The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-08-16
THE FIRE FIEND AT WORK.
THE GREAT FIRE IN GoLDsBoRo,.
Full Particulars.
from the Goldsooro' Messenger.l

We are not in the right spirit to pen any
thing this morning, but an imperative duty
devolves upon us, as journalists, to- chronicle
events, however sadly 1t may weigh upon our
minds. at about half-past IL o'clock last
night. Sunday, August 18th, the alarm of fire
was sounded from the Exchange Hotel, at
this place, and within few hours fully $780,
900 worth OF property was destroyed. The
fire originated In the garret of the Exchange
Hotel, and is, beyond doubt, the hellish work
of an incendiary. The alarm brought our
citizens promptly to the scene Of confagra-
tion, but the flames nad already burst forth
through the roof and burned so fercely that
all efforts to save the building would have
proved of no avail; however, an efortlwas
made to save as much of the furniture as could
possibly be gotten out of the burning building:
The fire spread rapidly to- Messrs. Gregory &
Co.'s new hotel building, on the opposite cor
ner, and Its liquid tongue of flames soon de-
voured 1t; the entire block Of business houses
adjoining, and the railroad car shed, sparing
only the corner residence Off. W. Cox, Esq,
which was saved through the persistent efforts
proved totally insufficient to subdue the ele:
ment, and the want of q good fire apparatus
and fire cisterns were 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
for the buildings east, including the Bap-
tist Church. But the timely arrival
B. F. Arlington, with his little garden
hand engine, compelled the element 10 cease
its prey in both of these last directions. To
the untlring, daring and strenuous efforts OF
DR.. Arlington, aided BY number of brave and
determined cltizens-each and every indiVid-
ual OF whom we would be glad to mention by
name, did we only know them-is our town
hox r.
uon. The buildings destroyed were the .sEx-
change Hotel" Costing Messrs. Jones u Muir
ply s3l 900 in gold,) .Gregory House" (cost-
ing about sl5,000D ten store buildings,
I0gether with outhouses. and the car fsned.
The losses by the fire are Messrs. Jones &
Murphy, about 100000, insured about $t5, 600;
Gregory d Co., $4,000, insured for sll 900;
Southern Express Company, s2500, no insur-
ance; Colonel L. ". Humphry, the Derby bull
ding, $4,000, no insurance; s. D. Fairfield, store
and stock Of goods, $2500, no insurance;J. W.
Cox, store, $780, no insurance; Strong &
Morisey, store and building. $500, no insur.
ance; Jas. W. Norris, store, merchandise ana
fixtures, $4,000; b. Well & Bros, store build
store building, $500, no Insurance.; a.. 8.
HAZEL, store, stock of merchandise and Ice,
$4,000, no insurance; W. II. Freeman, merchan-
disc, about $400, no insurance. In addition to
these losses the merchandise, store fixtures
and household furniture OF about eight or ten
other parties, were stolen and damaged to the
amount of several thousand dollars.
The colored men, a 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 appeared TO have come near the
scene of confagratlon merely for the purpose
of plunderlng. 1t would anord us great pleas
ure to be able to publish the names of all, the
colored men especially, who so 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 Investigated.
Yhat 1t Is thework of an incendiary very few
doubt, and 1t is generally supposed to have
Its origin out of the recent riot.