The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-16

The warehouses and stables of Evans
" Chalmers opposite Candles soon
caught in the roof. In this building
was stored two wagon loads of dyna-
mite and powder, and hurculean Efforts
were made to remove these dangerous
explosives to place of safety.
In short time the powder was all
out of the building and none too soon
for sparks commenced to drop from the
shingle roof.
The firemen turned their attention to-
this building and soon had the flames
exiting uished. All of the horses i'm the
stables were removed
The stable owned by w. *. Andrews,
and occupied by j. C. F. Bell & Co..
caught and one end burned. The fire.
men made hard fight on this stable to
keep the flames from reaching the ware
house of Evans e Chalmers.
The one story frame house next to
Bells stable was burned to the ground
The house was owned by Chas. Morton,
and was occupied by his brother.
The next house belonged to Mrs
Hale and was also burned to the ground
This was two story building and most
OF the furniture was destroyed. Mrs.
Hale had small grocery store in the
house and everything was destroyed.
The largest house that was destroyed
belonged to Pal. Rrckey, who had just
completed furnishing it yesterday. He
lost his furniture and everything
about it.
The large house facing the railroad
belonged to M. c. Thomas and was oc-
cupied by Mrs. Patterson. The roof of
this house caught, but the firemen OK
tinguished the flames before they had
gained any Roadway and the building
was saved.
The house Of Nose Johnson, colored
fronting on Ernest avenue, was, burned
to the ground, and most of his furniture
also.
There Is q row of small frame cot
tages west of tho mill, facing the rail-
road. and these began to smoke. Tho
occupants, VINO are colored people, soon
had all OF their furniture at safe
place, but tho row did not burn.
The mill itself was fiery furnace.
The large buildings burned like finder
and the huge piles of lumber added
fuel to the flames.
The water thrown on the fire did not
check the flames in the least, and the
fircmon soon ceased to throw water in
the yard.
The flames spread with wonderful
rapidity, and the fiery tongues licked up
the houses in the vicinity with bewil-
dering swiftness.
Tho telegraph poles along the rail-
road burned to the ground, and all the
fences in the neighborhood soon fol-
lowed them.
Tho fireman fought the flames nobly,
and deserve unbounded praise for the
manner in which they handled it.
They were greatly hampered by the
lack OF fire plugs in the neighborhood,
and some Of the hose had TO be stretched
q long distance.
Ono section of hose that was laying
along tho railroad burst, and it was
some time before tho mon could get
another stream on.
The now La France engine was
brought into requisition and threw q
powerful stream OF water into the
flames.
The many tall piles of lumber in the
yard afforded an excellent conductor
for tho flames, and the smoke that
arose from tho wet wood was suffocating.
About all that was saved ia the yard
was few hundred of shingles.
A CROWD AT THE FIRE.
Many of the people who lived in
buildings near by were alarmed, and it
really looked at one time as if many
houses were in danger.
OFurnituie was soon piled up along
the sidewalk and in the vacant lots
near by. Though OF the dead hour Of
tue night, o large crowd soon gathered.
The firm of Bush & Garner, proprie-
tors of the burned planning mill are the
principal losers. They began business
little more than year ago and had
large trade, employing about fifty
| hands.
The machinery was all now, and this
concern was one OF the best industries
Of this class in Roanoke.