Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-05-01
BROWNSON BUILDING
DAMAGED BY FIRE
The Loss Amounts to About
Seven Thousand Dollars.
$4,000 ON THE BAZAAR EXHIBITS
The Origin of the Flames is
Not Known.


The handsome building of the Brown
son Library Association, at the north
west corner of Fourth and Jackson
streets, was damaged by fire to the
extent of about "a, 600 Thursday after
noon, and the fair exhibits, on the
third floor of the building, where u
bazaar has been in progress, we're
totally destroyed, entailing loss of
about 5000 on personal property The
fire is especially distressing at this
time, as the large hall on the third
floor was filled with fancy and other
articles of value, placed there to sell
and make the bazaar attractive.
The origin of the fire appears to be
shrouded in mystery. 1t was reported
on the street that some person in the
building had stepped upon match,
causing it to ignite, but member of
the association, who has made an in
vestigation, says such is not the case.
The fair room has been kept locked
each day and watchman has been on
duty constantly. He has visited the
room at frequent intervals each day, to
see that everything was all right and
nothing was disturbed, as it was de-
sired to keep everything in proper
shape. The watchman made an in
spection of the room in which the fair
was held about 3. 30 O'Clock Thursday
afternoon, and then everything appeared
to be in good shape. There was not the
slightest indication of fire, SO far as he
noticed. There was nothing in the room
to start fire, so far as was known, but
10 minutes later people on the street
noticed smoke issuing from the windows
and the alarm was given. Policeman
LII I d.,
from box No. 20, at Second and Jack
son streets, and the district companies
were soon on the scene. The firemen
lost not time in getting to work under
the direction of Chief Welsh and AS
sistants Wiley and Palfrr.
For the fair exhibits it was apparent
that they were doomed from the start,
as the room in which the fair was held,
and in which the fire started, was q
mass of flames by the time the firemen
arrived, the blaze having made rapid
headway among the intiammable ma
terial there. But by good work the
tiremen confined the blaze to the upper
portion of the building and tine only
damage below the top story was from
water, which 1t WAS necessary to use in
liberal quantities. After half an hours
hard work The blaze was so far ex-
tinguished that all possibility of
further danger was past.
While the flames were in progress
James Mckay, aged II years, of No.
925 Pleasant street, who was assisting
the firemen in their efforts to save the
property, fell from the top of ladder
near one of the third story windows to
the pavement and had his right leg
broken. He was taken home in the
patrol wagon. He sustained other in
juries, but it is thought he will recover.
Several pipemen who were playing on
the fire from ladder reaching to the
third story of the building had close
call. The pressure of the water caused
the nozzle to get away from them and
had it not been for the presence of
mind of Assistant Chief Wiley and
George B. Ward of the Friendship Co.,
the consequences might have been seri-
Gus. They saw the predicament in
which the men on the ladder we're
placed and kinked the hose, shutting
off the water, and thus saved the men
from falling
Among the articles destroyed was a
handsome piano worth about 5000.