Evening journal., 1913-04-28
CREMATORY
AGAIN BURNED;
LOSS $4,000
Spectacular Blaze Of Unknown
Origin Gives Firemen
a Hard Fight
STORE GARBAGE WHILE
PLANT IS REBUILT

For the second time within two
years. and almost within the same
week the city cromatory late last
night was destroyed by fire that swept
through the buildings with amazing
rapidity. The plant Us located az the
foot Of Liberty street and is owned
hy the city, but used by the winning
ton Sanitary Company which con-
Germ has the contract for disposing
Of the clty's garbage The loss Is
estimated at about $4,000 partly Gov
cred by insurance. which the cGltract
ing frm must shoulder. The build
jngs are of brick and frame, and the
loss on them is small, compared with
the destruction of the valuable STOCK
and machinery used in extracting the
Eats and other valuable substances
from the garbage.
AS it did two years ago, the CON
tracing company Will Immediately
rush the work Of rebuilding the plant,
and in the meantime will accept all
refuse collected by the garbage col
iectors and store Il in pit until such
time as IL can be disposed Of
The origin OF the ERE is unknown
Jacob Con. the night fireman az tho
plant. discovered tho flames sweeping
up through IN cupola in the building,
known as the rotary drying depart
ment and near the boiler room He
made brave effort to stop the pro-
gress of the FIRE, but Il got away from
him. He then pulled the whistle
cord in the plant, giving the alarm.
n
LYONS and Patrolman Hawke, who
were standing at Maryland avenue
and Linden street, saw the flames, and
hey sent in an alarm from box No.
26 Before the district fire apparatus
arrived there was an explosion of
some kind within the building, and
the flames shot high in the air. max
ing lurid glow In the sky that could
be seen all over the city. Many
thought the fire was at the gas works
or at the plant Of the Harlan and
Hollingsworth Corporation, and many
inquiries were received over the tele-
phone at the police station as TO the
location of the conhagration.
Famed by a high wind and despite
the downpour OF rain and streams OF
water played on the buildings by the
hremen. the flames fairly rushed
through the plant The highly III
nammahle material and grease in the
plant brooked OF no interference, and
IL was not many minutes before those
who witnessed the FIRE realized that
the plant was doomed II was after
midnight when the last flicker of
flame as cNtinguished and the iremen
could leave
Whcn the alarm was sounded a
heavy ~riin was falling. but this did
not keep hundreds of people, includ-
ing numerous children living In that
section Of the city, from turning out
TO witness the fire. NThe people stood
in mud aud water while being drench-
ed With rain. enraptured by the sight
Of the flames and smoke shooting high
Ia the air
The crematory is about 10 feet Ia
the rear OF the big storage tank OF
the Wilmington Gas Company. and
the dremen had 20 concentrate their
efforts at the southern end of the
crcmatory 20 prevent the fire from
communicating to the tank It was
not in serious danger. however, but
the crowds around the FIRE moved
back some distance when the rumol
was circulated that the heat from tn,
blaze might cause an explosion of gas
in the tank
Three dogs in the city pounds
which is within few feet Of th'
crematory, were rescued by Georg'
Kopp, dog catcher. and his assistant
William Walls They threw open thu
doors Of the pen in which the animal
we're incarcerated and the poo
brutes. not knowing what had hap
pened. we're loath 10 leave thei
prison pen They soon disappearel
IN the crowd.
The crematory was destroyed b,
hre on April Z, 1911, but was soon re
built again.