Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-08-18
From the Goldsboro Messenysr
A Destructive fire.
THE WORK OF AN INCENDIApv
ABOUT $50 600 LOSS.

We are not in the right spirit to 49,.
anything this morning but an i'm perat;|
duty is devolved upon us, as a Journals.
to chronicle events, however sadIv Il ,ns,
weigh upon our mind.
At about half past II o'clock last Mol.
Sunday, August 18th, the alarm Of of.,,
was sounded from the :: Exchange HotaI %
at this place, and within few hours ful,,.
$50. 600 worth of property was destrovad
The fire originated in the garret ~
the " Exchange Hotel" and is bevont
doubt the helish work of an incendiaTv
The alarm brought our citizens promn,,,
to the scene of the confagration, but thu
flames had already burt forth th1oneh
| the Eoof and burned SO fercely that sl
efforts to save the building would bova
proved Of no avail, however. an effort rse
made to save as such of the fornitnra 90
could possibly be gotten out of the bu,n'
ing building.
The fire spread rapidly to Mess,s
Gregory 81 Cos new hotel building. on tho
opposite corner; and its liquid toncue ot
flames soon devoured it; the entire bloct
of business houses adjoining. and tia
Railroad car shed, tparing only the corner
residence of j. w. Cox, ESD, which was
saved through the persistent efforts Of
many of cur citlzsns. The supply of
water proved totally insufficient to subdna
the element and the want of good fire.
apparatus and fire cisterns was again
painfully felt.
/ At one time the element became furious
and much anxiety was felt for the safety of
the blocks south of the Exchange Hotel
and also fJr the buildings eas., including
the Baptist Church. But the timely ar
rival on the ground of our town sman, Dr.
Il. F. Arlington, with his little garden
hand engine, compelled the element to
cease its prey IN both of these last dircc
tons. 10 the untiring, daring AID
strenuous efforts Of DR.. Arlington, aided
! by number of brave and determined
citizeus-each and every individual Of
whom we would be glad to mention by
name, did we only know them, is our town
indebted for having escaped greater de-
struction.
The buildings destroyed were, the eEz-
change Hotel" Costing Messrs Jones 4
Murphy $31, 000 in Goid), Gregory
House" costing about 5000; ten store
buildings, together with outnouses. and
the car shed. The losses by the fire arc
Messfs. Jones & Murphy, about $50, O0O,
insured about SIS, 900; Gregory u Co.,
$50 600, insured for $11 900; Gregory,
Murphy & Co., 3d. 900. insured for Sc, 600;
Southern Express Company, $500, no
insurance; Col. l.. w. Hum phry, the Der
by building, S., ZOO, no insurance; S d.
Fairfield, store and stock Of goods, s. 300
no insurance; J. w. Cox, store, 81 $40,
no Insurance.; Strong 81 Morisey, store
building, 81 800, no insurance; Jas. W.
Morris, store, merchandise and fixture,
So 600; Ell. We'll 81 Bros, store building,
81 500, no Insurance.; Mayhood DC Duffy.
store building, 81. 500, no insurance; II.
s. HAZEL, store, stock of merchanCi 9
and ice, S.. 600, no insurance; w. Ill. Free
man, merchandise about $400, no insur
ance. In addition to these Losses the
merchandise, store fixtures and hou G.
hold furniture of about eight or ten other
parties were stolen and damaged to the
amount of several thousand dollars.
The c0lored men, number of them,
worked nobly, but we regret to have to
state, that the larger portion upon the
grounds, showed no disposition to lend
helping hand; indeed, some of them APP
Feared to have como near the scene of
confagaration merely for the purpose of
pludering. 1t would afford us great pleas
uro to be able to publish the names Of all,
the cQlored men especially, who 50 nobly
did all in their power TO aid the sufferers,
for which we are authorized to return
thanks.
The cause Of the fire is to be fully in
vestigated. That it is the work of an
incendiary, very few doubt, and it is
generally supposed to have its origin out
of the recent riot