Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-08-12
snow Ht,rtn Ashes.

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business portion of Snow Hill IS III
ashes. At about 10 o'clock last night
the alarm of fire was sounded, and
in a few minutes the streets were
filled with people. The report that
the store of G.. Marion Dryden was
on fire struck terror into the hearts
of the business men of Snow Hill, the
store being located in the middle OF
a solid block of frame buildings, with
one exception-the confectionery
store Of v. Payne. When discovered
the flames were gaining rapid head,
way in the second story of the build.
ing, and within fifteen minutes from
the time of discovery of the fire it
burned through the roof and rear end
of the building. Then the mammoth
drug store of P. D. Cottingham y
Co., on the one side, and B. T. Smiths
clothing store, on the other, caught
fire. Very soon all three buildings
were burning furiously, and the peo-
pie realized that the business portion
of Snow Hill was doomed and hard
work would have to be done to save
the resident portion of the town.
Men, women and children wrung
their hands in despair, and men who
are noted in less stirring times for
their GOODNESS and bravery, ran about
in an aimless manner and were so
panic stricken that they did not
know what they were doing. Whis-
ties were blowing, church bells peal
ing out the fire alarm, and pam
demonium reigned. The town has
no fire apparatus and its only Deepen
dence was the "bucket brigade"
The flames leaped across to the big
dry goods stores of Richardson, Smith,
Moore & Co. and J. S. Price & Co., ON
the east and west corners of Green
and Pearl streets, and building after
building on both sides OF Pearl street
were soon ablaze The fire rushed
on until it reached Market street and
began to consume the Democratic
Messenger newspaper office on one
side of the street and the old National
Hotel on the other. The hotel, a
large wooden building, rearing high
up in the air and surrounded by
porches furnished excellent fuel and
was soon all ablaze, the flames from it
shooting over to the cupola of the
courthouse, which ignited and soon
the interior of the old temple of jus
tice was one fire. The building was
destroyed except it's walls, which are
standing.
Around on the north side of the
square the Washington Hotel, owned
by Levi A. Purnell, was on fire. In
less than one hour from the time the
alarm of fire was made the whole
square between Peare and Washing
ton streets and Green and Market
streets was in solid blaze, and the
fire was making rapid Roadway north
ward from its starting point toward
the Pocomoke river and the saw and
planning mills OF Smith, Moore & Co.
and John James Collins, located along
the bank of the river.
Seventy six houses were burned in
all, including three hotels, two banks.
the Methodist Protestant Church and
the courthouse and Jail. The total
loss is estimated at 100000, and the
insurance amounts only to about
| SIC, 900, which includes insurance OF
$4,000 on courthouse and Jail. The
fire swept away four blocks of houses
and stores, covering about six acres
of ground. Happily, no lives were
lost and no person was seriously hurt.
William Jingle Dickerson, attorney
at law and the representative OF a
large number of insurance companies,
said to The Sun representative that
the loss would fall heavily upon the
town and that it might be necessary
to start a relief fund. The merchant
and business men of Snow Hill are
certainly badly crippled but they
have made up their minds already to
adopt new methods and to build up
the destroyed portion of the town in
a more modern style.
All of the court records were safe
in the vaults, but the court library
was burned up in the clerks Office
Baltimore Sun.