Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-30
M|DDLETOWN SCENE
OF $4,000 BLAZE
THIS MORN|.G
Town Hall. Opera House and
Several Large Stores Com
pletely Wrecked.
II s POSTOFFICE DAMAGED
pecia, Dispatch 10 Every Ev"uins

ypoia, Dispatch to Every Evening
NDDrErow>, Dec 30.
lirc of unknown origin though mice
and matches are suspected destroyed the
Town Hall. a thrrc-story brick building,
IN the centre of the town, AT an carly hour
today. causing loss estimated ~ S5o,oN,
which Is partially covered by insurance.
Tn. following establishments, all of which
ven, located IN the Town Hall, were IN
,mdcd. each being n total wreck
:. VI. Roscnhcrc's clothing Storc--LoSs,
$1,000. insurnc" 1000
l. Y. kirk's general store oSs,
$4,000. amount Of insurance unknown.
Rcdgravcs Brothers hardware store
Loss unknown. though il = believed TO te
covered bv insurance.
opcra Hou~c--l.oss unknown.
Masonic lodgc--l.oSs unknown
The building. which was thc hncs'
business structure IN the town, was
erected in Isis. aud ever since that time
II had hcen one Of the show places here
Il was not nrly he home # some OF the
leading stores Of Niddlctown, but also of
~ thcatrIral~ that came her and ot
moving pictures as we'll aS dances. 1t
w., ,lSo the general meeting piacc Tor
RE c,t thcring~ At the tune ot the ire
i Wa equipped tor al Of these enter
,rIsrS. and ~ a result tho movie
thCuu, loses all of It's equipment While
tho Masonic lodgc. which W. located ON
III, third tl0ot. sustaIns similar los. ihc
charter and al oi the lodge property hclns
DESTROYED. The bmlding ltsclt : 4 com
plet, wreck. nothing tut Part II the rear
wall stan ling. while each Of rh" tenants
suffered = tutil los The Town Hall was
owned bN syndicate, hCadcd ~ Ar
En-enbcrg. who placed the io~S thereon
Al StO.O00. covered lN insurance, Wmlc
there Is ais, 4 mortgage Tor Slu,oh
rosnJFfIcE JoLrED FROM FOUNDATION
Tw, nu,Idl1gs adjoining the Town Hal
were damaged. though not seriously Cine
i tn. roStoitcc. which was lolted from IT.
toundaiion and mcvcd several inches bV
f falling wall. and tie other l. the home
L William Woods, which caught tire.
though the flaze was cNtInglll>hed before
-rrious damage was done ~paTts blown
Il, the wind set ire To buildings IN nnOtc
-cctlons OF the town. but ~ each instance
l.c fire was quickly checked
The Town Hall and other buildings
mentioned are on Main street between
ass and Broad. The IRE was discovered
i shout ; o clock 10y Mr.. /at'drc, 4 baker
Who FASTENED To the hose house ami gave
Aflf Ai1Aiil. lN WIFI hAlA- ~ iNttt Aa4' A'tN
pparatus ard hundreds ot volunteer
'rtmen were on the scene. but by that
tirpe the town Hall WIS mas II flames
nj nothing could ~ done cNrpt 70 pre-
vent tho ,iam1Cy extending 81 other
property Ilch va- summoned from
~tnVrua ana arrived lu duC season. - was
lis, the trc uc.rlr saj apuaIatu- from
Rockwell PaTl tho government r.-srVa-
tiou near paw Penn Word wa- also sent
ro Wilmington and the Mater Nrch
Neccacu, aud Liberty engines came down
Nli lid good work Us protecting other
iropertv that was III danger N'ih the
Rockwell FIRE brigade The government
otficct there sent detail ot : government
military policemen. who 1idcd the tlrmrn
Tolcd of the IRE ground and kcpi spccta-
tors out OF the danger zonr
: l. MasseVs lcWelrN store "a short
distance iron the Town llall. caught tire,
3ut he blaze was soon cNtlnCIl>hed
81 the home - NIllIAm Wood which
.4djoins the Town Hal! OH the vest the
memtcrs of the family being asleep they
Were gotten ont with >ono difficulty.
Tuntt's drug store which comes next,
escaped. aud the Massey !cwelry store Is
next
Adjoining the Town Hall on the east Is
ilit liu>t ultltt, = NAi4l-l tisA4i' = ~ az
Asa pr,cgution Postmaster Rruckson and
other persons carried out All of the effects
The buiidIuc did not catch ire bat when
the wall next to i fell It was Jolted from
IT. foundation and moved -evcrat lncli's-
Mr. and Mr. Alexander Nctten vino live
~ the nc4t house, had ever chung ready to
take .,ut b'It their house was not damaged
rhe Smvrnl and " lmington tire
engines were h9pdicapprd hccaIlSe their
hosc Was unahlf - rs, Tho local con
ncctlons The sizes BONG different.