The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-01

Oliver spaBglsF. known TO his hundreds OF
Somerset c,1anfy friends and ae4aainianees
as Shorty spansler. who was an entsri,ris-
ing citizen of sonierset for number Of years
and only left about two wears since tn be-
come a resident of IoEsusfewn. lad : maracil-
ieus escape with bis life sai suffered the ltps
oi hIs big boarding house at Noxhan.. .,ne
of Johnstowns mauy suburbs. by lire Sat taT-
day night. The fire broke out a; 5 oelock
and % rapid was its work 0f,leStrac;ion that
only few Of the household effects coald be
carried to place Of safety. The Jolsnstowu
Tsibssae Of Monday evening SAYS:
There Is no doubt as 10 the origin of the
fire. Mr.. Spangler was on the identical spot
when it starte,i-in fact was allzze himself
as soon as the house.
He had been keeping his extra money in
the attic and as Saturday was payday he
received quite little sum from his eighteen
boarders, which sum he started upstairs to
add to his bank account In this he sue
eee'ied, but if he had thrown the money into
the kitchen stove instead he would be sever
al thousand dollars better of to-day.
To light himself up the stairway and into
the great cavern 1T the top Of the house he
carried lamp. The money was disposed Of
70 his satisfaction and he was about TO return
to the living rooms when the lon p fell from
his hands. Anexplosion followed instantly,
the burning oil was scattered ali about-over
his person, over the fioor. and over the hid
den treasure-and TO save his life be He'd FROM
the pisce His left hand and face were badly
burned, but notwithstanding the pain which
he suffered he was fitting about till the last
moment Saturday night. making the best
possible disposition OF his scattered effects
The money burned amounted TO SIS.
The boarders had pat on their Sunday
clothes and were in town for the evening,
and little beyoand what they wore escaped
the flames. The Valley Pike Company was
4 heavy loser. Mr.. Walker, the chief engi-
nees. who had bis his Office in the building
lost all lis Instruments, valued al over
th0uSann dollars,
Mr.. Spangler places bis loss at S, go upon
which he had $, 500 insurance SEQ on th
house and s., ,0toon the contents. The house
was built by himself and his enierprising
sons Every stroke of work upon it was
done By themselves They are carpenters.
masons, brickIayers, giazier-, what not
Working for themselves, the work was well
done and the house much better finished
than the average More the pity therefore.
that the ~ bank was way upstairs. and
that the lamp exploded at such 4 critical
iunciure
The burned building was situated on
corner of Village street and Park avenue.
The building pr,per had 4 frontage Of forty
feet and sixty feet depth, and was two and
half stories high. 1t occupied an entire 10,
and WIS erected q a cost CT 5000. Ne
Spanglcr had appropriately named his house
the q" Moxham.
1t had the capacity Of accommodating
sixty guests, containing thirty large and
airy rooms. two parlors. and all accommO-
dations required TO make It's guests COM
ton OF guests but a few weeks ago. the
"MOxhamr had, as already stated eighteen
regular boarders- Fity fruit trees and
about the same number of maple trees,
lately put out, would soon have added
their attrac;iveness to the place. Now, bow
ever, there Is only ruin.
Mr.. Spangler, it Is understood will rebuild
NJ once. His enterprise Is not to be check
cd by a single n1isf,,rt-rne He has houses in
Woodvale, in East Conemaugh, and on the
South Side Of Johustown, and no one sees
better than iliuIselfthe opportunities for max
ing money which the rapid growth and ad-
yancement oftIe city and its Surroundings
afford. Meriting sympathy in his present
misfortune, he can be congratulated upon the
success Of his other investments.