Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-07-10
The Association will convene in the
FIRST Presbyterian Church.

On the last night of the year 1870, some
one, actuated by a fiendish motive, set the
town on fire, and before the flames were ex-
tinguished large portion of the place was
reduced to ashes. Among the many build
ings that were burned in the fire, was the
Odd Fellows Hall. After time a new
Hall was built on the site of the one that
the incendiary destroyed, and it was hoped
that the devilish touch of an incendiary
character might never again be laid upon 1t.
Such hope, however, was of short duration,
for on the night of the 3rd inst. fire, from
all appearances, was kindled on the landing
at the head of the stairway leading TO and
from the cellar of the new Hall.
The Hall is three-story brick building,
on the corner of Bridge street and an alley.
The ground floor is occupied by L. A. Sc
glebaum & Co., as dealers In clothing. The
second floor is occupied by number of
secret beneficial orders, and by Justice
Kreider, who has Squire's office in the
room at the south end of the building
The third floor is occupied by the Masonic
fraternity. There is stairway leading up
from the street along the west wall that
communicates with the floors. There is a
door to open from the up-stOries stairway to
the room occupied by Seglebadm & Co.,
but the door is closed and has not been in
use for some time, the closing of which
shuts off all inside communication between
the cellar and the store-room and the up
stairs, or second and third stories. There
is a door and stairway from the cellar to
the outside from both the north and south
ends of the building. There is a door from
tie store-room of l.. A. Seglebaum Co
to the cellar stairway. From appearance
of burnt surroundings the fire was kindled
at place on the upperlanding of the cellai
stairway, a short distance south of the
doorway that leads from the clothing store
and but short distance from the gas gen
orator.
Joseph Martin and other citizens expected
to take the midnight train TO Harrisburg
Officer Hamilton was patroling the streets
looking after those who were stealthily pre-
pairing to get up 4th of July bonfire il
the streets. The officer and the citizens
chanced to be in the vicinity of the Hal
about half-past eleven O'Clock, when thei
attention was drawn by party of boys, t.
a cracking noise in the room of the clothin,
firm mentioned above. 1t required but I
look or two to satisfy them that fire wa
raging inside the building. The glass il
the door was broken to effect an entrance
but the smoke was so dense that it was i'm
possible to enter. Hamilton got an ak an'
forced the front door of the store room an'
the door to the stairway leading to tn
upper stories. The alarm was sprea'
through the town. Citizens hastened to tn
scene with water in buckets, and after
time the fire was extinguished.
The fire had made considerable progres
in the partition, that was made necessary i
the building by the closed stairway tha
leads TO the upper stories, and the studdin
and latb above the place where the fire wa
started were good deal burned, up throug
the second story; traces of the fire wer
visible in the same line of studding on tn
third story. 1t was timely discovery. ]
the fire had progressed but a little Will
longer, in all probability another large con
fsgraticn would be recorded for this place