Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-20
Second EDITION.
RElTCLAYYON HOUSE.
Vrcb Excitement, But the Damage
vas Comparatively Small.
.WILL NOT EXCEED $1,000
N, CuDOla on The Roof Was Badly
Wrecked
At TOP OF ELEVATOR SHAFT
conflicting Opinions as to the
Origin OF the Fire.
rsrWFN AND POLICEMEN PRAISED
WILL NOT EXCEED $1,000
N, CrDoIa Cd The Roof Was Badly
Wrecked
It TOP OF ELEVATOR SHAFT
conflicting Opinions as to the
Origin OF the Fire.
rsEuEN AND POLICEMEN PRAISED

The CLAYTON House. the largest hotel
..,sssp Philadelphia and Baltimore,
damaged by fire between 10. 80 and
u woicloek this morning, but to what
l.,srt has not been definitely ascer-
80 Harry Bothman, the proprie-
=, avs 81 900 will cover the loss by
w. and Water. The blaze was confined
~ onrols on the roof of the building,
Nhiob "a the top Of the elevator shaft.
". BothmAn told a reporter of Every
rrsoino that he was Of the impression
g,t tbe fire was started by wires, but
n.vid l.. OFT, assistant superintendent
~ he Wilmington City Electric Co.,
wbo made an examination while the
s,s was in progress, said be was salts
ssd that the biaze did not originate
1,om any Of the oompany's wires.
Tbsre are several other wires on top
nj The cupola, but they are not electric
isbt Wiies, and there 10 no reason to
bsls,e that they are responsi ole. Mr..
M said the cOmpany's wires in the
sevstor shaft, supplying current with
which TO operate the elevator, were
intact during the ire and he found
tbem 10 good shape. he had the cur
rant shut of after bis arrival.
The fire was discovered by John Ben
mp. the elevator boy, who, at about
100 o'clock, noticed smoke issuing
hom the top OF the shaft. lie notified
Proprietor Bothman, who was In his
rom, on the third floor, and William
p Morrison, the clerk, who was in
he otliog on the ground floor. Both
usrs QUICKLY on the scene with the
CLAYTON House force and no time was
lost 10 lighting the flames, which we're
conhued TO the top of the elevator
shalt. Mr. Bothman said Wnen he al
rIsd it appeared to him as il the fire
originated between the roof and the
boz enclosing the top Of the elevator
shaft, which is about II feet square
snd about six feet high. The fire was
Immediately over the laundry, but
Clerk MORRISON said the only fire there
vas 10 an ordinary stove 80 feet from
where the blaze started, and il was not
nspons 6le Several women we're az
YORK 10 the laundry at the time and
ney die not know of the fire until told
b Others q the house, when they sus-
pnded operations until the excitement
bad subsidized.
No damage was done by FIRE except
10 the box at the top of the elevator
shaft, which was wrecked. lt 10 Of
frame, covered With sheet iron, and
after some Of the iron had been torn
of by the fremen it was found that
much Of the WOodWork all the way up
bad been chaTred, which gave an i'm
PRESTON that the ire had been smoul-
cerng for some time before the aames
tegan to shoot out under the caves.
Immediately after the fire had been
discovered the houss force went TO
Eotk with extinauishers and an alarm
vas turned 10 from ire box No. u, in
irout OF the City Hall, and the district
companies quickly responded and got
into service without delay, although
It was necessary to haul the hose five
stories to get il on the roof Of the
building. The truck Of the Delaware
Fire 90. ran up its extension ladder,
10 Fifth street, in order that hose
might be run up there and played on
we BUILDING, II necessary. Chief
sulley and his assistants we're on the
looi, directing the work, and only
enough water was used to quench the
tanes, chemical streams being put on
list While there was some damage
iiom the water which had to be thrown
down the elevator shaft, it was not
great.
About l5 guests are stopping at the
Ulayton House, but only about hall
mat number weIe in the building al
NE time the fire broke ont, ana
although most of them we're women,
Ihe'e was comparatively little excite
nent Some OF the guests left theiI
Iolms and went to the ground floor,
Nhe'e they remained until they