The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-18
THE TORCH IN UNION.
TERRIBLE INCENDI4RY FIREIN THE
VILLAGE.
Both Hotels and Many Business Houses
Laid in Ashes-Tncidents and Details
of the Confngratton.

The greater portion of the business quarter
of the Town of Union was destroyed by fire
on Friday morning, and, to render the calami'
ty the more appalling, 1t is believed that the
fire was the work of an incendiary. Again
and again have the Radical leaders hidden
their followers remember that the lucifer
match levels all distinctions, and the rawlings
of the Federal officials and party Journalists
were enough to persuade the negroes tnat
they would be fully justified In burning to the
ground the town where the Ku.Klux had rid
den. We hope thatan Investigation will prove
that the fire was accidental. If the negroes
begin their wild work as early as this, what
may we expect before election day?
Mr.. r. NJ. Stokes, OF the Unionville Times,
sends the Columbia Phoenix the following re-
pht of the fire:
about four o'clock, and destroyed great por-
tion of the business part Of Union. 1t was
fret discovered around the chimney OF MIR.
William Eller's store, In the second story Oh
the building. We had no fire engine or any
other apparatus tor combating hre. so tnaC
the destroying element had full sway. A
slight breeze sprung up, and we could DO out
little more than stand and watch 1t burn. /
cannot estimate the loss, but It Is very great
for this place. The buildings destroyed we're
the brick block, belonging to Mr.. d. L. Goss;
Mrs Lamb, Captain A. B. Foster, the National
Hotel and the Central Hotel. In hr. Gosss
Ing a large stock of dry goods, gro
ceries, hardware, &C.; Reuben sims's
stock of groceries,. the second story
was occupied by DR.. Bennett, dentist,
and the room lately occupied by General JOS.
Gist. I don't think anything was saved by
these gentlemen. In Mrs. LAMBS building,
Dr. Gibbs occupied the lower story as drug
store He lost everything. The Times oftice
was In the upper story, and not atype, or any
thing In the way OF material was saved
total loss: nv son saved my books. Captain
Foster fortunately saved nearly all his heavy
stock of goods-of course In very mixed up
condition. Aportion Of the furniture 10 tne
hotels was saved. The wooden store oelosg-
ElIer's store, was also destroyed, (fortun-
ately no one occupied it, with some
tenements in the rear Of the store. A
number of outbuildings were destroyed.
Mr.. Tinsley and Dr.. ]. A. Moore occu-
pied building between the. two s'ores.tae
doctors shop. Mr.. Tinsley's jewelry, tools,
&c. were saved; but DR.. Moore lost all his
surgical instruments and medicines. A. W.
Thompson & Co. occupied the building ad-
Joining the National Hotel. Fortunately tnelr
stock was very low, and they saved most OF
It. Two rooms adjoining were occupied by
colored geSpsone shoemaker ssGrs ana rbae tse
saved most of their property. I learn that q
colored child was burned In an clubhouse Of
the hotel. have just left the fre-Csptaln
Fosters building is burning. The flames
spread rapidly. The cars are about to start.
R. n. STOKES.
A later report conhrms3the belief that the
fire was set by an incendiary. 1t broke out IN
8 wooden building at the back of Mr.. Eller's
store, to burn which an attempt had before
been made. There is no truth in the report
that colored child was burned, or that the
sheriff was fred upon. In addition to the
losses reported by Mr.. Stokes, we learn that
the grocery and dry goods store Of Mr.. halloy
and the saddlery shops of Messrs. Robinson q
Harlay were wholly destroyed.
We heartily sympathize with Union in her
great misfortune.