The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-01-24
-, -. ~ 1Iu.U IU|. -" =. :. ~,
Destructive Fire at===sAbRVlG.
= 7aaiito yyfiDa1Z- - - ,.1 .
,.,:s Loss, }, $4,000. r: r. /.

,g.,<s 80 Loss, ,$7O.OOO. -.-a.e
ONLY SOME $4,000 COVERED BY
. s21,'}1ai i =, INSURANCE, 10 ..5rn.
INCIDENTS OF THE CONE FLAGRAT10N
Its with feelings Of profound sadness
that we are called upon to record the
.incidents of the most destructive lire
which haserer occurredin the history
of Abbevillc, and which has reduced
the slightly proportions of some OF Its
finest buildings to ocharredand b'acken-
ed ruins. We have had number of
fires ia different parts of our town be-
fore, but they have been partialin extent
and involved comparatively. trifing
Sidss. 4 Even the great fire of July, 1858,
which swept away the '..Posey Range"
Mr.. r. II. ,Wardlaw'sI Storea and Mrs.
Aliens Hotel, and upon whose site now
stands the finest range Of brick buildings
IN the up country, was attended with
an cstilnated, loss only Of some $4,000,
and covered, too. largely by insurance.
hut here tho less is three times az great
with only some $1,000 Of insu-
rance. The iiree of 1888 swept away a
:, range of wooden buildings, which like
bn,ossnfi that which has just been de-
Istfoyssk was . relic of primitive arch
.itectafs In ,A bbeville, and might well
give place to more Imposing and sub-
sstaritiai structures. But alas, the, late
destructive confagration was not con-
Tent with destroying the frail tepements
OF wood, but consigned to- 'crumbiing
ruins, our beautiful Hotel, the pride and
D0rnanaent Of our town, and the large
aud colnnodious Courthouse, with all
Its slpublie offices, and large; part Of its
aspublicrecords. But after all we have
ncddse tolbe thankful. There has been
10 loss OF, f,'1tfe, anu the destruction o
-tprsperty might. have baehnlhe!l greater
cAtone timeit seemed that the fate OF
7tfie nAIston House" was Inevitable, and
with the, firing, Of that, the whole. Wes-
tern partof the town would have fallen
10 prey to the dcYouring element, Tho
,..wiird Vas light, and by the 'mcst ener'
..,getic and persistent efforts the conha,
grafton was stayed at this point. ..'".d
.ta,The.extent of tic area covered by the
{ IRE will be understood when we say
that it swept the. whole Eastern side oi
the Public SQnareI ifroil the. Marshall
House to the Courthouse, and including
those Buildings the wooden range ad-
jacent to the Hotcl-the bar-room, hotel
and store Of Mr.. John .Knox-all the
wooden buildings owned by Mr. Dennis
..lUNHill, and comprising the bar-roon
OF. Mr.. l.. II. Russell, (the upper por-
tioh being used as a dwelling by Mr..
Bowie aud family,) the confectionery OF
o Mrs. Lomax,I and the wooden teneme,its
next Law Range-the brick grocery
store Of, Christian & Wilson-and lastly
the brick storo of Mr.. B. O'Connor, at
the corner next the Courthouse occu'
pied By Mcssrs? KapIian & Sklarz. The
origin OF the fise was in the back part o.
q thckitchenin, the. rear of Russcll's gro
s,ccry--amd was thus in the centreof the
wooden block, with infamn1able ma
teriat on either hand. Whether the
:, fire was accidental or not is unknown
We learn that there wasno fire in tho
Kitchen during the day Previous. but il
may. have originated from q fire which
had been used for washing, only a short
-iilsta,ee ihjthe rear of the building, and
, from which some sparks may have been
= blown, 9stulfficiept 70 ignite the house.
-. -. In recalling. the incidents Of the event
full night, well does the writer of this
!oreeolleetG the vivid impression, which
now seems to have been presenti'neni
y OF coming evil, which was made on his
mind soon after retiring, at about IL o.
clock, in his room in the Marshall'House
4 noise, somewhat unusual, in the lower
story, suggested, for the first time in
Z! mouths, a fear of fire, and an apprehen-
Esion of It's attendant dangers. In tive
brief hours of reposc, apprehension be-
Hcame reality and he was aroused by a
o beating at tho door and the omisious!cry
1i'.The town is On tire.'h Hastily rushing ia
The front piazza He saw the .lurid glare Of
the devearing flames, which were then
1rjussrising aboveothe burning block. 1t
/. 1seeIned to him tl,en that the Hotel was
1iinsni i'll do danger, but that the flames threat.
cmed imminept. peril in the, other direc--
.tion. Rushing tothe Public Square. lie
saw m exeiteP throhg in the first Palral-
ISIS and pewSrlessnsss Of apprehension Ilsifn
knowing scarcely how, or where to meet
8 the raging flames A light wind from
6 the East blowing Iii the direction OF the
Z Marshall House seemed to threaten dam
!, ger only in that quarter, and there hur-
ried the excited crowd-snme to assist in
rj saving the building, others to aid the in
mates In rescuing their property. from
: lie, flames. The scene at the Hotel beg
ysasidescription, and can only be realized
sby ole who has seen iialf-clad men and
heipfsss women in all the agony of, sud.
i dur, m panic, ,>when, reused from their beds
stby, the. inidnightncry,of FIRE Gcoll acting
sAtiieits household goods and little all,