Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-02-21
Destructive Fire.

: SnaIIeStOWn was Oh saturday niSn6
last visited with a most destructive
fire, and one which came very nearly
entailing a serious loss of life as well.
The alarm was sounded shortly after
II O'Clock, and the fire was found to
proceed from the ear portion of a
block of wooden buildings on the
north side of main street, in the CEN
tire of the square lying between Law
renee and West streets, and near the
division line between the ear of the
saloon of Mr.. Thomas Kahn and
wareroom of Mr.. C. F. Wall.
First in the block was the store
room of Mr.. C. F. Wall, and above it
a dwelling occupied by Mrs. Annie
E. Rodrick and three children; next
a ware-room occupied by Mr.. Wall,
and adjoining this the saloon Of MI.
Thomas Kahn, above which vas a
dwelling occupied by Mr.. Wall,
wife and two children, and two clerks,
Edward Allen and Walter Welsh
These persons were aroused from
their midnight slumber by the fearful
glare of the flames arising from almost
underneath them, and so quickly did
the flames spread that they barely es-
capped in their night clothes with
their lives, it heing impossible to save
their furniture or even their clothing.
The fire soon enveloped the build
ings already named, and then leaped
to the next adjoining building. owned
by Messrs. S. S. and w. L. Dalgarn,
and occupied below by the store-room
of Miss Aqelia Hicks, and above by
the Misses Ware. The roof and up
per part of this building was de-
stroyed and the whole of it very ma
terially damaged, yet the fire on the
east side was stayed at this point.
On the west side the large wooden
dwelling of MI. D. S. Hughes is
only separated from the burnt build
ings of Mrs. Rcdrick by a ten foot
alley, yet, almost miraculously, the
property of MI. Hughes was saved
from very serious damage.
Our fire department-the Indepen-
dent company with their steamer,
and the Citizen with their hand n
gine-got quickly in operation, and
never was their better work done
with the means at command, we ven
ture to assert; in any locality, either
city or town. Three we'll directed
streams were poured into the raging
flames, and in less than three quar-
tiers of an hour the fire was under con-
troll, and two hours and a half from the
time it was discovered almost the
last spark vas extinguished.
We do not know exactly about what
the total loss by this fire will be, but
it may possibly reach an aggregate of
four or five thousand dollars. Mr.. C..
f. Wall lost nearly all of his mercan-
| tile stock, all of his household effects.
and about 500 in money left in
his room, (of the latter about S14 in
silver since ~recovered); Mrs. Rod
rick lost everything-buildings and
household effects; Mr.. Kahn suffers
a total loss of goods and fixtures ;
Messrs. Dalgarn lose partially on
building; the Misses Ware and Miss
Amelia Hicks lose considerable in
damage by removal of effects; the
property of Mr.. Hughes is partially
damaged by heat; the heavy plate
glass in store.rooms of Mr.. Getzen-
danner, on opposite side of the street
are nearly all broken, and some of
the glass of Mr.. Henry DUNN broken.
The losses as far as covered by in
~surance are as follows: S. S. and w.
l.. Dalgarn's dwelling insured in the
Continental of New York for 81 500 a;
Thos. A. Kain's merchandise insured
in the Aetna of Hartford, Conn, for
$500; Wall & Dorsey's merchandise
insured in the l.. L. & Globe of Eng
land, for $1,000; Mrs. Annie Z. Rod
rick's saloon building insured in the
German of Wheeling, w. Va, for
$500; Mrs. Annie E. Rodrick's dwell
ling, on corner, insured for 500, and
furniture insured for 5000, in the
Peabody of Wheeling, w. Va; D. S.
Hughes dwelling insured in Liver
pool, London & Globe. All of above
insured with Agency of Messrs. Wash
ington & Alexander. The property
of Mr.. Getzendanner, we understand,
is also insured, but he is away from
home and we cannot learn in what
company his policy is placed. .
Church Items.