Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-22
A BIG MIDNIGHT BLAZE.
DESTROYS TWO FRANCE HOUSES
ON FRANKLIN STREET.
An overheated Stove The Cause
Quick Response of Firemen.
Heroic Work of
Volunteers.
LOSS OF THE HOUSES COVERED
BY INSURANCE.


OF fire was sounded from Rescue Hose
Company house on West street, and
a Young man ran through the streets
shouting Fire. Fire az the ton
OF his voice. The bell of Independent
Fire Company No. ? quickly tooA
up the alarm and the volunteer fire
men donned their rubber garments
and were off quick as a flash to +he
scene Of the FIRE
La five minutes after the alarm the
street was alive with people-men.
women and children, rushing from all
parts of the town TO see the fire. A
big blaze shot up from behind Mount
Moriah A. M f. Church, colored. on
Franklin street. below the Court
House, and there were all sorts Of
rumors that the church. Bates store
on Cathedral street, and the Emer-
gency Hospital, were on fre. 1t
proved to be none of these. but the
fire originated in the back building OF
the parsonage of Mt Moriah Church,
on franklin street. occupied by the
minister, Rev. Worthem and his fam
lily.
The fire had made such headwsy
when discovered that the occupants
barely had time to escape in their
niRhtclothes. Just fifteen minutes be-
fore th5 fire Officer Erantum. patroll.
ing that beat, had passed the house
and had observed no sign Of "A fire.
The fire seemed to burst out convul.
sively, and when first discovered the
whole back building was a mass of
flames. Officer Brooks fired three
pistol shO5s to attract attention and
Officer Frautum was soon on the
scene. The fire department responded
almost Immediately Except the en-
gine) and the Rescue Hose Company
was on the scene within FIVE minutes
after the first alarm, the Rescue Hose
Company's house being scarcely more
than a block distant from the scene.
The Independent No were close
on their heels, also the Waterwitch
Hook and Ladder Company. All the
fremen worked fheroicAlly. Ladders
of the Rescue Hose Company were
placed to the upper windows of the
burning parsonage aud the minister
and his family were saved in this
way. all egress being cut off and they
were brought down the ladders in
their night clothes. The minister's s
family practically lost everything, as
did the family of j. Wesley Chase,
colored, who lived next door. The
few things that were saved were in
such a damaged condition as to be
practically worthless.
The fire is supposed to have origi-
mated from an overheated stove in
the back building of the parsonage,
and to have quickly caught to the
hangings and furniture. The family
and other families in the nelghboT.
hood bad retired, and the flames had
made such headway when discovered
that it was lucky the inmates escaped
with their lives. The flames soon
ignited the houses ON either side of
the parsonage, both of which are own.
ed by Mr. Eugene W. Iglehart, and
the damage is fully covered by insur.
ance. The family of j. Wesley Chase,
principal of Stanton colored public
school, lost all their clothing and fur
niture The parsonage is owned by
the Mount Moriah Church.
Too much credit cannot be given
the volunteer firemen, who worked
heroioally and who had the fire under
control some time before the engine
arrived, which was. for some reason,
twenty minutes in reaching the fire
after the alarm, but was not needed
when it got there. A strong south
west wind was blowing and it was
thought the entire block. which is
mostly frame, would be destroyed,
together with the church, but the
efforts of the fremen prevented.
The loss is about 81. 500. The general
feeling Is that the local fire depart
ment never did better work than OH
last night.
Rev. Worthem was fortunate in
saving the sum of about $500 which he
had in cash in the house 1t was
left in the pocket of vest when the
family left the house and one of the
fremen was direoted to it and sue.
ceeded in recovering it. Prof Chase
lost the sum of about SIC The most
reasonable account of the origin oi
the fire is that lighted lamp which
seemed about to explode was thrown
from the window of an adjoining
house and set fire to the parsonage