Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-11-01
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.
A MONDAY FIRE BURNS OUT
A NINTH STREET BLOCK.
The Kentuckian Office Saved BY
Hard Work.

Hard Work.
Detailed Account of Losses and In
surance.a
Shortly after the hour OF noon
Wednesday, flames were discovered
, Issuing from the upper room Of the
grocery store Of Green & Nourse, on
tho northwest corner OF Ninth and
Virginia streets. A crowd quickly
collected and went to work removing
goods, but II was soon evident that
the fire was TO he one Of considerable
magnitude. The Green & Nourse
corner was one of three store rooms
In what was known as the Hord
block. The building was two stories
high and all the rooms were occu-
pied. The first above and below
was occupied by Green & Nourse !;
the one adjoining by Mrs. Carrie
Harris millinery store below and by
the sleeping apartments of w. r.
Bowles and George Raudle above /;
the third by Alex Gilliland's dry
goods house below and by W.R.
Bowles' photograph gallery above.
Those rooms were about so feet deep
and were Adorned In the rear by
building owned by Judge w. p.
Winfree and occupied as black
smith's shop. This had fire wall
next to the Hord building. On
the west side was the KEN
rUcKIAs building, about four feet
higher than the Hord building
and protected by q fre-wall except
ing where the wall of the Hord build
Ing had been cut into and Joined to
when the newer buildinglwas..e erected.
This had made some crevices and
vulnerable spots In the wall, which
made the situation extremely hazard
Gus for the KENTucKIAS Office for
some time, but by keeping men at
work In the attic with buckets OF
water the fire was kept from getting
through, although the smokel was
almost stifiing.
THE FIRE coMPAsY's GALLANT WORK.
The fire department was ON the
scene very soon after the alarm was
given, butt It was several minutes
before they could turn on the water.
When they did begin, some Of the
best work was done our city has
ever seen. 1t was a very difficult fire
to fight, as the tin roof was serious
obstacle and all that could be done
was 10 throw the water inside and
keep the heat down as much as pos
sible until the roof fell In. The fire.
men assembled their ladders and
turned the MOBILES In at the windows
and for two solid hours did gallant
service before the fire was under
control. Alta critical moment ono Of
the nozzles was broken and
water had to be shut off. |
For fifteen minutes 1t looked like the
KEsruoKIAs Office was doomed. The
flames flashed up with increased
force from the falling timbers within,
and before the broken nozzle was re-
paired were licking their fiery tongues
high above the KES1ucKIAN build
Ing. But as soon as the new nozzle |
was put on firemen James Weston,
Clarence Lindsay, Ellis Roper, Geo.
Randle and Wood Twyman mounted
the ladders and carried the hose to
the top Of the KEsTuoKIAS. bailding,
and for half an hour did some Of the |
finest work in the history of their de-
partment. The streets were
thronged with thousands of PEG.
pie, many Of them from the coun-
try who had never seen fire compa-
ny work before, and cheer after cheer
went up to encourage the boys as
they poured steady stream over the
hot and smoking fire wall, down into
the seething, Kissing furnace below.
The fiercest Of flames could not long
Withstand such an onslaught and
soon the black smoke gave unmis-
taxable evidence that the victory was
10 be on the side Of the gallant boys
of the Peerless" This was one of
the most trying moments, for the
smoke was almost uncomfortable. 1t
entirely surrounded and enveloped
the firemen, but they stood to their
places like battle-scarred veterans
and never left until the last vestige
ofthe fire had succumbed to their
heroic service. All honor TO the mo-
BILE fellowsi Il
SAVING THE GOODS.
While the fire department was put
ting out the Are, the people were
busily engaged in removing the
goods from the doomed buildings.
The stocks of Green q Nourse, Mrs.
Hart and Alex Gilliland, were all
saved in badly damaged
condition. w. Il. Bowles got out
his camera and sorae goods
but Is q heavy loser. The
Office furniture and stationery stock
Of the KENTUoKIAN office were taken
out, but the contents Of the composing |
rooms were not disturbed.
THE LOSSES.
The building burned was owned
by Mrs. s. NJ. Gray, of Fairview, and
was worth perhaps about $1,000. 1t
was insured with Calls & Wallace for
$4,000, in the London Company.
Green & Nourse, grocery stock,
mn IL l. - / IT,,