Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-09-17
MAN loses LIFE
IN stable Blaze
IS Horses Are Rescued
From Lank Livery,
Swept by Fire
CITIZENS HELP
FIREMEN FIGHT

Prompt action on the part OF the en-
tire fire department, eided by a num-
ber' Of citizens. prevented the crema-
ton Of seventy-lve valuable horses
and the destruction Of a row Of frame
dwellings at Fifth and Madison streets
early yesterday morning. when fire OF
unknown origin destroyed the livery
stable Of william n. Lonk there. Be
fore the flames were subdued, how
ever, one human life had been snuffed
out the victim being Albert Cummings,
Negro who was asleep In q funeral
coach on tho first floor Of the stable
when the fire started. The Lark
stables, which were al No. 105 West
Fifth street, were the largest and old
est in the city, and Mr.. Lank esti-
mated his loss yesterday at $4,000.
which, he thought. would be fully COW
cred by insurance.
Mark Chambers, a white man. who
had wandered into the stables on sat
urday night and gone 90 sleep In a
wagon on the lrst floor. slept through
out the fire that RACED within the
building, unknown TO the lremen and
police, and only when the water
throw on the IRE by ie ilremen seep-
ed through the top Of the wagon awoke
him did the fremen known he was
there When awakened Chambers ask
cd II II was raining outside, he think
ing the roof was leaking.
The nre was discovered at 4 O'Clock
In the hay loft on the second floor
by an employe Of the stable, who sent
in an alarm from Box No "a. The
district engines on their arrival found
the entire upper floor Of the brick
stable a seething furnace. Fire Chief
Golden realizing that the blaze was
serious ordered a second alarm. This
was shortly afterward followed by a
third or general alarm and every fire
company in the city was soon on the
scene
About the time the first firemen ar
rived a number OF citizens who live
nearby. aroused by the cries Of the
maddened animals penned in the
building. reacheddhe scene and at the
risk Of their own lives they dashed
into the burning structure and cut
the animals loose The rescuers IN
cluded Joseph Woods, night foreman
William Getting, William Cummings
a Negro. brother Of the man who wa'
smothered to death; Edward Murray
e Charles l.. Hallam, Walter Sillitoe
sealer Of weights and measures, and
several others.
At times those doing yOeman worl
were compelled to ascend TO the secon
floor Of the burning building % rescn
the animals there. Among the horse
In tho stable was a stallion owned b
81 George Bacon with q track record {
4 ga. A the maddened animals reache
T. the street and safety, they tried 10 n
b. ,entcr the burning structure and col
|, siderable diiflculty was experienced
n keeping them from dashing into u
I building. For hours after the f
started these animals roamed q
= streets.
= The flames were famed from IL
: northeast by a strong wind and IN
= alone saved the adjoining property,
>, row of frame houses extending alOr
Madison street and several on Ski
street. The occupants Of these hOus
70 were worried however, carrying the
y furniture and other belongings into q
T. streets. Despite the early hour Of q
- DAY, the crowds Of people who "a
~ sembled, hampered the flremen In the
=, work and the police were compell'
u 70 stretch IRE ropes.
chD nv after G o'clock, after the III
had been burning two. hours, tvs
q horses were found by the flremen
10 stall under the section Of the bull
u ing where the fire had ragged ilerces
10 The animals had thrown themseiv
- 10 the ground and saved themselv
10 from suffocaton.
- At o'clock the flames were out al
VI all the fremen had left the seen
Al Then there was nothing OF the bull
" ing left. practically, but the four val
Mr.. Lark himself was on the SCI
nc soon after the fire started. lie cou
d. assign no cause FOR the origin Of q
g blaze. He could not estimate HIS 10
oo Yesterday, but he stated that he b
ueved it was covered by Insurance
en- This same stable. the Oldest, large
IFS and longest established livery stall
IN the city. was destroyed by fire
pm October 3, 1908. At that time % hors
no were burned TO death and Jordan
Watson, a farmer Of Lewlsville, p
nc lost his life. That fire occurred ear
lh- on Saturday morning. Watson h
les gone 70 sleep IN his wagon in the but
lee Ing and was smothered to death