Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-04-08
MIDNIGHT BLAZE.
Another $1,000 Fire on Ninth
and Clay Streets.

: Strong Suspicion of lncendiarism
Another midnight fire occurred be-
tween II and o'clock Saturday morn
ing. The Green building on the cor
!. ner of Ninth and Clay was completely
destroyed with the contents of three
stores, the fire company being unable
to save the building. The fire origi-
mated in the rear end of DR.. r. L.
Christians drug store on the corner
next to Clay street and was well under
way when discovered. The alarm was
given by a man who was passing by
and saw the fire through the glass
front. 1t spread very rapidly and
several explosions occurred when the
drugs were reached. The three rooms
were not separated by fire walls and
it soon became evident that the whole
building was to go, twas two stories
high, three rooms wide and about
seventy feet deep. The first room
WIS occupied by the drug store, the
second by j. r. Hawkins, the colored
grocer, and the third by A. S. Hays
meat shop and produce store. Over
the butcher shop Mr.. Hays family
lived and the rooms over the other
stores were occupied by Alex, Jones,
col, and Mat Davis, col.
Hawkins saved about half of his
stock of groceries. Hays failed to get
out much from either his shop or his
rooms above.
The fire company did good work
but could only stop the spreading of
the fire. The Methodist church OPP
posite was in great danger for awhile,
as the wind was blowing towards it
and the cupola was entirely Of wood.
The paint was blistered and cracked
by the heat, but fortunately no other
damage was done.
Abernathy's warehouse adjoining
was protected by fire wall and this
stopped the fire on the west. Just in
the rear was blacksmith shop also
owned by Mr.. Green, which was saved
with difficulty.
The buildings burned were the
property of Mr.. Thos. Green, and
were built about five years ago upon
the site of fire that swept the same
district. The structure cost about
$4,000. 1t was insured for 5000
with Calls g. Wallace.
j. R. Hawkins had stock valued
at 81 800. He was insured with Long, =
Winfree & Kelly for $1,000. As he J
saved part of his stock his insurance {
will about cover his loss.
A. S. Hays had policy of 500
with the same agency, but this will
not cover his losses.
DIR. Christian estimates his loss at S
5000. He had $1,000 insurance with n
Mercer & Mercer and $500 with d
Buckner & Hays. s.
Alex. Jones, col, lost all of his Of k
fects, including large picture of his n
deceased wife which he priced very r,
highly. He thinks his entire loss will
10 500, upon which he had G
no insurance. b
The colored woman, Mat Davis, al O
so lost pretty much everything she S
mad and had no insurance. il
The origin of the fire is mysterious Ct
and there are strong suspicious of in fC
The lateness of the hour W
IS against the theory that it was acct 2
dental. The fire could not have been ii
from the time the store was eI
closed until nearly l o'clock without le
being discovered through the glass re
front by the hundreds of passers-by. b
It is little singular that our last three n
tires all originated about midnight ci
and it looks very much like fire-bugs al
we're around. On account of this sort CT
Of business the insurance companies V
already charge an enormous rate for d
'isks in Hopkinsville and some of re
hem have withdrawn from the city e,
altogether. The city authorities p
should cooperate with the insurance Il
companies in ferreting out the guilty j
parties if our too frequent fires are in to
Iced the work of fire fiends who APP III
ply the torch in the dead hours of re
night when honest people are in their it,
beds. &c