The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-19
CANDY SHOP
9 BURNED OUT.

| A diSa,terous fire 6ntalitnS the
loss OF about $40, 300 was discover
ed about + o'clock this morning in
the cellar OF the building No, I'll
Market street, owned BY Allen IL.
A'nscow.
The person who struck the alarm
from box No. 7 is not known as the
box is not a key box and that same
person does not think enoush oil his
| act to come forward and give his
name. 1t is supposed that some
one who was going to work dlscov-
cred the fire and turned in the
alarm.
The first floor is occupied by c.
Meras. a Greek, as candy store.
The front Of the second and the
third floors bv the Mercantile Club.
The back o. the second floor is
used by Meras as a candy shop.
The back of the first floor was for
long time occupied by the New
Era publishing company, later by
Meras as storage place. Allen
Harting was gong to occupy the
, building on March 18th and had a
part OF his things moved in yester-
day afternoon.
At the time the fire was discover.
ed Nicholas Zohnackes. George
Petos and Gregorus Meras were
asleep on the second floor and were
awakened by the loud pounding on
the door. Smelling smoke they hur-
riedly douned their clothing and
made their escape from the build
ing by the way OF the roof. They
did not stop to look for any other
way OF escape.
c. Mcras the proprietor of the
candy shop is at the present time
in the ospital of DR.. Ebert and
Stevens suffering with stomach
trouble, aud has been there for sew
eral weeks.
They are several 'conjectures as
to how the fire started but Chief OF
the Fire Department WEIGH says
that it started just above the boil
er and the flames crept along the
raftcrs and ate hole about 3 by z
feet in the floor back Of the candy
counter aud on the opposite side
from the heater.
The FIRE went up between the par
titions and ate through the ceiling
OF the first floor and The wallsof the
second The new piano OF the Mer-
chantile Club stood directly over
the place where the fire was burn.
ing, and consequently damage d TO
the extent of about 500. The Mer-
chantlle boys had just taken out an
insurance on the piano in the Lup-
ton Insurance Company and will
not therefore loose anything. Ths
damage done to the Club room WILL
amount 10 500.
Merass loss to the stock and fix
lures will reach close to S., 600 and
is fully covered by insurance. Mr..
Ainscow s loss is about the same
amount and is covered by insurance
by Hawkins aud Company.
In the store the floor is covered
with crushed candies, broken glass
mud and water which presents a
very ugly appearance. The plate
glass IN the big bulk window is
broken. ~ large;plate looking glass
is broken together with many
smaller ones; show cases are brok-
en- and the glass on the cash regis
ter was broken.
From the shelves streams OF
melted candy continued to run
down upon the floor
The cellar is filled with boxes and
barrels and rubbish and the water
from the hose running down into
the cellar started the boxes and
barrels floating around.
The chief and his assistants we're
in the cellar searching for sewer
which would let the water out and
had gone to the extreme part Of the
cellar in search of an iron bar with
which 10 open the sewer, when
sparks fell down in front of him.
He called one of his assistants and
they found the fire and Immediate
iy began to dash buckets OF water
upon it to such an extent that 1t
was soon dispatched.
To REPUBLICAN reporter. Mr..
Ainscow said, II cannot imagine
how the fire started except that
some paper must have been
thoushtlessly thrown on the boiler
and had become overheated and
ignited and communicated to the
raiters. MI. Meras is a very care
full man aud allows nothing to be
thrown around carelessly. butsince
he has been sick nothing has been
kept in order. as everything is
when they have no leader. l am
very sorry that the fire has occurred
but am also glad that the man
had his stock and fixtures insured
as | would not want anyone to
lose anything by fire. would
have come down when the fire start
ed had | been notified and l could
have been of materia, help" The
last spark had disappeared at 9
o'clock.