The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-06-05

. VI UP thClt tht hthhN
less, and took them to be kindly cared
for. The Court House having been
saved, its doors were opened to the
sufferers, and many took occasion to
: find shelter for the night within its
/ walls
The track of the fire was desc.
lating scene. All of the best part OF
, the town was smouldering heap OF
ashes and ruins. Where but few
: hours before stood handsome house,
| filed with all the comforts of life
, there remained nothing now but por.
, tions of the blackened walls or a sol.
itary chimney. Standing upon the
west side of the diamond, looking
eastwardly, one saw nothing but
broken, blackened, toppling walls,
; and charred trees and shrubbery
The beautiful yards surrounding many
of the residences were now the sad
dest of the sad sights; even the trees
were burnt, and their bare and black
ened trunks stood like silent sentinels
broodiug over the scene. The flow
ers We're blighted and the tender
grass was scared.
As the night advanced the worn
out people disappeared from about
the smoking ruins and sought some
place to lie for rest. Beds were
placed upon the floors Of those of the
residents who had them, and the wea-
ried ones sought repose. Some slept
in the courthouse, some in stables,
and even some in fence corners, but
the majority were provided for in the
houses left standing. The scene of
desolation at night was awfully i'm
impressive; the Pickering flames from
still burning piles east spectral shad-
ows over surrounding objects, and as
the fare would light up the ruins of
some loved home, the picture was
complete to make a weird scene of
devastation and sorrow, only to be
found in the wake of the fire demons
track. With the coming morn the
citizens arose with feelings far differ
ent from those of the preceding day :;
and gathering about the still smoking
ruins gazed listlessly upon the sad and
dreary sight. Here and there were
groups gazing at the ruins of their
homes with such feelings as only those
similarly situated could portray. The
work of the fire king had been COM
plete, and within the compass burned
not a building of any description had
been left. The fire, as before stated,
started at Francis Weimer's stable,
about two hundred yards west of the
diamond, and, then spreading right
and left, as far as the second house
below Widow Ankeny's, under the
hill, although house farther east, at
the turn of the road, last at the edge
of town, belonging to and occupied
by Widow Finnesy, was burned.
Southwardly the fire was stayed on
the south side of Union street, but
burning everything on the north side
of the street below Mr.. Frank j.
Kooser's residence From the start
ing point it spread northwardly to the
Barnet House, and thence through the
diamond to the Lutheran Church, and
thence eastwardly to the house below
Mr.. ID. Weyand's residence, occupied
at the time by the Methodist Minis
ter, Rev. Stewart. From these points
not single thing is left unburned,
the whole area about thirty acres, is
one mass of ashes.
1t is astonishing how everything
combustible was burned up. Moth
ing but earth could withstand the
great heat. An estimate made BY
a gentleman familiar with the place as
it was, puts the number of buildings
consumed at one hundred and sereR-
teen, fifty-one of which were occupied
as dwellings.
The loss to some of the sufferers is
almost incalcuable in some instances.
as the accumulations of life time
were in single hour totally destroyed
The many household treasures,
keepsakes, books, clothing, and a
hundred other things upon which a
priceless value was set, cannot be re-
stored. The loss of property which
can be valued in money, is estimated
$3.50, 900. on which there is not more
than $4,000 of an insurance. The
majority of the property-holders are
able to stand the loss, but to large
proportion of the remainder, trades
people, mechanics and laborers the
loss falls very hard indeed, as in ma
ny instances allposessions were their
swept away and while few hundred
dollars would perhaps cover the cost
of the same, the owners cannot afford
the expense of restoration, as numbers
of them have families dependent.upon
them for support. To these help is
now necessary.
List of losses-the following list
gives the names of some of the suf- |
ferers and buildings burned:
The dwellings of Messrs. Huntseck-
er and Baer. the grocery store of w. |
w. Davis Il Bro, cabinet shop of w. |
b. Coffroth, with his fine block on
Main street, including Flick's Wash
ington House and the Odd Fellows
Hall; ID. s. Knees hotel; Samuel
Piles dwelling house Noah Case
beers tinwarc establishment store
and dwelling Of A. j. Casebeer & |
Co.; Sayers & Conover's hotel, the
Ross House and the finest establish
ment in the place, that of Knable q
Patton j. II. Miller's stove store; the
postoilice, kept by Mrs. Ogle; the
banking house and dwelling of NJ. A.
Sanner & Co; the Glade House, a
large hotel; the dwellings, of III. F.
Schell, +. j. Kooser, DIR. f. NJ Kim
mel and Mrs. Wilson; Mrs Chorpen-
ming, Neff and George Chorpenning &
the drug store of DIR. A. G. Miller
Heffiey L. Bros clothing store G. W.
Benford's drug store ;J. II. thinner
mans shoe store the Baer Mansard
block, including the library and pho
tograph gallery of w. H. Welhey the
large grocery store of c. +. Rhoads
& Co., the banking house of Schell &
Kimmell G.. X. Parker's store, and
the entire block ending with the
Lutheran church, also the law Offices |
of A. j. Colborn, Samuel Gather,
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