Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-03-17
Destructive Fire in Waynesboro.


If 70 their advantage to do SO now.
n..truct1ye Fire in Waynesboro.
rponorted for the stauntsn VINDIcArok.1
This nsually quiet little country town
was all in glow of excitement Wednes-
dov morning last over the recent and de-
structiye fire of the night previo US, which
had threatened nearly the entire business
norton of the place. SO it was not at all
strange that your reporter on alighting
from the cars, should have at once been
directed to the scene of the confagration by
the row of naked chimnsys, tho shoulder
ing ruins below and the idle crowd OF boys
and men which surrounded them; each
busy discussing the events Of the night.
each telling new story of his own and
figuring out his hero; who did more fire.
fighting, saved more property and lives
than any half dozen men in the town.
The facts substantially are these :
Mr.. K. L. Antrim and several OF his &C
ouaintanses had started over to meat the
CSC. Epress going West, due at O'Clock
in the morning, to see one of their friends
off. AS they left Main street and turned
down little alley leading them across I'd
Main, or Back street las it is more famii-
arly KNOWN to the depot, flames were seen
issuing from the windows in the second
story of an unoccupied house, lately occu-
pied by Capt. J. B. Finks) belonging to
Killlan & Henkle on I'd Main street.
They soon gave the alarm and many
rushed to the scene. but so rapidly did the
flames spread and so inefficient the means
for such an emergency that grave appre-
tensions were entertained for the entire
business portion of the town. The flames
soon spread to the boarding house of DIR.
W. J. Jones, where resides the Doctors
family and that of DIR. Coe and number
of students Of the Waynesboro High
School. This building was only separated
from the burning house by six foot alley,
and the inmates barely had time to escape.
Most of the valuable furniture, including
piano, was saved with considerable diff
iculty.
Wet blankets we're spread upon the ad-
joining houses and kept constantly wet,
but with all their exertions it seemed al
most impossible to save the houses Of Mr..
Joe Wallace and Samuel Ferguson. These
in turn would have exposed the livery sta
bles and a number of business houses. and
great destruction would have followed. At
this juncture, a telegram was sent to Staun-
ton asking the fire companies to come to
their relief, but as the Stanton companies
had no engine, they could render no assis-
lance. The Hook and Ladder Company
offered their services, but before Ghey could
prepare for starting, another telegram was
sent stating that the fire was under con-
troll and that bsfore they could arrive all
danger would be passed. The flames had
ragged until o'clock. nearly three hours =,
and were only checked by pulling down
the L of DR.. Jones' house, which con-
nected with that of Mr.. Samuel Ferguson.
Here the rock wall. which forms part of
the l., was of great service in preventing
the spread of the flames to the Ferguson
property. DR.. Jones was in Philadelphia
at the time, looking 10 the interest of the
Waynesboro Elastic W heel Company, (who
have two experimental engines in course
of construction and has yet to know of
the destruction of his property. The build
ing had been recently purchased from Mrs.
E. Fauber Tor 81 coo, and was entirely
consumed. No insurance.
The Killian s. Henkel property was in
sured for $500 in the Mutual Assurance
Company of Virginia, of which MIR. Jos
B. Woodward, of Stanton, is the agent
The citizens, to show their sympathy fol
DR.. J. and their appreciation of his ser
vices as a physician, have started sub
scription paper and have already raised
several hundred dollars and larger purse
is expected to be raised.
The people seem at loss to determine
the origin of the fire as the house in which
it originated was unoccupied-ths win
dows and doors closed. and the keys in the
possession of its owners. 1t could not have
been accidentally fred by sparks from the
neighboring houses from the fact that the
flames when first discovered were bursting
from the lnSl0o, 30 Cney eau only como W
one conclusion, that it was accidentally or
willfnllY done by tramps who were seen on
the porch and upon the premises about
dark on the evening before. Nothing has
been seen Or heard of them since and no
one knows whittier they came or whittier
bound.
The two buildings burned are familiar
RI t,'.>s ''Oidest inhabitants" of Waynes.
boro. on.e was the Presbyterian parsoaage
for MANY ,,>ars and Was the residence OF
Rev B. NJ. SIN, *b, D. d.. Union Theolog-
ical Seminary, and gey, ". T. Richard
son, u ow editor of the Ls''stral Presbyterian
The other was for a Ions tihe 'n0 i0e.-
dence Of Capt. Robt. Guy and sltef"a'"'