Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-06
DIR. ROBIN 5 HOUSE
cnntinnl LON pax-I


The extreme cold hindcred the firemen
In their work and many Of them were
covered with sheets of ice, after water WAS
finally obtained to fight the fire.
H. did not take long for the blaze to
snreod 10 all parts of the house, and in a
few minutes after the alarm WIS struck
the whole building was mass Of flames.
Tie arrival Of the fircrnen WIS not of
much use, as water was at premium, all
the hydrants being frozen, and not a time
during the fire were there more than three
streams and some Of these were so weak
mt they would hardly reach TO the third
story.
VALUABLE EQUIPMENT AND LIBRARY DE-
sTRoYED.
Hardly anything was saved from. the
Robin home, with the exception OF about
ten picces Of furniture. IL ls understood
that one Of the rear rooms OF The mouse,
,sed Inv DR.. Robin as a laboratory, had
radical eauipment in it. valued at Sl5,BO
a number Of these being electrical ap-
pliances. and all this was destroyed. The
iibrarv Of Dr. Robin, in which was shelved
thousands Of valuable works, both medical
and literary. was also totally destroyed
" hen DR.. Robin was spoken 20 during
fine fire. Mt nea rby house, where ne "as
! taken m, he SAID that nc could DOT cStl-
mate his loss, but that some OF the Things
DESTROYED could not be replaced, as they
were the result Of a lifetime wo x
The second alarm was sent IN a snort
/ time after the arrival Of Fire Cher 1oiden.
! The arrival of the additional companies
+ vas almost without result, inasmGch IS
water could not be obtained and the fire-
men we're forced TO use chemical streams,
hut these we're Of no use, az the Duldlng
was a mass Of flames IL was the worst
/ fire in many years in private dwelling,
some fireman said.
| Mrs. T.. J. Percival Of 1907 West
| Seventh street and Mrs. W 6. Taylor Of
1909 West Seventh street prepared hot
coffee, which the police distributed TO the
firemen. The patrolnIen also helped the
| freTnen with their hose.
When the fire was finally extingIiished
there vas nothing left Of the house except
the walls Nearby properties we're at one
time threatened with fire, but the blaze
did not reach these houses. The loss on
the house Of Dr. Robin WAS partly
covered by insurance. Whether the
doctor viii rebuild ls not known.
While responding to the first alarm one
chemical wagon was disabled and unable
to proceed to the fire.
MAYOR FoREsAw DANGER.
Mayor John W. Lawson, in discussing
the fire of this morning, stated that he
called the attention of Fire Chief Golden,
Yesterday to the danger to the city from
frozen frc plugs and urged that some
thing be done 10 see that the Gremen
could secure water at once in the event Of
2 fire.
The chief. in reply tn an inquiry from
, the mayor. stated that he ithe chief had
2 made no inspection Of the fire plugs and
taken no action relative to such an IN
{ spcction. lie further stated that th'
2 frernen of this city had no means o
l knowing whether or not FIRE plug wa
frozen until a fire broke out and they wer'
2 unable to obtain water
, In reply to further inquiry from tn
1 rnavor - to what was done when mr.
plug was frozen he stated that when th'
!, | fremen found they could not secure water
: the plug WIS thawed out. P process re
! duiring IT least five or SIX minutes delay
2 n fighting the fire.
r Not feeling satisfied with this inforrna
, ton, the mayor yesterday c.Iled upor
/. | Citv Engineer H0CDes. of the Water De
E partment urging that some action b
Y taken 1T once TO properly safeguard Cit
property in the event Of a FIRE breaking out
HISTORIC MANSION.
> The house, more than 80 years old
according to tradition, was built iOr Alrs
!. Agnes Norris, a Wilmington social leader
vino was a daughter Of Join +. Fnce,
wealthy Wilmingtonian, and the wife 9
), DR.. George Pepper Norris. DR.. Norm
: and his bride occupied the house 500
: after their marriage Subsequent {
!, DR. Norris death Mrs. Norris marie
= Henry Pepper After Mr. Peppers deaf
the widow sold the property to Ne ..lnde
= j. Hart ard went 10 " asEIngt0n, y. I
= to perform clerical wO. IL the IreaSuf
Department.
The house originally stood in a law
= that extended east to franklin stree
= Eighth street Park, presented TO the cit
y tv the NorTlSSeS, once was part OF 70
lawn, as were also the sites occupied 3
y James [. Ford and c. Wesley Neidll
: y no reside on Broome street betWee
Seventh and Eighth.
The Norris estate ad ,oined the Hlito
estate, now occupied by j. Dani0r'
=, Bash. on Broome street between light
and Ninth When the United STAT
/ Capitol vas removed from fhIl2delph
~ to u ashlngton, according 70 tradltio
= the Norris and L.-Iiton estates .oint
10 were proposed as a site fOc the CapltC
= but in spirited contest aShlngt(
'e defeated Wilmington By one vote.
Il also IS tradition that Mary Apderso
formerly a noted act.ess ana now Nj
Mary Navarro Of In land, previous
her retirement from the theatrical sta
contemplated purchasing the Norris {
tate for 8 home.
y FIRE IN BREWERY STABLE.
> The district fremen had cold run l.
$ night about midnight, when box No.
"a at Lowering avenue and Scott street, W
r. struck for a FIRE in the stable Of the Ha
~ man L Eehrenbach brewery The d
's trict companies responded and found
Slight blaze, which was eXtinguished wit
Is out loss.
ii While the Friendship chemical wag
he was responding to this alarm the wag
Of skidded at Delaware avenue and Jacks
ne street and went into trolley car. BC
Be vehicles we're damaged, but no pers
IS. was injured
as Shortly after the companies return
lc- to their headquarters an alarm was sent
u by some unknown person from box
r. 81, al Fourth and Madison streets.
.te hreInen responded to find that 1t wa
sly false alarm.
WAREHOUSE BURNS AT PATERSt