Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-12-19
A COSTLY BLAZE AT ELKTON
The Loss Estimated at Twenty
five Thousand Dollars.
FIRE RACED OVER FOUR HOURS
Several Blocks Threatened
With Destruction.
The Fire Broke Out in the Payne Building,
and Spread Rapidly Wilmington Was
Asked TO sead apparatus. Iiut the Re-
quest Was, COun.tr,nanded,

Elkton, Nd, was visited early Sun
day morning by destructive ire,
which ragged for over four hours on the
south side of Main strsst, in the bust
nses section, ana for . tima the entire
street for several blocks was threatened
with destruction. The fire broke out
about midoight, rs is suppog cd, in the
basement o. tbe Payne block, used as
stores and Offices and owned by Mrs
Hester s. Lewis. yhis building, to.
gether with the general store Of Charles
a. Healzig, On thu sasE, and J. Frank
Frazers drug .. rr, tn the %esc, we're
gutted' The FIRE etsaad with wonderful
rspidity. The SiHgery F'irs %. re-
sponded promptly and had several
streams playing ia the fire. but the
buildings we're soon mass of flames.
Inc wind was blowing gao rom the
south and ghe raia fell IN turrsHta At
one time Hhan the tife threatened to
sweep the entire street for blocks Mayor
George Mo9uilher tsesrHphed for aid
rom Wilmington The REQUEST how
essr was htterward couniermanded, as
tie iarai fremen, by heroic work, after
seyeta! hours got tho fire under control
AID confined u to the burning district.
i2y.or Wchennay. WHO fought hero
icaiIy fcr hours at lie risk o. his iife,
was severely burned shout too iace and
a.os. nne family OF j J. Minister,
consisting OF lis wife and five small
c6i,dren, who occupied q portion OF
.ho eecanti story of thu Payne block as
q residence, had retired for the night.
and we're carried from the burning
building In their night c,uthing. every
Particle of their wearing apparel and
household goods going m in smoke.
The office of the Eastern Shore Tele-
phone Co., OF the second floor of the
Payne block, was buried. Three switch
boards and all their raraphernalia we're
damaged Telephone communication
with nearby cities and towns was shut
off all day.
The total loss is estimated at s25, 900,
which is partly covered by insurance.
The losses are as follows Payne block,
owned by Mrs. Hester S. Lewis, "a, 900.
General store, owned by Charles A.
Heatzig, and stock, $500. O. L.
Payne, stock of millinery, $1,000. Office
OF Eastern Shore Telephone Co., loss
So, 600 j. j. Minister, stock OF Jewelry,
household guods and wearing apparel,
90, 500 j. Frank Frazer, drug store
and stock, 5000.
The building Of Edward W. Taylor,
used as livery office, WAS slightly
damaged, as was also some outbuild-
ings on the property of Or. John H.
lamar. The origin of the fire is I'M
known.
TuaBoAT IvANHoB BURNED.
The tngboat Iysnhoe, owned by the
Delaware Granite and Mining 90, and
used in the local harbor and on. the
Delaware River in connection with the
oompany's business, was burned to he
water q edge, at Lombard street VIVA (,
on the Brandy wine, Sunday night. The
origin of the fire is unknown. Tho
blaze was discovered about O'Clock
by member OF the Grew of the tug.
coat Pidgeon, which was alongside the
Ivanhoe, and thu PIdReop's whistle
gave the FIRST alarm. Shortly afterwarsl
howard Richards, wstohman ut tho
Diamond Ice Co. Is plant, turned in an
alarm from boz No. l13, at Thirteenth
and Lombard streets, which brought
out the district companies The FIRE
men had some trouble in reaching the
wharf, owing to the fact that some If
the streets in the neighborhood have
been torn up, preparatory 20 paving.
When the engines arrived the burning
boat was well out from her wharf and
il was impossible to get more than two
streams on the lire, but the firemen
confined the blaze TO the Ivanhoe
Some of the men worked on barges, but
the water froze and made the decks
slippery, which Handicapped the fire.
lighters The loss is estimated at be-
tween 50, and $4,000, partially
covered by insurance The Ivanhoe
formerly belonged in Charleston, S. o.,
but was purchased some time ago by
| the pr ssent owners.
During the fire the firemen were ably
assisted by the policemen on the dis
trict. officer Sheehy, who was one Of
the first to arrive, did excellent work in
warning the companies of the condition
of the streets and preventing accidents.
He sgnalled them With q lantern.
A match fell on lounge at the resi-
denoe of Angelo Terranova, SO Tatnall
street, Sunday morning, causing a
slight FIRE. ss