Evening journal., 1917-11-02

The smoke from the burning buildins
was 80 dense that it was impossible %
see twenty feet and the wind which at
times was strong, blowed the smoke
clouds down French street. The smoke
also entered the home OF Mr.. Heisler
adjoining and while nc and the mem
bers Of his family were asleep, a coli
orcd maid employed there who was
preparing breakfast. aroused them Mr..
Hcisler, who was formerly purchasing
agent for the Edge Moor Iron Company
has been In IN health for some time,
being bcdfast, and he was carried 20
the home Of James Mcklnn0n, at No.
207 French street by patrolmen Samuel
Gamble and Joseph Fisher OF the Della
ware Fire Company. Leaving Mr.. Heis-
Ter there, the two men returned TO the
smoke-flled house and carried our Mrs.
Marietta Lawrence, a relative Of Mr..
llelsler, who has been an invalid for
years. Mrs. Lawrence also, was taken
TO U.e home OF Mr.. Mckinnon.
John =. Cahill, president Of the auto
company, arrived shortly after the
first alarm had been sounded and be-
fore the second call was made Mr.
Cahm looking at the flames leaplng
from the window OF his four-stOry
property. cried bitterly, and said. "The
struggles OF a life time are gone.' His
grief was so great that he had TO be
led away.
The fire was discovered by John Muir
ply, a painter. employed In the build
ing who had been on the third floor, and
was descending the stairs 10 the second
floor. Murphy notified Harry B. Sim
clair foreman at the place, and with
his assistance and that Of William Stct-
ter blacksmith, who was on the first
floor. they started 10 remove the au-
tomobiles I'm the first floor show room.
The men got out a number of machines.
and with the arrival Of the flremen and
employees OF r. T.. HUT. sheet metal
worker, Of No. 2iS French street, num-
ber OF other machines were saved.
Scarcity Of Water.
The firemen were handicapped at the
start by a lack Of water, the plug
streams. which were connected nrst and
used on the fire. barely throwing a
stream Of water across the sidewalk.
First Assistant Fire Chief Donohoe.
who reached the fire early. seeing that
the blaze was a stubborn one. sent the
second alarm i'm eleven minutes after
the first call Fire Chief Golden arrived
on this call and took charge. The FIRE
men attem "a TO beat back the flame.
through - windows OF the north
side OF tie building facing on the sid,
lawn Of the Heisler residence, but th,
heat was so intense that they weri
driven back time and time again. Thl
Delaware truck was station i'm Frcncl
street, with the extension ladder heint
used as a water tower. but the hea
was so great there that the apparatus
had TO be removed TO a point below
Second street. where Il was useless a.
fghting unit. Groups OF flrcmen from
the Washington and Reliance fire com
panies took the place vacated by thl
truck and worked in relays with th,
hose, which were then throwing pow
erful streams of water from their en-
gines on the blaze.
Firemen on the scene were soon aug
mented by other IRE fighters Of ihc.
city who were called out on a generaii
, alarm at sli o'clock by Fire cni,i
Golden, and, from then until ociocs
every apparatus in the city worhea .oI o4
3 the blaze. Tons Of water were po..sd
into the building. but the ois 80
crease burned briskly. LucN-' s-s
gasoline tanks IA the struclul. md
op tbe FIRST floor. near dool,,"' .,rec
., ~ o....s, ,brep water over 'Hrs1
tanks. thereby preYenllH. " inienss at
riadjnq The heat was SO Nn'1H'-