Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-22
100000 FIRE WRECKS MOST
OF BUSINESS BLOCK AT TENTH !.
and WALNUT; ORIGIN UNKNOWN
Plant Of Mercantile Printing Co., Miller Protkers and
New Castle Leather Co. Warehouses Were the Most
Seriously Damaged; New Fremen Had Difficulty in
Handling Most Serious Fire for the New Department.


discovered shortly after o'clock
this morning near the northeast
tornrr ~ Tenth and Walnut
streets, aud Cor a while an entire
cliV block was threatened with
destruction. Much Of tho hiovlS
Naa destroyed. one large ware
house, two stocl,rooms. one large
printing establishment a dwell
ng and an automobile truck.
we're partly destroyed, ontaillng a
lonn ~ approximately tS0o.Ooo.
Thia waa not only tho worst nrc
a.nco the inauguration OF tho new
RAID FIRE department. hut was a.
dlnMuli to combat as that which
rcuuccd 90 ruin last year tho VIII
mlngion Leather Comrany's plant
al Third street and Urccnhni ave-
nuc,
The buildings destroyed or lam-
sgrd thla morning were;
The plant of tho Mercantile
rpmiine Go. northeast corner ~
Tenth and Walnut streets: cstl-
mated ioss. 100000.
Nnlcr prothors Company Ware
house. Tenth aud Wilson streets.
estimated loss. $4,000.
New Castle Leather Company.
Walnut street between Tenth and
i'ioNcn,hi estimated loss. $50 0oo.
Hercules Powder Company. vii
son strcot. heiwccn Tenth and
mo,cnthi estimated loss $4,000.
dwelling nt iooo Walnut street,
,st.mutcd loss. $4,000
Three automobile trucks esti-
mated LOGS, $4,000.
Tho hic was discovered at 90
oolocR by Harry Hayes, Nogro,
ianltor in the employ 81 Tho Mcrcsn
tile Printing 60 HAYES arrived a
The building about O'Clock, hc said
and vent o. the basement of III
Miller Rrothcra' warehouse. 90 ia tn
Are. No returned 60 the first nco
and ontorrd tho Mercantile printin,
GO. plant where he arranged the of
noca for the day. lie later returno'
90 tho cellar a. end cut Tho condiuo'
~ che furnace. After he found ou
ihnt ever, thing was An good condition
hf aran returned to the orst floor.
wAH thsn that he saw what he dc
errlbed ua bah ci are Showing irot
thu Coutrr Of tho root a Mile
ifroihor8' warehouse This WAS q
eco ovleCk, This warehouse o. nd
Miller nrothcra store. which Is d
Ninth and i>ine streets. u was use
Tor surplus stock storage.
Although the are was reported I
hO under control at ~ o'clock. tw
hlgh pressure engines were stiu pour
Iua water on the smouldcriuE builo
|ugt "a noon today. Tho fire inspoctc
and other officials started an Invest
raiion 90 the ruins at that time.
Nlmust az the samc time ratrolma
quinn. makinE his rounds la n
Aluinity. nuiiccd flames shooting his
into The sk, from The varcnousc. an
uulrkiy sounded hu alarm frqxn Eo
80 8 cd The northeast Corncr ,
Tenth aud Walnut streets.
Three Alarms Turned IA.
Deputy Fire Chief Donahuo n
sfnndod and as soon az he arrived ;
inc arOnr of iho nrc. noticed the ser
BUSINESS uf thp blaze. and turned In
reUond alnfnt Tho tro was spreadin
rapidly, aud a few minutes later Chi
iiurnhnc sounded "a third alarm.
Ail The companies in the city wei
called o. tho secno by this alarm.
40 .. however, was sent back 20 y
houae 30 cover all Of the city oai
ul Washington street.
A, $50 o'cluck the frc was az q
height. Vast volumes OF smol
mingled with flames swept skywar
illumlnaiins n, soon brought out inl
ihe cold 1cro weather despite a
early hour. hundreds Of curious pc
sons.
ssa.mo Worth of law Hooks Burne
Tho Mercantile printing plant
sepArutcd from Miller Brothers' war
house hy n thrcc-fooi frc-proof wa
u was only because of this nrc-pro
partition that tho Mercantile plai
was ssNcd from total destruction. n
stock room. howcvcr on the walnl
street Cnd ~ the l'0ck. and adjacei
iu the stock room of the New Cast
Leather Co. was completely q
strcy.u. This stock room. accordif
10 ofhemlH az thc company. contsin'
uowly-priniod law books. appraised
APPROXIMATELY $4,000 in value.
The stu'h room of the New Cas-,
Desih~r company. used Tor the eto
hxn ot Vlu hides. was also destrcye
According % Carlton 7. Bridgham,
official of the Compaus. tss loss su
iained by damage 10 this building W
not exceed Sbo.ooo. Insurance w
carried ON both buildings. IL was q
vared
Nathan Miller, president OF Mnl
nro,her- Company. who arrived
tho scene q. the connaTrstion short
after 10 o'clock. declared that IL W
Impossible to fix thc loss they had Az
iaincd. untii an inventory had be
taken of the stock stored In the war
house. II vas stocked 10 the linn
he said. with furniture. In addlti
tu this. three automobile trucks wo
stored thof,.
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