The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-04-21
POCOMOKE CITY SWEPT BY
FLAMES.
Loss More Than 5000, o,ooo-Dwell-

Loss More Than 5000, O,OOO-Dwell-
ings, Stores and Banks Burned.
Two banks, one hotel, more than
score of business houses and dwell
ings, and a number of garages and
other buildings were destroyed by a
fire on Monday, that started in a
stable owned by F. M. Wilson, in
Pocomoke City, and swept the en-
tire business section of the town.
The aggregate losses are estimated
at $500, 900, on which there is about
$400, 900 insurance.
The business houses burned are:
Pocomoke National Bank, Citizens
National Bank, W. HI. Clarke & Co.,
Lloyd & Blaine, Worcester Demo-
crat, Parker House, Landing House,
Stevenson Brothers casket factory.
C. r. Day, DR.. R. Lee Hall, Norman
E. Sartorious, A.. A. Parker, W. H.
Schoolfield & Co., insurance Office
of Edgar Fontain, Western Union
Telegraph Office, Carter & Ellis bar
Der shops, H. Merrill Walters insur-
ance office. r. J. Lambden, DR.. W..
H. Walters, c. e. Ennis and T. F..
Hargis.
For three hours Maple, Clarke,
Second and Market streets were a
mass Of flames, which then swept to
the residential section along Front
street, destroying or damaging some
fine old homes.
Had it not been for the splendid
teamwork of the fire companies from
Seaford, Del, Snow Hill, Berlin,
Crisfield, Princess Anne, Salisbury
and Cambridge, Md, all Eastern
Shore companies, the entire town
would have been destroyed. The
Pocomoke company and citizens
were powerless to check the flames
after several buildings had been
burned and appeals to other towns
met with quick response, the Penn
sylvania Railroad running extra
trains to carry apparatus and fire.
fighters.
Market street was swept almost
clean to the river front. Working
with rapidity to Willow and Marke.
streets, the two principal business
streets, the fire burned in both di-
rections.
Most Of the buildings we're Of
frame construction, and the high
southerly wind blowing towards the
river, and with the better part of
the town before it, carried the fire
from building to building.
A total Of seventy-seven buildings
were destroyed by the fire, and forty
five families rendered homeless.
A partial list Of residnces burned
were: e. Charles Ennis, DR.. w. H
Walters, George Twilley, J. J. Smul
len, Mrs. c. s. Day, Ewell & Childs'
office building, Will Bounds, Robert
Henry, Frank Wilson, Frank Lloyd,
Charles Higgins, DR.. Wilson, Carter
& Ellis apartments, e. Fontaine
apartments, DR.. Parker's apart
ments, DR.. Sartorious' apartments,
Jacob Stevenson, David Miller,
Frank Bratten, William Powell,
John Dickerson, George Bunting,
Calvin, Townsend, Mrs. Parade and
Lille Stevens. This is Pocomoke's
second visitation of fire. In 1888
part of this same section was burned.
The town. which has a population
Of about 5000, is one of the principal
places between Wilmington and
Cape Charles, Va. 1t Is located on
the main line of the New York,
Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad.
It's industries are chiefly basket and
crate factories, planning mills and
phosphate works. It ia In a fine
agricultural section and the seat of
the peninsula produce exchange.
which handles big part of the po-
tato crops of the Eastern Shore of
Virginia. 1t has been considered
one of the prettiest towns on the
peninsula.