
Mr.. York the engineer from Baltimore.
who has charge Of he construction of the
new water works said two inch s.rsam
at the commencement Of tho fire would
have been sufficient to have gotten
II under control and cOnflnsl the flames
to the structure whore It started
The cost of tho fire which has caused so
much damage to The cltiZens of Laurel
would have provided dozen water works
and maintained steam fire engine for
decade.
1t is tho old -tlmed economy exemplflsd
penny wise ond pound foolish The
town was without proper fro facilities,
There was nothing whatever excopt u de-
lapidated old hand engine to fight tho
flames with, that held about u barrel of
wafer. bill was introduced in the Leg
stature four yenrs ago and was defeated
by William L Records Daniel j Fooks,
John Wilson, E. c. Horsey. Charles HAITI
lHESi anu ~. "OlI, F6tluent0
and property owners In Laurel aud sew
eral Of whom bad their properties Destroy
Cd Last winner the g men went to Dover,
and tried their hardest to defeat tho bill
which was pissed in spite of them and
which work was going OH at the time OF
the fire.
70 some paying $4,000 for a water sys-
tenn the citizens of Laurel lost nearly half
a million dollars worth of property, house,
hold goods and clothing
Today there are 81 families rendered
homeless aud sixty business houses and
offices destroyed, besides some two dozen
grannrie3 aud barns.
An Evans and Watson safc that stood In
Mr.. W. w. Ensheil's residence, WAS lyino
in front Of the burned house in dcapi-
dated condition. tho fire having eaten
through every part of iJ. making 1t q
wreck fits one-timed safe place to put
valuables In. 1t WIS disgrace to tho
makers name which 1t bore.
The post Office being devoured by the
elements, George Smith, tho postmaster,
has set up the postoilice fixtures which
on Central Avenue.
A large Marvin safe that stood In ID j!
Fooks' office was opened Monday after
noon and the contents found to be Intact
and in good condition. 1~-t
Several franc structures were being
bfcCteu SMpOrhrlly ny lne lDllOWlNy poc.
sons, Mr.. Johnson of the Laurel hotel;
and j. T. Hawley. while lumber was be-
Ing hauled on the ground for several other
ono story buildings. Men were Mt work
clearing away the debris at different
places preparatory to getting roadp to re-
build. The town has certainly received
black eye that will take years to recover
rom. The loss being so large few persons
carrying insurance OH their properties oW-
ng TO the hign Insurance rates. ~
Che Sussex Countan Office was In dis.
order owing to the preparations made to
nOvo out II it had become necessary. A
larber shop temporarily occupied ons side
If the Office. Editor Kpnney was found al
lis desk looking very II tle the worse foi
he fright which he had gone through,
With his typos working away setting up
he type for this weeks issue.
The fire made little effect upon the brick
walls of tho Sus, OK Trust Title and Safe
Deposit Company which are standing in
act Everything In the vaults are safe.
An expert locksmith will open the doors
or the company. Business is being con-
luc: od In Rodney's store pending the re-
building Of the bank. The concensus Of
opinion Is that tho burned bulldingS
hould be rebuilt with brick. The lossoA
# sUlne property owners are such that %.
hey 40 not have the money to rebuild
With, their all being swebtered away BY
he fire. q