The Daily Gazette

FIRST

EDITION!

A SUNDAY FIRE.

DREIN'S

BOATHOUSE

BURNED-A

DWELLING DAMAGED.

Between 12.30 and 1 o'clock, yesterday afternoon a fire was discovered in the manufactory of Thomas Drein & Son, boat builders, on Tatnall street, below Water. The alarm was quickly sounded and soon the entire fire department of the city was on the ground and in service.

The building in which Messrs. Drein & Son conducted their business was an old frame structure and as soon as the flames secured good headway they made rapid work with the dry and well seasoned timbers. The engines soon had copious streams of water upon the fire, but it was impossible to do more than prevent the flames from spreading any further.

The surrounding property comprised an old frame dwelling in front, a saw mill in the rear, and a lumber yard on each side. When this fact is considered it will be seen how good a work was accomplished by the fire department in keeping the fire almost exclusively confined to the building in which it originated.

In a short time after the alarm was sounded the boat house was completely enveloped in flames, and its destruction was soon accomplished. The contents, consisting of tools, timber, iron, and a new yacht just completed were also destroyed. The yacht was being constructed for Manlove Hayes, Esq., of Dover, and would have been sent down to his cottage at Rehoboth City in a few days.

The shop was entirely gutted, and it will be several days before Messrs. Drein & Son will be able to resume operations.

Fortunately the six government life-boats which they recently finished, were lying outside of the shop, and escaped injury.

The fire also communicated to the large two story and a half frame dwelling in front of the boat house, and burned the roof nearly all off, besides burning out the rear wall. But the firemen, by their well directed streams of water succeeded in extinguishing the flames, though the house was completely flooded. It was occupied by the families of Milton Burris Daniel White, Andrew Ross, Mary Freeman, Lizzie Conway and Rachel Kelley, all colored, but the occupants succeeded in escaping with their effects though one of the women declared that the flames singed her hair before she escaped with the last of her goods. Last evening the families all removed to the vicinity of Ninth and Kirkwood streets.

The loss by the fire cannot be exactly ascertained. That of Messrs. Drein & Son, will be inside of $1000, and if a quantity of galvanized iron that was damaged can be regalvanized, their loss will not exceed $500. They are fully insured in the Niagara Company, of New York and the Shawmut, of Boston. The boat house building and the dwelling house belong to the Simmons estate, though they are leased by Messrs. W. R. & H. Gause. The loss on both buildings will not exceed $1,000 which is covered by insurance in the Farmers' Mutual, of this city.

On account of the dilapidated condition of the dwelling it is doubtful if it will be repaired, and the boat house it is altogether likely, will not be rebuilt, as Messrs. Drein & Son are having a large brick building erected at the N. W. cor. of Water and Tatnall streets, in which they propose to carry on business.

The fire was supposed to have been the work of an incendiary, as it originated in the same place where an attempt was made to fire the building on Friday night.

During the fire the fire ropes were spread for the first time, and by the active exertions of officers Berphardt and McIlhenny, the crowd was kept aside, thus giving the firemen plenty of working room.