Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-21
NERAS CANDYSTORE BURNED
Lively Blaze at No. I'll Market
Street Tuesday Morning.
DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $4,000

DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT $1,000
Looks Like Work of Incen-
diaries, Says Chief Welsh.
Mysterious Fire in Market street Build
ing which Puzzles Firemen and Police
men-occupants Have Marrow Escapes
Mercantile Clubs Quarters Badly DAM
aged.
The candy store Of Constantine
Meras, No. I'll Market street, was
Quilted by fire about O'Clock Tuesday
morning, causing damage estimated ct
Is, 900 on the stock, fixtures and build.
ing. Chief Engineer John p. Welsh
Of the Fire Department has suspicion
that the fire was started by incen-
diaries, for II appears to have begun in
two different parts uf the cellar and
when the chief went to the Shipley
street end of the building, he found a
door open which led to the cellar. He
drew Police Captain Kane's attention
to the circumstance. Three men, who
were asleep on the second floor, we're
aroused by SMOKE and got out safely.
Allen II. Ainsouw Is the owner OF the
building, and it is tenanted by Meras,
who has the store and rooms on the
rear Of the.second floor; the Mercantile
Club, which has the second and third
floors front, and Alfred Harting, the
painter, who began moving in at the
Shipley street end Monday.
Who struck the alarm is not known
to the police, As general thing, the
police have no difficulty In finding out
this point, but diligent inquiry has
failed to disclose the person in this
case. The alarm was sent In from box
No. Z, in front of sthe Grand Opera
House, about two minutes of 6 O'Clock.
Chief Engineer Welsh aud Assistants
Wiley and Palfrey, and the Friendship,
Water Witch, Washington, Phoenix and
Delaware companies responded. The
fire had been burning for some time
and had gained strong hold on the
woodwork In the cellar, ard although
Chief Welsh tried TO stop it's spread
with simply the chemical apparatus,
in order to save the store from damage,
he found 1t necessary to order the
engine companies to throw water on il.
Even then the fife proved stubborn.
NobAbLh WYNN w lNNhNDlhhlEfs
An investigation Of the conditions in
the cellar indicates that the blaze
started in two places; near the front
OF the store, on the lower side, in a
quantity of rubbish, soms distance
from the heater, and near the rear OF
the store Oh the upper side, close to n
boiler, yet the boiler was 20 built that
Chief Welsh hardly thinks that the
fire came from Ut. From the two points
thus indicated the fire ate by way oil
the walls and partitions to the store.
There it damaged the fixtures on the
south side and made mess OF the
great variety Of candy which stocked
the shelves and counters. Here {
mirror was cracked, and the Jars o.
candy were wrecked. In one place, th,
cash register, showing 81 as the las
sale, bad its glass broken; at another
show case containing peanut britt,
had its glass fractured. Candy spilled
from the counters to the floor and wa,
trampled into the flood Of water. From
the walls and ceiling the paper peale,
or hung In shattered bits. The sod
water fountain, although not in th
path of the fire, looked gloomy from
smoke. Holes were cut in the Hoo
through which the firemen directe,
streams, -r-s s
From the store, the flames pasted u
to the second floor, eating into th
woodwork on both sides of the Mercan
tile Clubs parlor. The carpet and wal
paper were damaged. The clubs plan
stood against the rear wall of th
room, and the flames which came II
the partition began eating into th
instrument.
OCCUPANTS NARROW ESCAPE
About the middle Of the second foe
Nicholas Johnaokers, Gregorus Mera
and George Fetos, employees of th
candyman, have their sleeping quai
tiers, About this time the fireme
reached the building, the smoke ha
penetrated to their room and awakene
them. They did not take time to dret
thoroughly, and finding the hall full I
smoke did not attempt to come dow
stairs, but made their escape by
window to the roof Of house adjoir
ing, and were afterwards supplied wit
articles TO complete their toilet. Mera
the proprietor, has been i'll with ga
tritis for several weeks, spending son
time in the Delaware Hospital, an
being now under the care of ID
Stevens at Tenth and French street
The news OF the fire put him in
nervous condition.
In the rear of the second floor is Il
candymaking department of the sto
and here numerous sweets were
course OF manufacture. The fire d
not get into the room, but the smol
did. Five persons have been employ,
in this department.
The room of the Mercantile Club
the third floor sustained some DANA
from the flames which had follow,
the woodwork clear from the cell
nearly to the roof.
GOOD WORK OF FIREMEN AND PoLICEMl
It was about O'Clock when the f
was brought under control. Order "
preserved at the scene by Capt. Ksr
Sergeant Kelleher, Sergeant TuoR,
Sergeant Bayley, and Officers Villa
Ward, Ford, Wintrup, Hutton, N
Ateer and Solomon. The good wo
of the firemen and policemen was
matter OF comment. After the fire b
been subdued, the thousands Of gallo
of water which had been thrown IL
the cellar were released through
sewer connection.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Mr.. Ainscow. the owner of the bui
ing, has it insured for $4,000 in I
Continental Fire Insurance @
through Hawkins &c Co. Mr.. Me
reports his insurance on stock aud {
lures as 5000. The Mercantile OF
has its effects insured through X.
Lupton & Co. The greatest loss "
fall upon Merae for his stock q