The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-18
THE GREAT CHESTER FIRE.
4 DETAILED ACCOUNT OF TIE CON-
FLAGRATION.

F~LAGRATION.
The Origin OF the Fire a mystery-The
Individual Losses, and How Far they
were Covered by InsuEance.
An extra from the Reporter Office gives the
following particulars of a great fire which oc-
CURED in that town on Sunday
Chester has been called upon again to add
her name to the long catalogue of places laid
waste by fire. Black and smoking ruins mark
To-day the spots that on yesterday were busy
with the hum of enterprise and trade. The
fire was discovered by Mr.. Henry Letson, and
the alarm given a little after four o'clock this
morning. It was at the rear emf of the store
much progress to be successfully resisted at
the time the discovery was made. The build
Ing being q very old wooden one, was en-
veloped In flames in q few moments. and
the fire reaching some half a dozen kegs of
powder that Were in the store, an explosion
took place, which rent the house asuuder
and scattered the burning brands on all the
buildings around. To the east of MI. Nails
store, and separated from II by an alley-way
of ten feet In width, stood the store of Msssrs
I. l.. Clubhouse q Co. This was also a very
old building, and 1t caught and burned 30 rap
Idly ss to lead many who were early on the
ground into the error that the fire originated
IucIclus NcAI I'll u Co6 WOO II OIu I'LL
shop,n owned by Mr.. J.J. Mcclure and Cap
tain ]. l.. Agurs Jointly, and occupied by
Messrs. ]. e. Curtis q Co. This was licked up
by the flames In a few minutes, and the large
brick building adjoining 1t on the east, owned
by Captain ]. l.. Agura, and occupied by
Messrs. Wylie, Roddy d Agurs, stood next In
the path Of the devourer. On account
of its close proximity 10 the tin shop, and the
fact Of 1t being covered with shingles, all Idea
nf ottomnf5pn m codo II mos ohondopal o~a
the efforts Of the iremen were directed to the
protection Of the house OF Mr.. J. l.. Chambers,
The bank and the building occupied by Mr.. E.
j. West and Mrs. PasSallaigue. In these efforts
they were successful, and the further progress
Of the fire 10 this direction was stayed. I'm
medlately adjoining the store of Nj. Nall on
the west was a email wooden house owned by
&r. John McCauthren, and occupied by him
as q confectionery store. It and all it's con-
tents were soon consumed. Adjoining this
building stood the large house OF the corner
belonging to the estate OF Major John Ken
needy. This was occupied by the family of the
deceased as q residence, and by Mr.. ].
W. Rothrock as q dry goods store,
Messrs. Bourke & TInsley as q takeshop,
and Mr.. 8. @. Kaufman as q dry goods
store. Across the street from this building
stands the large and elegant irou front hotel
recently completed by Messrs. Smith q Mel.
ton. The doors and windows OF this house
were badly seorched and blistered, and Its de-
struction prevented only by the untirlng e1-
ertion Of the Stonewall Company. On the OPP
poslte side of the Cross street from the Ken.
needy birding. stands a very large wooden
house, Owned by Mr.. E. II. Shannon, and 0c-
cupied BY Mr.. D. A.. Brlmer as q hotel and Mr..
G. A. brennan az q family grocery store. To
save this building, and thereby prevent the
destruction of q large portion OF the town,
called out the skill and exertIon Of the fire de-
partment, and OF the vast crowd collected at
the FIRE. The Champion Hook and Ladder
Company covered the roof, and worked with
unflagglng zeal, while the Stonewall played
away on the side and end Of the building.
Their Joint labors were croWned with success,
and the march of the destroyer in q westerly
direction was thus stayed at the cross street.
Tbs origin of the IRE is not and most proba-
bly, will never be known. The hour In the
morning, however, ut which 1t occurred, to-
gether with the fact that the torch had been
applied to Mr.. Nails store twice previous to
almost certainly to the hand ohtho tnoondiory
as the cause of the disaster. Though the blow
Is q very serious one to some of the sufferers,
and is a calamity to the town, IL is q great re-
lief to know that the major part OF the loss
falls upon solvent insurance companies. The
Kennedy was Insured for $2500 In the Georgia
Home. The family lost furniture, clothing,
de-. to the probable value oil $4,000, uninsured.
s. G. Kaufman Insured tor $4,000 In the Lon
don and Liverpool aud Globe; por-
ton of his stock saved. Tinsley q Bourke
saved their stock. E. N. Shannon not in
snred; house damaged, probably, $500. G. A..
brennan insured for $500 In the Georgia
Home; partial loss from removal. Z. ID. Cross
moval not ascertalned. ]. W. Rothrock, loss
$1,000; no insurance. John McCauthren, loss
$1,000; no Insurance.. Pinkston Nall, loss $4,000;
no insurance. Mrs. Louisa Melton, loss $500;
no Insurance. I. L. Clubhouse j. Co., loss
about $50, 900; insured for SIT, 500, as follows:
s12 900, In the London, Liverpool and Globe.
$4,000 in the Hartford, OF Connecticut, and
$500 In the Georgia Home. j. J: Mcclure
and J. L. Agurs, house burned; no insurance.
J. E. Curtis & 90 loss $4,000; insured
for $500 In the Georgia Home. Wylie,
Roddy q Agurs, loss $4,000; Insured for $685.
600 In the London, Liverpool and Globe.
Captain j. L. Agurs's house was insured for
$4,000 In the Germania, of New York; $4,000
would not rebuild It. l. ]. McNinoh. Insured
for $1,000 In the Georgia Home; considerable
loss from removal and water: T.; McE FL oys
tailor shop. His sewing machines were
saved. Archibald Hogg lost all the contents
of his tailor shop; value not ascertained. Both
of these last named parties occupied rooms In
the second story OF Agurss building. Other
losses were incurred by parties removing
their goods and furniture from buildings sup.
posed to bs In danger, but We have no means
of arriving at any Just estimate Of their
amount.
This is the third destructive fire that has
swept over the hill In three years. and now
only four of the old landmarks of the business
portion of Chester are left standlng-the
storehouse formerly occupied BY Mcclure O.
Harris, the residence OF James Graham, the
Shannon house, many years ago the property
Of George Kennedy, and the house on the
corner, occupied by R. NJ. Cross. These are
the only buildings left out of the many that
crowned the hill twenty years ago: plsaster
In the past has only served to call forth all tne
latent energy of our business men, and nerve
them for q sterner struggle with the tickle
goddess, 80 it will be again. Before man
months pass away, the sites now marked oy
smouldering embers will be occupied oy large
and costly warehouses.
While all classes, colors and professions
We'd with each other In their endeavors TO
save property and stop the progress OF the