Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-15
$4,000 BARN BLAZE
BLAMEDONF|REBUG
House, Store and Farm Build
ings OF William Barrows
at Elan Set Afire
FAMILY BARELY ESCAPES

Another fire of mysterious origin.
thought to be the work of frebugs who
have tcrrorzed farmers of Delaware.
Chester and Montgomery Counties for
two months. destroyed the house. barn
and store of William Barrows. at
Elan. Delaware County. carly this
morning.
State police and members of the field
force OF the state Bureau Of Fire Pre-
vention. working under Major &. NJ.
Wilhelm. began an investigation at
once. As in many other recent fires
thought to have been of inrendinry
origin in the three counties. no clues
hav" been found. Tho cntirc field force
Of tn" State Bureau and many state
troopers have been searching for the
iircbugS for two weeks. This is the
twenty ninth barn to be burned in three
months.
Mrs. Frank Rawlings. who lives
across thc street from the Barrows
home. was awakened by 4 man running
past the house. She looked out OF
window and saw 'hc sid" Of the Bar.
rows HON" abnH". STAT" p"licr have
been unable T." i"|al" III" mysterious
runner. Ther h,,'i"va Il" may know
something of III" origin e the fire. which
apparently started on the outside Of the
house
Mr.. aud Mrs. BaroWS barely cs-
capped from the hons" in tim" 10 save
their lives. THE siairwa, from the
second floor was cnvelopcd in flames
a moment "r two after they passed
down them. dressing as they went.
Smoke AM al,eils Woman
The fire was discovered by Mrs. Bar.
,,n l,, nl.n
pouring into the room. Nothing IN the
house was saved except the small
amount Of clothing they managed to
seize az they fled from the building.
Their store and barn wer" also burned
10 the ground. Tie store was the
largest establishment "t it's kind be.
tween West Chester and Wilmington
and carried Il lHrg" Stock OF general
merchandise. Crops harvested during
the summer and inll and stored in the
barn were burned. together with farm
implements. Thcrc wa no livestock
in the barn. however. Several small
outbuildingS wer" destroyed
The fire Hprnr"ntly started in the
dwelling house. but spread quickly 10
the store and barn. N" house and
store wcr" destroyed within thirty
minutes.
twenty nin,h ElaLP OF Hind
iircmen from West Chester. Medin
and Wilmington went +" III" scene. bus
could Il" nothing t" snV" n" property.
They devoted their efforts 10 prevent
tho flames spreading !" adjoining
houses. The lose to III" HHrrows
i placed at So, ,Wm. part ot which ib
covered by insurance.
This morning hr" was III" twenty
ninth +" occur III tn" three counties
since early October. Th" last fire Of
kn"wn inrcndiary origin WAS uiuc DAYS
lGu when the barn on the estate of IIr.
!. Rlair Spencer. nt Malvern. Chess
trr County. was burned aftcr the fire.
bugs had taken the prccaution T." ont
all tclcphon" wires l"aIiu. from th"
estate.
Since that time ,lcre mas been ono
fire, thought to have boon uf ipcendi.
airy origin. In Lancaster County.
ah"ut eight mi'"s from tho Chester
County line. T"o mon were seen 10
run from thc burning barn to an auto.
mobile and speed away and it is
Thought from that they "crc tho same
tirchngs who hay" hr"u rcrrurzing
Chester. Dclawar" and Montgomery
County farmers.