Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-12-06
JUST IN TIME.
The Fire Department Saves a
Business Block BY Prompt
Work.

1 DubluOJo DiVth
Work.
Four Young Men Make Narrow Es'
cape With Their Lives,
Some parties who were on the
streets at about 2 o'clock yesterday
morning discovered a dense smoke
issuing from the Gish block on tho
corner of Ninth aud Main. They
gave Il vigorous alarm and the Fire
Company promptly responded. Tho
fire was finally located In the cellar
under the confectionery store of Rau-
die & Ely. 1t had started in some
mysterious way In pile ofstraw and
rubbish where goods had been un-
packed. II had not broken through
the floor, but the heat was
intense and tho flames were
creeping up under the stairway
and had broken out at this place
when tho department arrived. A
hole was cut In the burning foor,
which was almost ready TO break
through, and the intrepid fremen
blinded and stined almost with
smoke poured stream into the cellar
aud over the hot walls that soon ex-
tlnguished the fire.
1t was the promptest and most Of
fective work the boys have ever done,
and under the most difficult circum-
stances In many respects. The
whole building was filled with
smoke and the only way to get to the
Are was TO drag the hose through the
store from the front, around the
oyster parlor, cut eff by three-foot
passage, aud fight 1t under the most
dangerous conditions. A great con-
fagration was narrowly averted, as
the square is one of the principal
business blocks Of the city.
The newly opened Christmas stock
of Randle & Ely, just displayed the
day before, is almost totally ruined
by the heat and smoke, as is the case
with ell of their goods. Canned
goods on the nearer shelves were
cooked and % boxes of oranges I'M
opened In the bank room were baked.
Everything tastes Of smoke and even
the walls and counters are smoked =
dark brown. The firm had opened
up only week before, but fortunate
ly they had taken the precaution 10
insure early and they have So, 100 in
tho agencies Of Calls & Wallace,
Long, Winfree q Kelly, Buckner s.
Hays and Mercer Il Mercer.
All of the stocks In tho building
were moro or less damaged, but most
Of them arc insured. Ike Lipstine's
dry goods store was adjoining on
the first floor and everything was
badly smoked, though 1t is hard to
estimate the damages.
Up stairs Miss Bette Stevenson,
isess maker, was damaged probably
$50, with reinsurance.
Drs. Gish, Young and Gum had
their offices emptied and their drugs
and other property badly smoked.
In the two rear rooms over Lip
shines store four young men were
sleeping. Their rooms opened into
little square where the back steps led
from the narrow hall. II was under |
.hese stairs that the are was located.
Dick and Harry Lipstine we're In the
irst room. They awoke almost
titled and were barely able to get |
,ut and drag their trunks and cloth.
ng'
In the other or corner room were |
q. P. Diltz aud Homer Prince.
After much difficulty they we're
aroused. Prince was able 10 get up |
but Diliz had to be taken out. Their
escape was very narrow one indeed.
The building is owned by DIR. d. j.
iish and he has 5000 insurance,
I6. 600 with w. L, Garnett and $I,400
with Long, WiDfree & Kelly.
The confectionery room is badly
damaged. The paint is blistered OF,
he papering aud withdrawing all
ruined and the doors had to be
broken in. Even the sky-light in the
roof was cracked by the intense heat.