Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-04-07
TIE FIRE.
TAzRwnLI IEMAlp.sHnisAnr IN Asuns

Oh 'ounoay morning last, Just be,
fore three o'clock, the people in town
We're rn'iely awakened by the dis
u essing cry OF fire, followed by tho
harsh cl,nging Of Leils. The ulnrm
had been given by some one fnr
down on TnzewelI Avenue, but was
heard ny gentlemnr on Maiu street,
whose cries awoke others. Few could
looate tho fire from their windows
further than it's direction from tho
glare upon the sides of tall buildings.
aud so the suspense was prolonged
until after II hasty dressing.
n fourth of mile or more from
the populous part Of tho town could
be seen the giant flames licking up
the rear portion of the buildings OF
the Tazewell Female Seminary aud
at that distance moekingiy defiant of
any contemplated human resistance
Hearts dropped like lead ut tie Ger
tain prospect of the destruction OF
the pride uf the community.
Possible danger to life lent impulse,
to speed aud the first arrivals found
it possible to save some effects from
the roaring cauldron, the workers re.
treating from room to room only as
driven by the blisI Icring flames The
wind was somewhat toward the rear
where the fro began, which alone
made it possible to save any effects.
70 this fact, too, it is almost certain
that tho escape OF ali the inmates was
due, for the fire had nlude great
headwny, and had even burst into oc
cupied rooms before discovery. From
the second floor were secured fow
articles of wearing apparel and II
number of trunks. From the first
iloor sone furniture and four pianos
were taken. The diniAg room wns
being empt,ed whom violent explo.
sion threw it in darkness aud caused
IL hnsty retreat IL WAS afterwnrd
discovered that the shock was caused
by the bursting of IL large boiler Mt
tached To the range in the ki,chon.
When the main building could he no
longer approached the desks and 9th
er furniture were carried from the
chupel and study hall, some ton feet
away.
AS the fire seized this building mn
other danger threatened. 70 the
cast, though farther back from the
street, the tihc residence of MIR. w.
G. HARRISON was il the way of the
wind. A portion of the roof was
shingled mud TO this were carried
blankets and buckets of water, for
the service pipe VAS found To he
empty, the water escaping III the
ruins of the Seminary.
This danger passed and the half
clad pupils and the lady teachers of
the Seminary under the roofs of
neighhoring citizens. the work of
removing tho furniture WAS begun
aud by dnylisht it was MI stored in
the High Scnool builling up town.
And when .lntnr Tie girls looked
through tue lot they found them
solves poor indeed. Embarrassing q
MS were their immediate wants every
hour brought reminders of the loss
nf valued possessions that could new.
Ell be replaced. When in n few honrs
the bells rang again. but in differ.
ent tono from Tint OF the early morn
ing, they were at their plnces in
church, not i'll Easter adornment, but,
many OF them, in borrowed attire.
In addition to tho destruction of the
personal belongings OF Dir. aud Mrs.
Gillespie and members of the Fac
hlty Prof. and Mrs. Shelhurne, Misses
Hermina Bopp, Marian Coe and Nan
ME Higgiubotiiam and Mrs. Poyth.
resr, the following young ladies lost
nearly everything in their rooms
Misses Mamie Wagoaer and May
Jessee, Of Russell; Annie Wingo, of
Springvi!ln, Maggie Prlin aud Mamie
Wittem, of Missouri Willie Simmer
man, of Prnceton; Luln Stafford, of
Roanoke; J-nnie and Lone Cutler, OF
Richmond; Mary Scale, Of Bedford
City; Ailir Srndle.of Christinnsbnrg;
Anne Watkins aud Marie Brown, Of
Biueiaid; Au,elin Boiauilan. of Ma.
thews G. fl, and Mary Y;nson, of
Huntington. Miss Rose, of New
York. who was with her neicc, Miss
Coe. lost nearly everything she had.
OF those in the building DIR. Gil
lespie was the first to discover the
fire. as the room of himself aud wife
was immediately over the kitchen
where it originated, if not in store
room adjoining or under n porch. In
fact upon looking through the win
dow The ire was over so much space
that its beginning could not be 10.
Gated. at the basement the fire was
inside and outside the walls, and up
on reaching the rooms Of the sleep.
ers on the second floor it was roaring
III the garret and breaking into sew
eral rooms 1t was its rnpid advance
along the halls above that prevented
the saving OF things on that floor.
When DIR. Gillespie reached again
his room it was too late to get any
thing and in there were tho account
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