Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-06
$780, 900 FIRE AT
MIDDLETOWN
Continued from page ]

About 1870 o'clock, Miss Alice Wood.
whose home u near the Opera House.
discovered the fire. Smoke and, flames
We're then issuing from the building.
About the same time Frank Zassare,
who conducts a bakery not far away
also discovered the fire. Other resi-
dents OF the town were summoned. the
f1rc companies were called, and within
short time many persons had gather
ed around the theatre.
Mall Matter Saved.
The theatre, which was of gray TIL
ing, and was believed to be fircproof.
burned rapidly. Efforts OF the fire
men and some OF the spectators who
We're eager to lend a hand were d.
rected toward saving nearby property
especially the mail and other matter
In the postofhce. Practically all the
mail and valuable material was saved
| through quick work The office was
located on the first floor. The build
Ing was of frame.
| The library and its contents, COM
prising some 1000 volumes. many Of
them valuable. were entirely destroy
ed. The library was established about
20 years ago and It's books represent
ed the collection of the entire period
Not n volume could be saved.
\ few of the papers which were
stored in the office Of Miss Eugenia
Beaston, fire insurance agent. were
saved. All of the office equipment and
furniture. which was up to date. and
the majority of the policies and other
documents which she had on file there
were destroyed. IL has been impossible
| q ascertain SO far the exact loss which
has been caused by the destruction
OF these papers.
Second Theatre Fire.
Mddletown, however, sustains It's
greatest loss in tho destruction OF its
Opera House. which was the seat Of
all it's important public gatherings
and activities. The building was erect
ed by Mr.. Lewis only two years ago,
following a former fire. and was the
finest structure In the town. by a pc
Cular coincidence the building mot
it's destruction in a manner and under
circumstances very similar To those
surrounding the destruction by fee of
it's predecessor. 1t has always been a
lpuzzle to local residents what caused
the mysterious burning of the simple
but substantial three-story brick
building which preceded the Opera
House that was destroyed early today
Although not to he compared in APP
lpeaTancc with the up-to- date. hand
some theatre that met its fate to-
day. the brick building had neverthe-
less. answered its purpose in a Very
icreditable manner. and provided enter
tainment for the townsfolk for many
years.
Under conditions exactly similar &c
those surrounding the present fire, tn,
town was awakened shortly after
midnight one night 20 find the theatr,
In flames The loss from that FIRE
however. wac Insignificant compared
TO today :
The new theatre had been success
ful since its erection. Plays had beer
given there from time 10 time and
moving pictures were shown regular.
ly several nights during the week, i
supplied a very great need OF the com
munity, that OF providing place fol
the holding OF public events. Only 20
night. the school children 81 th'
county were counting on holding ;
defamation contest there and ha|
their essays and speeches all prepared
The Redgrave Brothers hardware
store. which was one OF the fines
stores OF its kind in the town, an'
formed one section OF the theatre, wa
a total loss. II was we'll stocked Will
cutlery. kitchen utensils. and variou
PARTICLES. all Of which were burned.
The neat Ricciardi fruit store, whicl
occupied the section Of the Oper
? House on the other side OF the en-
, trance and its contents Of fruit an
vegetables, was also n total loss.
, II is looked upon as Especially FOR
= tunate, however. that it was. possihl
to save the contents Of the postofiic'
AL of the mail which had arrived i
the night was awaiting distribution i
. the morning and II this had bee
burned the loss would have been con
siderably increased.
Il was announced today that IN
postofice for a time will be located !
the headquarters OF the Mems Clu'
J not far away from the former site.
l. not known as yet what efforts wi
< be made to rebuild the structures De