The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1907-06-01


on its face every indication OF a flend
ish determination to burn out the town.
Three separate and distinct efforts
were made in quick succession and
there seemed good reason to appre-
hend that a fourth would have been
made had not the vigilance OF the
watchmen prevented the dastardly
deed. The intense excitement which
prevailed at the time has abated only
to resolve itself into fierce deter
mination to probe the matter to con-
clusion, and bring the tlend or hcnds
to swift justice
At about II o'clock Sunday night,
Harry Mcintyre and Victor Davis.
who happened to be on the street, dis
covered that RB. Frazcr'S drug store
was on fire i'll the rear, and immediate
ly got word to the telephone exchange
where George Atkinson, who was on
duty, promptly gave the alarm to the
fire company by sounding the electric
gong, which service he was called on
to perform twice again that night. The
Singerly Fire Company responded inn
mediately and in a lew minutes had the
flames under control. but not before
Mr.. Frazer had sustained much loss
from fire, smoke and water
The flames were discovered at the
back entrance to the store and evident
ly had been started under chest iii a
back shed. That il was the work oi an
incendary, no one doubts. Fortu-
nately, the fire was seen in time to
check it before it had gotten under iuII
hcadway
This was bad enough, but worse was
to follow. Scarcely had the excite
ment, consequent upon the Frazer fire,
abated and the people returned to
their homes, when smoke and sparks
were noticed by Lee Garter ard !. !.
Minister coming up from behind Wal
ler's Photographic gallery on the op-
postc side OF the street. Carter and
Minister had fortunately, not lett the
street from the first fire. Ih, was
about 24o Monday morning The
alarm was again sounded and the fire
fighters got to the scene OF the second
blaze just i'll the nick OF time to check
what would undoubtedly have been the
worst fire in the history OF the town.
The flames were subdued before they
got fairly started, else there would
have been no hope whatever for that
part OF the town. and there i, no e,ti-
mating how far the disaster might
have spread 1t seems fortunate al
rost, that there had been another fire,
or at least that the other fire had been
started first, as it is horrible to CON
template what might have been the re-
suit of this one, started as it was. in
the dead OF night and in such a fcnd-
ish manner, had not the occupants oi
the place been on the uui vive from the
excitement OF an hour or two before.
There is every reason to believe that
this second fire had been deliberately
kindled down in the rear and under the
photograph gallery with chances for the
flames to have gotten we'll started, and
beyond the possibility OF control be
fore the residents would have been
aroused under ordinary conditions.
Charles II. letters and his family-his
wife and two little children-liye di-
rcctlv over the place where the fire was
started. and the families OF Elwood
Sweet. the baker, and Mrs. Freeman,
who keeps the music store, occupv the
houses, separated thercfrom. only, by
Gonce's store. These houses are all OF
frame and OF a combustible nature.
Because OF the excitement that had
made the whole town alive, they all
succeeded in getting out OF danger
without trouble.
Had this fire been the first one to
start, with the whole town dead asleeo.
there is not one chance in ten thous-
and that it would have been discovered
until long after il had gotten mast any
possibility of being controlled. and the
contemplation of what the result nm
doubtedlv would have been causes one
TO sbudder from horror
Following quickly unon the sub;ec-
ton of the second fire. came the third
alarm. DIR. w. d. Cawlcv, who was in
his stable attending = sick horse dis
covered that the shedding on the on
oosite side of the street from his stable
used bv Rambo & George. ice dealers
as a cover for their ice wagons
was on fire, and Immediately
notified the exchange. which then
sounded the third alarm The ener-
oies nj the fire fighters wore n orce