Democratic messenger., 1893-08-12

The business portion of Snow Hill
was destroyed by fire last Monday
night. The fire originated in the store
of G. Marion Dryden, how no one
knows, but it was purely accidental and
Mr.. Dryden is one of the heaviest losers
by it. The alarm was sounded few
minutes before 10 o'clock, in very short
while the streets were Il led 18th people.
The report that the store of &. Marion
Dryden was on fire struck terror into
the hearts of the business men, the store
being located in the middle of a solid
block of frame buildings, with one ex-
ccption-the conf, ciionery store of v.
Payne. When discovered the flames |
were ga ming rapid headway in the sec. |
ond story of the building, and within |
fifteen minutes from the time of discov-
cry of the fire it burned through the |
roof and rear end of the building. Then
the mammoth drug store of z. ID. Cot |
iingham Il Co., on the one side, and r. |
L. Truitt's clothing store, on the other,
caught fire. Very soon all these build |
ings were burning furiously. and the
people realized that ;!e business portion
of Snow Hill was doomed and hard |
work would have TO be done to save the I
resident portion of The town. Men,
women and children wrung their hands
in despair. and men who are noted in
less string times for their coo ness and
bravery. ran about in an aimless manner
and were so panic stricken that they
did not know what they were doing.
Whistles were blowing. church bells
peal ng out the fire alarm. and pande-
monium reigned.
BURNING oF THE COURTHOUSE.
Storehouse after storehousc was licked
up by the flames Merchants were en-
deavoring TO save such of their goods
rs they could get out of their stores and
carrying them TO places of safety, every
kind OF vehicle beng pressed into SER
vice fer the purpose. The courthouse
yard was thought to be a safe place for
storing goods, and thithcr nea ly every
one ran with aims full of dry goods.
furniture. clothing and every concciv.
able kind of merchandise. But this
aftcrward proved TO be costly error,
for everything placed in the courthouse
yard was to go up in smoke.
PEARL STREET ABLAZE.
The flames leapcd across to the big
dry goods store of Richardson. Smith.
Moore l. Co.. and j. 5. Price & Co.. on
the east and west corners of Green and
Pearl streets. and building after builing
on both sides of Pearl street were soon
ablazc. The lire rushed on until il
reached Market street and began to con-
sumo the Democratic Messenger news.
paper Office Oh one side of the street and
the old National Hotel on the other.
The hotel. a large woolen building,
rearing high up in the air and sur
rounded by porches furnished excellent
fuel and was soon all ablaze, the flames
from it shooting over to the cupola of
the courthouse, which ignitcd and soon
the intcri n OF the old temple of Justice
was on fire. The building was destro, ed
evcept its walls, which are standing.
Around on the north side of the
square the Washington Hotel, owned
by Levi A. Purnell. was OH fire. In
less than one hour from the time the
alarm of fire was made the whole square
betw, en- Pearl and Washington streets
AMI Green and Market streets was in a
solid blaze. and the fire was making
rapid headway northwari from its start
ing point toward the Pocomoke river
and the saw and paning mills of Smith.
Moore 4 Co., and John James Collins.
located along the bank cf the river
WORK OF TIE BUCKET BRIGADE.
The fire was checked in this dircc ion |
| by the heroic efforts of the ..bucket bri- |
gadc," directed by Col. John Walter
Smith. wLo fought the fire until he was
soaking wet and exhausted.
Register of Wills Thomas ID. Purnelrs |
house. the residence Of Lieu enant Top |
pan. Wilson's Hall. j. Parker Smiths |
store. Burbagc & Corners undertaking
establishment. Stephen L. Purnell's
store and W.D. Corddry ~ Sons. manu-
facturers of sash. doors. etc. were saved
by !this stubbornly fought battle of
Colonel Smith and those who gladly lis
tened to his directions and promptly
obeyed them.
| But the fire still ragged IN the south
cast. X. j. McAllen & Bros grocery
and confectionery store. which was one
Of The finest storehouses in the town, was
ablaze and the large dwelling-ho of
Mrs. Ellen Robins near by, tenanted By
Walter w. Hur!ock, was meeting with
the same fate. The Jail, which was
brick structure like the courthouse.
caught on fire about the same time that
the temple of justice was besicgcd by
the roaring flames and was destroyed.
CALLING FOR AID.
When the fire first started an effort
was made to getla telegram TO Salisbury.