Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-07

THE INCENDIARY TORCH.
FOUB FIRES sAIUsDAY AfrEKNus,s.
IAe Keystono Stables Destroyed as.s the
Hotel Endangcred-Ssewars's Stable
lsurneo BOWS and Trlsslsrs Fired
-Fsromen Injured.
Tho people Of Lancaster were startled
on Saturday afternoon by not less then
four fires, three Of them being Of incendiary
origin and ono Of these involving very
heavy loss and entlangerIng much valuable
adjacent property.
About half-past O'Clock the extensive
stabling connected with tho Keystone
hotel, owned by Uriah Bitzer and leased
by H0rting s. AmnoD, was discovered to
be on fire. An alarm was given fiOm box
No. &c, located at the corner Of West
Chestnut and Market streets. Tho fire.
men were prompt in responding TO the
call, but ON their arrival they found the
frame part of the stabling, $50 feet in
length and about 30 feet in width, mass
Of flames. The fire commenced near the
middle of this structure which stood upon
tho north side Of the lot, and which was a.
dry a. punk aud TILED With hay, straw
and other cOmbustible material. Opposite
to it was large brick building 96 feet in
length, 30 feet wide and three stories
high. The lower story was used as to-
baccO cellar, but was ut the time of the
fire unoccupied, tho second floor was used
for stabling, and the third for the storage
Of grain, hay and other kinds Of feed.
This building caught fire from tho other,
and was, together with all its contents,
soon reduced tO mass Of ruins. AdiOin-
ing it on the east was large carriage
house, two stories high and stablinv,
partly built Of brick and partly of wood.
This, too, soon caught fire and was de-
stroyed. As the large frame stable On The
north and the carria0c-hOuso ON the south
abut against the two wings Of tho hotel.
il was generally believed the hotel could
not be saved, but tho tiremen fought The
flames brayely. aud although almost over
coma by the intense heat and sufT;,cated
by the smoke they stood their ground and
poured upop the building such !, dclupe of
water that il received NO other DAMAGE
than the burning of a few of the wooden
COlnmnR HnnnNrtlnY th0 OSIGOnl00.
Adjoining this property ON the north il
the properly vr tho late George Mstz.er,
recently purchased by MIR. Bitter. On the
rear end of the lot sto,nl a lares frame
building ,r,a,u,c,l ~ a stable and carriage
house BY J. Ii. Bushoug. This caught lire
and was totally dostrOyed. Mr.. BushOup
having barely time u, yet ont his horses
and carriave' lie lost eousiderable feed
was reduced Il, ashes. ~
Just east Of tho Busbopp stable. ON tho
Metzper prom.rty. was a twO.s story Srick
buildinc. leased by Israel l. Lands. and
filed with pat.nted articles and mmielx of
patents. AmOn,, thesa wero 500 Datont farm
1ate tixtnres :,(ll or A)O. natent. fence fix.
snrea- a larcs number or Datcnt meat sI.
cars. natent air pump. largo platform
scales. and an endless variety Of mo1lels
difficult to rep,ace. elcctrOtvpes. wood
cuts. &c. Sc. Mr. Laudis saws he had
over 81. 600 worth of goods in the build-
ing. of which about 81 600 is total loss.
He has no insurance.
On the same lot a little farther east
stands the Metzeer residence. The back
building il good deal damaged. and tho
trees. vines. plants. &c. mr.. totally ruinr,l-
A number Of chickens pcrishei in tho
flames The buildino IN insured.
Adjoining ,he Metzper nro,n,rtv ,u the
north is the property of Stoncr. ShrciDer
& Co, The flames did not rcaci, the main
buildinp. but a long frame shed il, rear Or
it, filed with plaster. cement, terri. Gotta
pipe, water closet fixtures, tNc., is badly
$500, and is covered by INSURANCE in the
Nnp,-soh IInsns~ ~nSk (tl,o,tZ,-
panies, of which Rife e. Kaufman arc
agents. A report that gunDOwtlcr was
stored ON tho promises in incorrect. Tho
firm have . small safety magazine, in which
are placed small quantities, at times, for
retail use, but at the time VI tho iiro not
pound was on hand.
During the progress Of the tire ut the
Keystone stables there wcro two slight ex-
plOsiOns, caused, as il supposed, by q cou-
pie of cans of coal oil that may havo been
placed there by tho incendiaries to mako
their work more certain.
just few hours before tho fire there
had been removed from the stables thirty
or forty Of tho best horses ever shipped
from this city. Some PERSONS surmise that
tho intention Of the inccnliary was to de-
strOy These animals, aud thus crafty a
malignant desire for revenge.
A valuable set of double harness rescued
from the flames were afterwards stolen
from the premises. Mr.. Bitter will nav
$50 for their recovery.
Tho Losses.
Mr.. Bitzcr's losses arc heavy. The ex-
tent of ground burned over il about 100
by 1870 feet, and the buildings burned in
clude the brick building recently put up
at q cost of 81, 900, the frame stable worth