Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-05
MANY FAMILIES WERE
DRIVEN FROM HOME
Destruction of the Dwellings in
Pleasant Street Was Threat
ened for a Time.
THE FIRE Department
HAD A DIFFICULT TASK
Several Firemen Jumped From
Roof Just Before II
Collapsed.

Tnr,e modern buildings. located on
-tr..t ~tcr avenue between Monroe and
,'a1se streets. as wei as 80 automo-
u..~ were burned early today. entail
liz tcss 81 approximately S2oo.ooe,
.,a4ttv .av,rcd by insurance. The whole
Tlc department vas III action and
'ail-d il hsd difficult task ne
ee.ldings destroyed wee
Barrel warehouse and garage
owned by Jacob +. Cour>en. sl'
anca aster avenue.
Three->tor, brick dwelling. ~
lancaster avenue. owned by John
NuraUo.
Two.story brick garage. s23-2"
Lancaster avenue. owned by leid
katy of Third and >hiple, streets.
r1. 90. which VAS discovered short
f,.r o.clocE was of unknown
i- fu, i supposed to have started
tr tIld f'oor II the building owned
Nt colrs,.r Tohn Coyle. night
...l,,s,- IN MS rounds n IL SO.
ANA ,,.fvth.rc in order thruughout
t.tit.e At l15 H. was startled
tf lo1r * falling beams and tim
af~ Nh Celc vho IS a cripple. ina
d4atclr found lis was e the street
III Lancaster aNrnuc aud Monroe
.,t he Mas met l,y First Assistant
s ChIef farewell. Who Imm"diate.N
( ned IN alarrl from. hoX 81 at Ian
-tc. atenu, ana Monroe street.
+ ..s,er,af fose3h Powalshi who was
.rainc 4. second ard Union streets
also noticed th, glare IN the
49, ami ~ hastened to fhe Union
si1- house. hut the alarm had been
eivrd before he could get there
The ~. soan spread 70 adjoining
ldirgs y s.rirs of explosions in
me - n. automobiles stored il the
,.arser building aided in the rapid
.,ttauc, = rhe tlamcs
Immediately upon the arrival of Chief
As .nlau i Lutx IN, latter noting the
4rrniue aspect = the FIRE and danger
.he families il the vicinity. turned
E general alae1u. - which all COM
mes Responded Twenty streams Of
f, ttsr vei, SOC. being played on the
nsildir IS. bur II FIRE had gained such
adway tEa; IL, tirernen directed their
ention 10 SAVING the homes in Pleas
street and IN Monroe street north
Lancaster AZ. .ue. The water tower
th. D.lavar, Fire 60. Was placed in
srr .c. likewise every available ladder
Many Driven from Home.
Famed ~ a .orth WIND. the flames
....chly ate th.ir way through the
eellrsen building and threatened de-
s.euetiou II III, homes on Pleasant
rect II the sid. nee of Mrs. Mary
...krrr4a. ~ Pleasant street ad-
auluE tn r.ar 81 tEe barrel factory
ne OCCUPANTS were obliged TO seek
? ~.
e,et William Hadiey, an aged Civil
War veteran htlng with thc Locker
.af family II his quick exit. u re-
rted 70 have lost $500. which has not
.....f. recovered Scautily attired. many
ai4N ~ their uIght clothes, The other
families n Pheasant street vertured into
the cold morning air rather than be
lrenched iy the water which came
dreaming through their roofs. At the
nome al Mrs Mary Mclaughlin, SIS
Pheasant street The water ii the cellar
cached a depth - seven feet The nome
=, Mrs Mary smith Sf4 Pleasan
,ree, was also Hooded The occupants
8. each of theSs houses Was forced L
sock refuge with neighbors The heal
,,as So intense that many Of the dwell
,ngs on the north side of Pleasant
street were scorChed.
Firemen Have Close Cau.
on the roof Of the garage owned By
q, Eatz and occupied 10y Sylvester
IeaIy. city garbage collection con
,rac,or were Assistant Fire Chief Johr
.r.,.,,-rsend and three firenen, who had d
lose call with their lives STANDING
in water three feet deep, Townsend
,o,icing cracking sound and feeling
49, f.et give way. ordered MS men L
Jump fer their lives
With the weight Of the water the roo
.o,Ia nsed immediately after the warn
ing had been given and the men ha'
Jumped TO safety
Prior 10 the falling ~ the root nin'
Continued on page 10