Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-10-02


At fifteen minutes after o'clock on
Sunday morning last our citizens were
aroused from their tlumbers by the cry
Of Fire, which was shortly after followed
by the ringing of church and school
house bells.
The fire was first discovered by Mrs.
GETz In a small barn in the rear of Mr..
GETz' grocery, which was used by
him for a store room and ice house,
after it had got well under way. Consid-
ering the time of night our citizens re-
sponded promptly to the call for aid, but
many of them were soon called away to
guard their own buildings from the
shower of burning cinders that were fall
ing think and FIST over all the eastern
portion of the village. The Mohawk and
Hook and Ladder Companies were soon
on the scene of action, and although the
Engine did not work we'll at first 1t did
good service In saving Mr.. HoLLIGER's
Tailor shop and Mr.. KELLEY's residences
and Cabinet shop, both buildings h.ving
taken fire several times from the intense
heat. Mayor RHEINFRANK ordered out
the Patterson Steam Fire Engine, which
had not yet been taken away by the pro-
prietor, and under the direction of G..
THOMAS and DARWIN Lock Ii was soon
in operation on the dock. 1t di, good
execution, but there was not a sum ;ient
amount of hose to allow 1t to do as efftc-
tive service as 1t otherwise would have
done.
The fire spread rapidly, communicl =
tirg from the barn to the grocery, and
from the grocery to Mrs. BEAcH's two
story frame building, in which Mr.. VAN
/ Week & Son had their American Spring
Bed manufIctory. From this building it
/ commune tied with Messrs. PECK HAM.
ILsoN & Cos, Hardware store, who with
in the ,st two weeks, had received and
put into the building their fall and win
ter stock of Hardware, stoves, &c,
amounting to several thousand dollars
! worth. In less than two hours all was In
a shapeless mass of charred timb rs and
| ashes.
Tne hooks and about 81 900 worth Of
silver ware were saved from the burning
hardware store. Mr.. VAN VLEcK saved
MI nber of bed bottoms, and Mr.. GErz
ssved small amount Of goods from his
front room. His books passed through
the fire in the safe and were taken out
the next day IN damaged condition.
Mr.. G. STz' loss will not fall short OF S4,-
00O, on which he has an insurance of ST.
500 in the Underwriters.
Mrs BEAcH's loss in building is about
81 900. on which there was no Insurance.
L. VAN VLECK & Sons loss on goods
and machinery, and their books, is about
81 500. No Insurance.
Aside from the heavy stock Of Hard
ware, S owes, g., Messrs. PECK & HAM
ILTON had stored in the upper part of the
building their M cal library and surgi-
cal instruments, and valuable colec 10 l
OF Congressional public atoms belonging
to DR.. PECK, in all about 5000 worth.
Their building and stock was valued at
L. $1,000, on which there was Sc 500 in sur
anc- m North British and Under writer's,
and So 600 IN building In CHI jntinentitl.
3 Mr.. JAMES l.. DOUGLAS, who hid en-
tered the employ Of Cne Fl lr ware firm as
bOok-keeper, only one week prior 20 the
fire, was particularly unfortunate. He
had about s. 70 doll lrs worth of house
hold goods stored in the second story Of
the hardware building, which ne had saved
from the fire in whi n M-s LlDD bail l.
fDo w hn p h.
, last vestige waS consumed on sunday
morning. on which there was no insur
. ance.
The origin OF the fire il not known, ye
it is believe1 ID have originated from
some drunken person crawling into tn,
T building 70 seek shelter for the remain
n der OF the night, or from some ptrsor
S o. persons who hal entered op a m.s.ioI
q of stealing chickens.
;, A strong northwest wind prevailed dur
D ing the fire, which scattt r. d the cinder
over near all the eastern portion of town
some alighting a mile from the bu min!
= buildings. and had there not been two o
three light showers ear,i;r in the evening
there is but little doubt that half tn
property n the villag4 would have bsel
b. consttmed.
The work of cleaning up the rubbisl
and saving portions Of the good
fon the wreck of the hardware store
% comm ,rced on Wednesday. 1t is pr)b
q, BILE that no new bu1 iings will he erecte
=, this fall to take the place of those burn
r ell, but Mr.. Hunt informs US that anothe
=, Ii rlware will be opened up as soon a
J. this necessary arrangements can be mad
o for that purpose. Mr.. VAN VLEcK
s. SoN will start their manufacturing agai
In few days. Mr.. GETz is as yet unde
cided.