Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-12-30
FIRE TN RICHMOND.
.uared Thousand Dollars Worth

I'M property Destroyed-Eoss of Life.
,rpo Richmond papers bring late and in
Ting particulars of the great fire which
tei'oE"rred on Saturday morning at : o'clock.
OcGIti fire. was discovered to be in the
-! .rv Of the Spottswood Hotel, and had
pana,reasecd too far to be manageable with
proofs Alarm was Immediately given
p5 tho passages were soon nlleo WIN
slu.;fed people. La an incredibly snort
toLiaItLe smoke filled the whole house, and
mn DANES made their way through the
hin wood work partitions with fearful rap
ldty. Do,,,xt,ont WAS nromntIy on
ln ayonnd Init on account of the extreme
tue otLe water could not be made avail
coiu In less than half an hour flames
sp.0 ooor, upon each OF the five stories Of
We Hotel The scene was one OF lnde-
'n;habIc terror. Men, women and chill
1-nn we're in the burning building, and all
~ were awake were striving to get out
TrsrqthiDg was done to save lie, and by
eboroic executions Of those within and
Il 'Jont all wero saved except those who
Wv Ywakod by finding the flames in their
'vrn or remained only in tho vain hope
- saving their property.
stropg wind swept the flames west
uor3 and the sparks aud ashes flew all over
W." citv, After the Spot'swood, the adj
ming building, occupied by the Grover
Raker sewing machine depot, l.. Cur
ants merchandising store, and MIR.
Hnngerford's baking house, caught aod
GERS speedily destroyed. Wolfdeck's cigar
,+ore and Anderson's tin and stove depot
rore then fired, and only the constant play
1.-The engines upon the building on the
,orner of Main and 9th streets, known as
Bosher's Hall, and under which was the
Trocery and liquor store of W. ID. Blair &
- saved it from following suit. On 9Th
strpet the old framed building in the rear
=; the Spotswood, and belonging to the
Copcern, was partially destroyed. At 5
o'clock the fire was stayed.
Those who are known to have persisted
IN the flames are Samue! G. Hines, Eras-
INNS ". Ross, Samuel NJ. Robinson, and
Mrs. Emily Kennedy. w. II. Pace and
+ B. Farris are missing and it is feared
are lost.
Mr.. Hines was young gentleman favor
ably known. He came to Richmond from
Caswell county, North Carolina, and was
salesman in the wholesale dry good:
house of Moses Millhiser. His room wa:
On the fifth floor, but it is known that ht
came down stairs and endeavOred to ge
some one to go with him to assist in getting
Ross and Robinson out, bnt the ind ertak
ing was SO periIous that he failed to pro
cnTe assistance. He undertook it alone
and was known to have reached the room
90 he was seen afterwards at the window
cryiug and reckoning for help. Bedding
Was placed below the window, but sudden
" the flames burst forth from the YER
window where he stood. He fell backward
in the room and soon afterwards the foo
fell through. -,
Messrs. Ross and Robinson were boil
natives of Richmond, the former connect
Nth bo tOhonoO fra6a He WAS tn
son of Mr.. T.. W. Ross, we'll known in tina
city and the nephew of Franklin Stearns
Esq. The latter was O clerk in the tobac
co store of VIM Euker. Both were youn
men Of excellent character.
Mrs. Kennedy was the housekeeper 9
the hotel, and was most highly thought OF
She waa last seen endeavoring to save som
of her baggage, and was entreated by TIA
wife of one of the propr1etors to save he
life, but continued IN her room ana be
You'd doubt persisted.
Mr. II. A. Thomas, who doubtless W"
killed, was stranger, the travelling agen
of the panorama of Bunyan.s Pi'8rlln u
gress ~
steward of the hotel, wes badly hurt b
falling in his effort to get down from VIII
dow to window. His injuries are not tata
The following guests are missing j.
Virginia Nathan Burnstien, Washingto
City A. Lei, Tampa, Fla; L. Georg
and E. FL. Andrews, Syracuse, n.
Henry Kroth, New York City, and job
H. Holman, Jr., Jackson, Tenn.
MIR. W. III. Pace is route agent on th
Danville Railroad, and Mr.. J. Is. Farrls
an express messenger between Rlchmon
and Greensboro, n. G. They were sobe1
steady men, and fast friends. They al
both known to have discharged the dutit
of their respective Offices on Saturda
night, and then went to the hotel. The
roomcd together in the fifth story. Neitht
has since been seen or heard of, and it
feared that the flames caught them slecl
ing, and that they never left their room
Mr., Farris has wife and two children
Greensboro.
The loss sustained by large number
the boarders was very great. Mr.. WI
Ira Smith, with his family, occupied
suite Of rooms. He lost his furniture ar
everything in his rooms, amounting
$1,000 The loss of Captain G. @. McPha
was nearly as great. Mr.. Edward NJ.
friend lost nearly every thing be had,
Guiding o most valuable library.
A full list of the losses and lnsuran
has not yet been made out. We give Il
details as far as known
The Spottswood Hotel, owned by tt
Crenshaw estate, valued at $l4O, OOO l
sured IN Now York companies by -.
Walker & Co., ngents-on building, sec
900; on furniture, $40, 900; with the Nor
British company, t. NJ. AlfrieEd & 81
agents, for Sc, 600. II any other ms
rance, not ascertained.
The buildings occupied by E. Curra
and others, and owned by JAS. 81. Gran
estate. were insured for 81 2nO in t.
Mutual A suranee' Society of Virginia, f
IS 600 in the Virginia State Insuran
Company, and for IS, 900 in the Nations
Of Baltimore. The amount of b. Gu
rants loss is not ascertained, but is tota
insured for 1000 in the North Briti
and Mercantile, THOMAS M. AIfriend
Sons. agents.
The property of Sublett. Luck & Bish
was insured for So, 900 il the Southe
Mutual Insurance Company, for 5000
the British company of which Peyton
Ellerson are agents, and for $1,000 in t
North British and Mercantile, Il. NJ.
friend & Sons, agents.
Mayor KelIey's library was partially