The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1891-03-13
AN OLD LANDMARK GONE.

Agnew's old Gin House in a Heap
OF Ashes, but was Occupied as a
Warehouse by the OcaIa Furni-
furniture Co., Who Loses So, 900.
This Thursday morning, March 18th
at about o'clock, three colored youths
raised the alarm of fire in front of the
0cala Furniture CompanY's warehouse.
known as the Agnew gin house, which
alarm awoke Johnnie Siler, the reputed
"Imp" of the BANNER Office, who quickly
notified Captain Wasson and he turned
on the alarm.
Although the fire companies respon-
ded promptly in the order named No. /.
and 3, including Hook and Ladder,
cclored, the flames were so advanced
and the material so inflamable that it
was impossible to stay its ravages and all
that could be done was done to protect
neighboring property.
Henry Alfred and Will Kincaid were
sleeping in the building and barely
escaped with their lives. losing their
personal effects, among them very fine
gold watch, theebroperty of Mr. Alfred
AnAs w dtoOly lllO IldltTESS WHO
was absent in the country, but slept in
the building when at work, lost all his
personal effects.
Mr.. I. j. Misselwhite, who was en-
ployed in the building, and had all of
his household effects stored, lost them to
the value of $3.50.
We understand one or two other
parties had furniture stored there which
of course was lost.
The fire is said 10 have originated
under and near the center of the build
ing and was evidently the work of an
In:endiary.
The stock of furniture ranged between
four to five Thousand dollars, while the
insurance on same is between two aud
three thousand dollars.
NOTES.
Ten minutes after the alarm was
sounded, No. was at the fire.
Commodore Bird made lucky escape
by going to housekeeping and removing
his stored furniture.
The same good luck befel f.. C. Connor,
of the Bufman Loan & Trust Company
who made timely removal of his
household effects.
The building was built some twenty
years ago by the Agnews, who for many
years, in the days when long staple was
power in the land, used it for ginning
thestaple crop of Marion couuty-cotton.
During the reign of Editor +. f.
Harris as mayor of Oeala, six years ago,
an attempt was made to fire the build.
ing in three different places and with
great care as to details, but the fire in its
incipiency was discovered by Mr.. Brant-
ley A. Weathers and extinguished On
two other occasions was it the invidious
work of the fire bug.
While the loss of the 0cala Furniture
Co., is heavy, yet the loss will not in the
least effect their business as new stock
has been ordered and all orders for
goods in their line will be promptly
| filed.
DIR. r. r. Snownen and Ball Snowden
are the principal sufferers by the flames.
There were some things somewhat
curious about this fire. Heretofore our
fires have occurred on Sunday morn.
ing's, precieely at 5 o'clock. This one
broke the record and occurred on week
day morning at about O'clock. The
| fire fiend got in his work all right, but
as Judge Marshall says, got his calendar
somewhat mixed.
The night was peculiarly favorable foI
| the safety of ''rotten row." The fire oc.
Cured Just after heavy rain, the roof
were old and soggy and each shingle con.
tanned about quart of water, by actual
measure. The fire laddies" made hero.
ic efforts across the street, to prevent the
Hick, Weaver and Lloyd buildings from
catching, but the forked flames refused
to take undue advantage of the situation
and "rotten row" remains with us.
The question that was uppermost and
oftenest asked was: "Will the Phosphate
Field wear Grape or bunting, shed tearS
or come out with double loaded leader?
1t is estimated that 1000 persons lined
Exposition street before the fire was ii
nally extinguished.