Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-18


almost empty. Had it not been for tho
engineers skill in these past instances
in getting the pumping station to work
quickly the fire oompany's energies
would have been paralyzed. The low
water in the standpipe yesterday and
the slowness Of the pumping station to
get into effective action are alleged TO
be largely responsible for the wide
sweep Of the fire. A fire such as this
one proved to be was naturally far
beyond the capabilities of an unframed
fire company. The path of tho flames
was so tortuous that the services OF
several companies, with an abundance
of hose aud additional engines, would
have been no more than adequate to
meet the demands.
The work of fighting the flames was
made doubly difficult by reason of the
compactness of the block where the
worst damage occurred. Nearly every
building in the ruined half square was
in touch with those adjoining on each
side, thus forming an almost continu-
Gus line around the perimeter OF the
square. Near the point of the origin
of the fire is n narrow alleyway winch
divided the furniture establishment OF
Wright & Ediins from the clothing
store Of w. HI. Smith. This alley runs
along the rear OF several other stores,
and was generally obstructed by boxes
which were usually filled with excel
sior. These boxes would readily act as
fire trail to spread the flames in a
southerly direction, as we'll as to carry
| them westward towards the stores and
other buildings in the rear OF the start
ing point.
i r,Ttt tah
| of the fire consists almost entirely of
stores, lawyers offices and the Queen
| Anpe's National Bank. The interposi-
| tion Of the high walls of the bank is
| probably what saved the westward end
| OF Lawyers Row, in which the Centre
vile Observer and two of the leading
insurance Offices are located. Had the
| fire passed westward of the bank II
would have had an easy course toward
the end of the square, imperilling IN
the end tho southern residential sec
tion.
1t Just so happens that the busi-
ness and residential sections are as
separate and distinct as if isolated by
chasm, The stores are nearly al
concentrated in the centre OF the town,
with the main residential streets reach
ing out to the south. 1t is likely thai
the thick walls of the Centreville Ma
t:onal Bank partially played the SAINT
good services for the Main street resi-
dence section that the other bank die
| for the LAWYERS offices. Had the fiameI
gotten south OF the bank on Mail
street the destruction, perhaps, woult
have been fourfold what it is, because
there would have been no other oh
, struction to have halted their desolat
ing march.
The town has been placed in an EN-
, barrassing predicament by reason o
some of the establishments which wer
! victims of the fire. In the event o
, severe sickness or any fatalities sue
ceeding the fire the work Of relief will
! be seriously handicapped. There wer
. two drug stores in town, and both wer
destroyed. Inasmuch as the town
! under the operation of the local opsio
law these drug stores we're the onl
I places in town licensed to sell liquor
The loss, therefore, of the stocks Q
/ | medicine and the salsble stocks {
/: LIQUORS naturally hampers the town
administering medical relief to thos
v who have passed through the labor an
. excitement Of the fire. Moreover, th
4 public Offices of both Of the Allopathi
physicians were burned, while the res
dence of one was at one time on hr'
i. To cap the climax of these losses, bot
undertakers' establishmer q we're wipe
l. out In order to make an aggravatl3
v situation doubly distressing the tN
4 banks, which are the places Of depos
!: of not only the whole town, but also
!. the whole county, were gutted. Viii
n the vaults are believed to be intact, Il
! transaction of business will be stops
l. for awhile. That will necessarily t
\ up the cash and other credits on har
until arrangements can be made
l. meet the emergency.
% While the banks we're not the large
re buildings destroyed-rhat is, as mea
IN ured by the area Of floor space-th'
a were BY all odds the most expensiv
The older of the two was the Centr
"a vile National The original bankil
house Of this Institution had be-
handsomely improved within rece
|. years. 1t was considered one of t
A. most finely embellished banks of Al
o. town in the State. The Queen Anne
a.: Bank, younger rival also owned
ut brick structure, located in the hes
r. OF the business section.
N WILMINGTON FIREMEN TO THE REscU
ad Chief Conway and 72 of the membt
,d of the Wilmington Fire Departine
ng1 went to Centreyiile and saved the to-
It. from destruction. The firemen Il
sh Wilmington on special train a
sw made the run of Ga miles in 80 minut'
100 -Four hours OF hard work, under ma
Of adverse circumstances, brought I
"a flames under control. The busin'
k; portion of the town was destroy
nd before the local firemen arrived, a
the loss is estimated at about $780, ,Ol
nix Chief Conway speaks in praise
Its the courteous treatment given TO
of Wilmington hremen by the citizens
lot the Maryland town. 1t was 10 minu
to 6 O'Clock Sunday morning WI
ok the telegram was received, and at T.
10 O'Clock special train carrying
of firemen and their apparatus was on
;he way to the fire. At 8. 80 O'Clock in
are afternoon the fire was under cont
ior and the special pulled out for Wilmil
The ton, arriving at 525 Sunday event.
ct. Members of the Phoenix and Fa
Inn companies comprised the tiremen v
of went on the special, and the Washi
ers ton company sent 600 feet Of he
ON While the apparatus was being
loaded in this oity Sunday Ha
ep- Kennar, member of the Fame cC
ion t,any, was so badly injured that
10 had to be taken to his home in G