Smyrna times., 1946-03-28
DOVER FIRE
DISASTROUS
Five Business Houses De-
stroyed When Pan of
Grease Boils Over
LOSS PUT AT 100000

LOSS PUT AT 100000
The most disastrous fire in the
history of Dover, started when a
pan of grease boiled over in res
taurant, shortly before daybreak
Saturday morning, destroyed fire
business establishments, damaged
two others and caused damages es-
timated by Fire Chief Thomas e.
Baker, at S100, 900. The fire start
ed in Carey's Restaurant on Brad
ford Street, at Loockerman, in the
heart of Dover's business district,
spreading from the Kitchen
through the building. After bat
ting the flames for five hours,
members of the Robbins Hose
Company returned to the scene in
the afternoon to test the walls to
determine the immediate danger to
the public.
Mayor Aids Inspection
Following the inspection, which
was in charge of Fire Chief Thom-
as Baker, with Mayor j. Wallace
Woodford on the scene at the time,
it was stated that the walls would
probably stand for period as they
were but that they were unfit for
further construction purposes. Re-
moval of the remaining walls and
clearance of this site, which is in
the heart of the Dover business
district, is expected to make the
space availablel for enlarged mer-
camille activities in that area. The
fire started at 4:40 o'clock. Patrol
men w. G. Bush and Charles Nor
ris of the Dover police were in the
restaurant at the time. Noting
the smoke the patrolmen and a
waitress ran back to the kitchen.
The stove was a mass of flames.
Driven From Restaurant
Using phone in the restaurant,
Bush called the Robbins Hose Com
pany, while Norris helped the girl
remove a few valuables. The pa
trolmen, who said there were no
fire extinguishers in the building,
attempted to bring the fire under
control pending arrival of the fire
company, but were driven out by
the flames. The fire spread rapid
ly through the frame building to
the roof and into the frame build
ing occupied by E. w. Humphrey,
electrical contractor. When fire.
men reached the scene the restaur-
ant building was mass OF flames.
The Central Liquor Store, operat-
ed by Robert Whedbee, in the two
and one-half story building, was
destroyed as the blaze gained head
way. On Loockerman Street, and
adjoining the liquor store, Ma
loney's barber shop was the next
prey of the fire which then swept
into the Nap and Spence Furniture
Store, three-story building on
Loockerman Street. 1t was quick
ly destroyed.
Gift Shop Damaged
Smoke and water damaged the
Tarvin Gift Shop, owned by A. w.
Tarvin, on Loockerman Street, and
adjoining the furniture store. The
store of Mrs. Ruth Hall Concileo,
known as the Elizabeth Shop, on
Loockerman Street, adjoining the
Tarvin Shop, sustained smoke DAM
age only. Important assistance
was given the Dover Robbins Hose
Fire Company and the Camden
Wyoming Fire Company by the
Dover Army Air Base. A shift OF
wind sent a shower of sparks
southwark and some of them
reached the old State House on
Dover Green, two blocks away. A
corps of firemen and auxiliaries
were dispatched to cover the area,
The Nap and Spence Furniture
Store was operated by Mrs. Adele
C. Newman and the building own
ed by ]. C. Ehrlick Realty Com
pany. The fire, in the center of
the city, attracted thousands of
spectators. Two nearby restaur-
ants opened to provide coffee and
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