The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-04-23
Sunday Morning, Destroying a Whole
Square of Buildings.
Loss About $4,000.

their siumbers Sunday morning,
about 2 o'clock, by the ringing of
the Court House and Trinity NJ. E.
Church bells, sounding an alarm of
fire. Hastily dressing ourself we
hurried to the scene of the fire,
which we found to be issuing from
the building occupied by Geo. Lewis
and Frank Henderson, colored, as a
saloon, and known to our commun-
ity as the "Black Diamond"
The fire soon communicated to
the house occupied by Capt. Joseph
Helm and then came on up the
street, destroying all the property
on the square except the one on the
corner, occupied by Mr.. Geo. Brues-
tie.
The fire was hot one, and our
people worked hard to subdue the
flames and arrest the fire, and as
day was breaking got the fire un-
der control.
2 Had the wind been blowing it's
usual course, the town would have
been destroyed, at least as far up as
the railroad bridge, if not further up
the streets.
h,looked at one time as if moth
ing could be saved on the square OPP
posite the one destroyed, but a
strong north breeze springing
up, changed the course of the fire,
and our people were rejoiced to find
that the destructive flames were un-
der control.
1t took hcrculean efforts to save
the Stortz House, and it was on fire
several times. The iron cornice on
the, front of the building melted
from the heat as if it was lead, ex-
posing the wood. The owner of the
building, Mr.. John G. Stortz, and
the proprietor of the hotel, Mr.. r..
W. Sterling, took command of
squads, and set to work to save the
building. All the family of the
owner and of the proprietor, and
their servants, together with the
guests of the House, worked heroi-
cally, and were rewarded for their
labor by saving the building. All
the glass in the front of the House
was broken out by the heat, and
the building looks now as if it had
been assaulted by mob.
This probably was one of the
largest and most destructive fires
ever witnessed in this town, and
with nothing to fight fires, no lad
ders, hooks, fire engine or even rub
Der buckets, no wonder our
people were disheartened when they
came on the scene to work and fight
the fire demon; and if the Lord had
not come to their rescue, by chang
ing the course of the wind, their
efforts would have been fruitless.
Below is the loss sustained by
the parties as given to us by them.
In some cases it may be exaggerat-
ed, but we give the figures as they
gave them to us. After a calmer
survey of the field, probably the
losses will not foot up so high.
Capt. Helm, on buildings, stock,
ice, &c, $1,000; insured for $4,000,
in Bryan & Bryan's Agency.
John G. Stortz, damage to hotel
property, $500; fully insured.
r. W. Sterling, damage to hotel
furniture by water and fire, $500;
insured for $4,000 in Bryan 4 Bry-
ans Agency.
Henderson & Lewis, damage to
stock of liquors, bar fixtures, &C.,
$4,000; insured for 81, 600 with John
G. Stortz, in Lancashire.
Geo. Lewis, loss in buildings ST.
500; insurance $1,000, in Bryan s
Bryan's Agency.
Mrs. Lucinda Gibbs, loss on
building and furniture s2,25O; in
surance $500, with Bryan & Bry-
ans Agency.
John F. Lewis, loss to stock and
bar fixtures, $500; insurance $500,
with Bryan & Bryan.
w. FL. Tomlinson, hardware deal
er, loss on buildings, $1,000, and on
stock $4,000; insurance on building,
$500; on stock, $4,000, both with
Tippett Bros. Agency.
NJ. M. Laidley, damage to build
ing and plate glass, $500; insurance
$1,000; insured with Bryan & Bry-
an. 1850
Geo. Breustle, loss 5000, on
stable and damage to building; in
sured for 5000 with Bryan& Bryan.
The Misses Risk, loss on building
Es700; insured for $500 with Bryan
& Bryan.
1 DIR. L. F. Campbell, loss on Office,
5000; no insurance.