Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-11-28

The freight aud storage warehouses
of the Charles Warner 90. :. extending
northwsrd from the Christiana River
frontsbetween Market and King streets
for a distance of about so feet, were
destroyed by fiie, together with their
contents, on Saturday night, entailing
. loss which may exceed $50, 600. The
fire evidently started in the King stI eet
end OF the building, but its origin is q
mystery. e. T. Warner, president OF
tine company, was unable, Monday morn
ing, to estimate either the loss or in.
eurauce, and he had no idea how the
fire started,
PatrolDisn Shields noticed smoke arts.
Ing from the King street de of the
storehouse and sent in an alarm from
the company g Office at HOS O'Clock.
Capt. James Mitchell, the company g
watchman, discovered the fire about
the same time and set about saving
books and papers used in the freight
business. He secured most Of them
excepting q receipt book, one of the
most important Of them all.
The fire had great Roadway before
the firemeu arrived. 1t consumed an
empty freight car which was standing
at the King street end of tha store
house and set fire to barge No. 8 of
the company's sand fleet, which was
tied to the wharf. James Glynn cut
the vessel loose, but derrick fell
across II and held it there Then the
tug Tarus began towing the barge away
from the wharf, but 10 miostream the
.towline burned through and the boat
was 10 danger of floating against others.
But the crew Of the tug again made fast
TO IT and put out the fire which had
destroyed the deokhouse. Tha steamers
John A. Warner and Ulrica, which
were tied up at King street wharf,
moved down the stream to avoid danger
from the sparks. The PHILADELPHIA &
Reading and the Baltimore Il Ohio
stations, together With other nearby
structures, were threatened by the
sparks, but the firsmen were able &c
prevent their spread beyond the Market
! and King street lines.
Meanwhile the fire had been burning
fercely in the storehouae, which con
tanned large quantities Of freight and
storage and proved hard proposition
for the tiremsn, who worked mosl
yaliantly under the direction of Chief
Engineer Welsh Even the Brandy
wine Fire Co., which has 10 engine,
was in service with a plug stream. The
heavy rain helped IN fighting the fire,
but Vt was o'clock before the flame
were under control, and the firemen re-
manned on duty until daylight. The
company's stables bad escaped destruc
tion, and the many horses therein were
removed to other stables. The fire
broke out again Sunday night, but mem
bers Of the Fame Co, after an hour
work, checked Ii again,
While Charles Patton was grooming
his way along tho wharf about mid
night Saturday, to get near the blazinf
barge. he slipped and iell overheard,
but was rescued by a man In rowboat
Patrick Russell, member of the
Weocaooe 90. fell from a wagon anG
sprained his ankle. He was removed
to his home, Second aud Madison
streets, in the Phoenix ambulance.
The burned buildings and portion
oil their contents were covered BY ia
surance held by the Charles Warner
90, In some instances. goods STORED
there were insured by the owners. The
Warner company lost about 3, 600 bar
rels OF cement, oaloine, kalsomine ant
other plasters. Much of Saturday ;,
freight had been delivered or shipped
The company will rebuild as soon al
possible. but will be much delayed ii
handling some pats of it's business
such as the sand business, in which
elevators were used for loading vessels
for the elevators were destroyed.
business competitors cams to tn
assistance Of the Warner company
which gives acknowledgment to then
and to the firemen in the following
statement:
We beg 10 tender our thanks to Messrs
George W. Bush d Sons Co. and to the WI
nington Steamboat 90. for the offer of thei
.wharves in order to enable us to confirm
our business without inconvenience. mi
offer of our competitors in business is high
appreciated,
We also tender our sincere thanks to th
Fire Department for their prompt respons
to the fire call, and for their energetic an,
persistent efforts to save the property.
Charles Warner 90.