West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-02-12
rRR PRE- PrEND AGAIN.
KIngwood Visited Last Friday Night
By a Destructive Conflagratisu.

Friday night OF last week, Feb
ruary 9Th, about midnight Gre
broke ont in the rear part of the
Jordan Hotel on High Street. II
had made considerable Roadway be-
fore being discovered by any one,
and the back part Of the building
was all afame before the family
awoke. Charley Newman. who
works in the Journal office, and
boards there, discovered it first. He
awoke with his room full of smoke
and the flames bursting in, and had
only time to get some clothes and
grab his arms full! and get out. He
raised the alarm and the inmates
were soon out of danger. Mr.. Kill
dow and family occupied the large
east room upstairs. They escaped,
partly dressed. and lost all the rest
Of their clothing. Did not have
time to get out their trunk or any
thing else. Mrs. DR.. Trippett ran
mp street, shouting Fire." and
several parties ran to the churches
and rang the bells. and by half past
twelve crowd had collected and
people still coming from all parts
OF the town, but the house WAS so
completely on fire by this time that
it was plain that it could not be
saved, and the only thing to do was
to get out what little property that
it was possible to save and keep the
FIRE from spreading.
There was DR.. Trippett's house
just across the street and Mr.
Cranes across the alley and G. E.
Vickery's near at hand, but luckily
there was no breeze or wind blow.
ing and the fire and sparks Wen,
straight up. Trippett's and Crane,
houses are covered with good tin
roof, and keeping the side next tc
the fire wet, there WAS but little
danger. The fire burned very quiet
~ and made no effort to spread
seeming content with licking up The
Jordan property. Men lent will,
ing hand and most of the household
effects down stairs were gotten out,
but some OF them more or less dam
aged. Nothing hardly at all was
saved upstairs. j.. +. Kildow had
his furniture and household effects
stored away ID the upper part and
lost everything.
The fire evidently originated i,
the loft over the old part of the no
tel, and from the big old stone
chimney, built of rough rocks and
with creyices in it that sparks could
get through. The rats had proba
bly, carried trash and built nests
around it and spark had gotten
into this and started the fire. Be.
ing in an old garret and back of the
main building, it was under full
blaze before being discovered. The
house being all frame and very dry,
burned like finder.
The crowd remained till two
O'Clock and then dispersed, as the
fire had exhausted itself and there
was no further danger. One of the
chimneys fell in, while the other
two are sill standing. The lot is q
very valuable one, and Mr.. Jordan
will probably build again as soon as
be is able. For the present he Will
move into the small property on
Main street, where ID. ). Gutherie
resides, which belongs to Mr.. Jor-
dan. Mr. Kildow has rented OF
nr. Murdoch, the part of his large
house lately occupied by the Craigs,
and will 60 to housekeeping there
this week. His loss by the FIRE WAS
about $3.50, while 1000 will prob
ably cover Mr.. Jordsn's loss.
This is another serious warning
to our people that they cannot be
too careful with their chimneys and
fnes. Mr.. Jordan has always been
very careful in this particular, and
still suffers loss in the end.