The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-28
whole TOWN NEARLY
DESTROYED BY FIRE.

Mrs. l.. A. Kerr. residence. 800;
commodious lodge rooms in the
Elliott building quartering the
Knights Of Pythias. Improved Order
Of Red Men, Junior Mechanics.
Ancie ie nt Order United Workmen
and the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen we're destroyed with al
their effects aud paraphernalial
J. l.. Ellis. S. N. Culver and G. l..
Hastings lost great deal Of mer.
chandise by writer, which the Y had
saved from the fire. i.
Other residences destroyed are:
Collier, J. S. Lowe. Charles Hast
ings. W, B Sirman. Samuel Wellin,
Burton Culver, A. H. Bacon, Mrs.
Lea, W. S. Henry, Ralph B. Ellis.
Other business houses that are a
total loss are those OF George
Gordy, A. c. Brown. W. J. Hayman
aud II. e. Lowe.
Another correspondent thus de-
scribes the fire:
Laurel, Del. Oct. 26.-At noon
today when the railroad crews
made their shifts, Delmar. seven
mile. south Of Laurel, was one OF
the prcttiest town in the country.
The popul alton is composed exclu-
sive, Of railroad men who make
good money and there are over
fourteen hundred OF them. Each
Wed with his nelghbor az to which
shoule have the prettiest home.
Tonight the whole Of the Delaware
aide oi Delmar, excepting fifteen
houses. is in runs. the burning em-
bers only remaining, seemingly to
make more miserable tae suffering
OF the homeless. OF whom there are
over three hundred. Sixty DWELL
iugs and stores. besides scores ol
warehouses, barns and outbuild-
ings are in ruins. The town was
without protection against fire, ex.
cept that offered by the railroad
companies.
| At , o'clock this afternoon the
sta bles Of Ex.Speaker William l..
Sirman, caught fire. The flames
seemed toleap IN dozen directions.
They were famed by heavy south
erly wind. Most Of the buildings
we're frame and burned quickly.
The heat was intense. The loss is
estimated at 500 900.
LOCAL FIREMEN DIDN'T GO.
A telephone message iron Smvrna
was received at the police station
to the effect that the mayor Of Del
mar appealed 10 Wilmington for
Whining ton for help to subdue a
big fire, Two blocks in that town
had already been licked up by the
flames. and one Of the buildings to
go was the telegraph Office. Ac-
cordngly the call could not be
made direct. Special Officer SchelI
was at the telephone when the ca,l
for help came and he at once COM
muaicated with Chief Welsh who
detailed the Phoenix and Fame
companies to proceed to Delmar.
In an incredibly short time after
the call for aid the engines and
hose carriages were at the railroad
station in readiness to be loaded.
"A special train composed OF en-
gine. two fiat cars aud a pasaen-
ger coach in charge Of Enginee1 i
Clarence Waters and Conductor
john lsster. hastily made up aud
run in on the siding.
BY this time the ma jority Of the
Gremen were on the scene and the
loading OF the apparatus occupied
but short time.
| At this juncture Chief Welsh re-
ceived another message from the
mayor Of Dclmar 10 the effectthat
the flames were under control and
as fire company from Salisbury,
Md, was on the scene aud fighting
the flames, no more help was
needed.
Accordingly the train which had
pulled out on the main track was
run back on the siding and the ap.
paratus was unloaded and re.
tunred.