Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-07-29
a BIG BLAZE.
Narrow Escape Of This Town from
Great Disaster.


evening. There was pretty big
blaze as it was, but it was nothing to
what it might have been.
About half-past 8 o'clock the alarm
of fire was given, and a bright light
iE the alley in the rear Of Main street,
between Princess and King streets,
showed that once more Fire Alley
was in danger. The blaze started in
the stable on the Cbapline property,
in the rear Of the house occupied by
Mat Toliver, colored, or in the stable
adjoining, on the Magruder lot.
1t is not known in which Of
the two it originated.
1t was little light at first, but in
an incredibly short time the two sta
bles were burning fiercely. The
b. Frazier's stable, then TO another
stable OH the Magruder lot. The in
tense heat and the enormous blaze
from the four burning buildings,
filed with inflammable material
made a tremendous fire, which of
course gathered in the small build
ings within reach. BY the time the
engine got into play the stables We're
nearly burned to the ground, but the
fremen succeeded in saving DR..
Buffers carriage shed and Frazier's
ice-house, which were burning at
rather lively rate. Men with buckets
saved the buildings farther down the
alley, and by tearing down fencing
kept the flames from spreading.
The serious danger, however, was
from the millions of biz and little
sparks that flew over the town. The
intensely hot, dry weather OF the
past couple of weeks had made the
! shingle roofs that are so numerous in
Shepherdstown just like finder The
sparks were blown northward by a
gentle breeze, right over the business
part OF the town, and on nearly every
roof it was necessary TO have men
with buckets of water. The big brick
house occupied by Mat Toliver was on
fire several times, and it was only by
hard work, and skillful, that it was
saved. The Magruder house, occu-
pied by Mrs Mason, was also on fire.
The old ramshackle building occu-
pied by Morrison's livery, which was
full OF hay, was right in the path OF
the sparks, and was an element Of
| danger fearful to contemplate. Had
the fire on these buildings once gotten
u good start it would have been good
bye to that end Of town.
That the danger was great was
shown by the fact that when the first
fire was well under control another
alarm was raised. A spark had lodged
in the roof of Mr.. Beltzhoover's build
ing, adjoining his dwelling house,
and started a blaze there. 1t was
early discovered and quenched with
buckets and a stream from the engine.
At the first alarm OF fire big
crowd gathered and rescued the
horses and cows from the buildings
on the alley, and so no live stock WAS
burned. There seemed to be about
twenty vehicles In the sheds right
there, and they were run down to the
next street in hurry by the men
and boys.
The people living in the houses on
the square all prepared to vacate,
and trunks were packed and property
got ready to carry out at a moments
notice.
The stables of the Misses Magruder
and of Mr. Frazier, and the carriage
shed of DR.. Butler. were insured, but
the stable on Mr.. Chapline's property
was not
A pious member Of the Southern
Methodist Church first saved the
Bible and the collection plates in the
church. Then she ran home and
gathered up the missionary money,
locked it in box and lost the key. a
young lady visitor in town packed
her trunk very hurriedly, and when
she finished discovered that she had
packed it full of other persons clothes.
They have very appropriately named
that alley Fire Alley" In the past
five years, within two squares. no less
than twelve stables, besides numerous
smaller buildings, have been burned
on that alley alone. They don't allow
the stables to become shabby along
there. When they begin to look old
they burn EN-.
The alarm among the colored folks
who lived so near the building was
extreme and in many instances very
funny. Women and children noaned
and bawled and wrung their hands,
frightened pretty nearly out of their
wits. Sick persons were carried out
on cots, but they didn't m4ke half as
much fuss as those who were we'll
The tears rolled down the cheeks OF
many of the women who had nothing
at all at stake-the sight Of the tower
OF GaMes seeming to utterly unnsrve
them.
The firemen worked like heroes-as
did many other persons who were not
firemen. The only criticism that
could be made was the length Of time
it took to get up steam in the engine,
1t was at least fifteen minutes after
the alarm was given before stream
OF wafer wSs thrown. Certainly the
engine should be at work in ten min
rtes, and every minute over that time
is from some defect thst could and
should be remelied qt pnce. The