TIME MACHINE ... 1922 Pocomoke City Fire Described

April, 1922

(The Frederick News Post- Frederick, Md.)

POCOMOKE CITY HALF IN ASHES; LOSS $2,000,000

Business And Resident Section Destroyed Yesterday

SOLDIERS ON GUARD

Pocomoke City, Md., April 17- More than half of the business section, including about fifty dwellings, of this city, were destroyed by the most disastrous fire in the history of the Eastern Shore yesterday. The heart of the business section including the telephone exchange, post office, Worcester Democrat office, and two hotels were wiped out. Fire companies from a dozen towns, within a radius of fifty miles, were called on for help. The flames were gotten under control about 6 o'clock last evening, and at time the damage was estimated at between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000.

The conflagration left the town in darkness. Shortly before 6 o'clock the mayor of the town called on Governor Richie for protection. The latter sent word to Col. D. John Markey, this city, Commander of the First Regiment, Maryland National Guards, and he at once ordered Company I of Salisbury to guard the town until further orders.

The fire started in a stable early in the day and fanned by a high southerly wind spread with great rapidity. Almost from the start it was apparent the town was doomed unless assistance arrived quickly. It was then that about a dozen adjoining towns were called upon for assistance. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon 20 buildings in the heart of the business and new residence sections were in ashes. Last night the burned area was surrounded by soldiers.

Working its way with unbelievable rapidity to Market and Willow Streets, the two principal business streets of the city, the fire burned in both directions. Proprietors of scores of places and homes in the neighborhood, seeing that the fire was spreading, grabbed up books and other valuable papers and raced with them to outlying sections, where they placed them in other hands for safe keeping.

Then the proprietors hurried back and began the removal of their stocks or as much of their stocks as they could carry. It was impossible to get wagons close to their places of business because of the lines of hoses laid by the fire department and what was saved was carried away.

Most of the buildings were of frame construction and the high southerly wind, blowing toward the river and with the better part of the town before it, carried the fire from building to building. In some places it leaped great distances or was carried long distances by embers.

Guests in the Parker House and the Landing House made preparations to leave when it was seen that the fire was moving in the direction of these two hostelries. Most of the guests saved their effects before the two hotels caught fire. At 2 o'clock the Landing House was totally destroyed and the Parker House seemed doomed to a like fate.

Thousands of persons in all of the surrounding (areas) were en route to Pocomoke City by automobile to see the biggest fire which has visited the Eastern Shore in its history. Some traveled by automobile, some by horse and wagon, while others walked. Some living along the Pocomoke river came down in boats.

Despite the fact that the fire was threatening the entire city and everybody else seemed on saving their homes or their contents, the telephone girls stayed at the exchange and helped the town officials in summoning assistance from the other towns on the Shore. Most of these places have motor fire-fighting apparatus of late design and within a short time after the first call was sent out these machines started to arrive.

Good roads helped the motor apparatus to get to the scene and immediately on arrival the men jumped into the fight and threw the weight of their forces against the raging flames.

The water supply was in excellent shape, and while firemen worked diligently they were unable to stem the forward progress of the conflagration. Some of the destroyed buildings would have supplied sufficient work for three or four fire companies. The fact that 50 or more buildings were destroyed ... shows what a handicap the fire department faced.

Footnote: A New York Times report listed the loss at $600,000. In earlier years major fires occurred in Pocomoke City in 1888 and 1892.


TIME-SNIP ... January, 1927

The Eastern Shore Gas And Electric Company announced that Vienna had been selected as the site for construction of a modern steam turbine generating station. Salisbury, Cambridge, Pocomoke City, and Seaford had also been considered.


October, 1984

(The Capital- Annapolis, Md.)

Pocomoke City, Md., is one of 17 cities from coast to coast that have been named finalists in the 1984-85 "All American Cities" program, The National Municipal League's Citizen's Forum On Self-Government announced yesterday.

The 12-member jury that selects the winner next month in San Antonia, Texas, has said it looks for cities that try harder to solve local problems, rather than cities that claim to be problem free. Finalists were chosen from almost 100 formal entries.



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