Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-21
TEACHERS BRAVE
DEATH TOLEAD THEIR
CHARGES TO SAFETY
Seventy-five Children Escape
From Flaming SeIbyville
School Today.
MANY BUILDINGS BURNED

Seventy-f1ve small children. pupils
occupying auxiliary school rooms in
an old church building in Selbyville,
Del. escaped unharmed this morning
when the structure was burned to the
ground In a fire that also damaged four
other properties In the central section
OF the town.
The blaze, starting at Ills this
morning, was famed by a stifr north
wind. and burned fiercely for two
hours, despite the efforts of firemen
from Selbyvile, Georgetown, Berlin
and Laurel.
The old Methodist Episcopal
Church, two and one half story
frame building on Duke street was
entirely destroyed. The new church.
large stone structure, facing on
Church street Immediately in back of
the old church. was badly damaged.
Damage was also done to the Red
Mems Hall. a story frame building
on Duke street: the NJ. T.. Parsonage,
on Church street. and the home of G.
T. Rogers, on the south side of Church
street
Mr. Florence Evins, teacher at
the school, discovered the fire, when
smoke started billowlng out under the
eavee OF the roof. Hardly had che seen
the first wisp OF smoke when the roof
burst into flames. the fire rapidly eat
ing it's way into the wood.
Summoning Miss Helen Matthews
and Mies Edith Monty, the other
teachers In the school, Mrs. Evns led
the children to safety I'm the etreet.
fBravins death, the three teachers, ac-
companied by come of the larger boye.
returned to the burning building and
euoceeded In removing y large number
of desks, which were hauled to the
street
The selbyville Fire Company had
been summoned, but upon its arrival.
the fire had spread over practically
the whole structure, and the Use OF
chemical was OF no avail. When the
| fire fighters realized that the Gre wae
beyond their control. they sent word
to Georgetown and Laurel. Delaware.
and to Berlin. Md Fire apparatus
from the three towns were immediate.
ly dispatched 10 the scene. but the
| old church was but mass of smould
erine ruins upon their arrival.
The flames were whipped by a
strong wind, and shingles from the
roof were blown far and wide. en-
dangering the whole town A win
dow in the new stone church. right
back of the old frame structure. was
left open, and a burning ember wa
blown into the building Unnoticed
for some time, the flames In the new
building made considerable headwa,
before the firemen made effort to ex.
tinRuish them.
burning embors fell upon the roo
of the Methodist Episcopal parsonag,
on Church street, and for a time, thi,
frame structure was threatened with
destruction. The Red Mems Hail. or
Duke street, and the home of G. r
Rodgers, on Church street, caught fir,
a number of times from burning en-
bers, and II was only by desperat,
work on the part OF the fire fighter,
that the buildings were saved.
At one o'clock the fire was report.
ed under contral The old church wa.
level with the ground. and the blaze,
in the parsonage. Red Mems Hall ant
the Rodgers dwelling were ex,
tinguished. The firemen were bat.
ting with the fire in the new stone
church. and were reported 10 hav,
the fire almost out.