Middletonians could see the blaze across the river, which appeared as a gigantic bonfire. Middletown firemen, under Chief James Anderson, rushed to the rescue of the village. Since there was no pressurized water, they could do little more than help the West Middletown volunteers with their bucket lines. Hundreds of local citizens crossed the river bridge the next day to see the wholesale destruction of the fire, which left the northeast section of the small village in smoldering ruins.
Donald and Virgil Shafor were the first to discover the fire. They lived across from the lumber yard where the conflagration began. Around midnight they saw flames coming from the office of the lumber company. Before they could notify Chief Gehm, the fire had already spread due to high winds.
Village men were soon out fighting the fire. They first obtained a ladder to rescue the Hatton family, who lived over the Roscroft Glove Factory, which along with the Post Office were of the first to ignite. With five children, the family escaped through a second story window, but they were unable to save anything except the night clothes they had on their backs.
Three implement buildings housing the Velte firm were all burned with the farm equipment, but through the hard work of volunteer firemen and the Middletown Fire Department, the home of George Velte was saved. Flames were fought with blankets and fire extinguishers rushed to the scene from the Gardner Mill and the Paper Box Board Company.
The Harlan Lumber yard, which was formerly owned by the Shaefor family, was the biggest loss. The sheds, yard, planning mill, barns and office were completely gone. The $23,000 loss was partly covered by insurance, said Eugene I. Harlan, the owner, and was not rebuilt.
James Pennell who worked at the lumber yard and lived next to the office which was burned ran into Harlan’s stable and took out his three horses. He saved them at the risk of his own life and of his own property, which was lost by the burning down of the house he lived in. His family escaped with what clothes they could grab.
The home of Daniel Snyder on the Poasttown Road was burned to the ground, the family just getting out with night clothes. A horse belonging to Mrs. Coddington was in Snyder’s barn for the night. The barn was burned down and the horse died because the flames were so high no could get to it.
The report of the fire damage read like a nightmare. Besides the Snyder and Pennel homes, the homes of Adam Selby and John Veidt were destroyed by the flames. Located on the corner, the Roscroft Glove Factory was completely burned out, and was never rebuilt. Nothing was saved from the Post Office or Township House. George Velte did rebuild his implement business.
Telephone and electric wires were cut and the power shut off, as the poles within a distance of several hundred feet were burned and the wires twisted in every direction. Utility men worked all night to piece together the damage so that service could be restored.
Within less than an hour after the fire had been discovered, all of the buildings described had caught on fire, due to the wind. Firemen worked all night to prevent any further spread of the fire, and to save other homes and businesses in the small community.
No one lost his life or was seriously injured, although several were burned, and one person fell 20 feet when a ladder gave way.
How the fire started was never determined. The Shafors who first saw it say it may have been the work of a fire fiend. When they examined the lumber yard safe, they found it a complete wreck with the door sprung. This aroused suspicion that burglars may have been trying to blow open the safe, but local firemen pointed out the fire could have caused the damage.
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