The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1896-02-21
THE 0REENVILLE FIRE.
Half the business part Of the town destroyed
Twenty-three buildings Burned.

About o'clock last Sunday morn
ing the largest and most disastrous
fire ever seen in Greenville was start
ed by a lamp explosion. The fire
originated in a barber shop. The
BARRIERS had gone home some half
hour before, the lamp exploding just
as they were leaving. They threw
the lamp into the street, but some of
the burning oil went through the
cracks in the floor to blaze some time
later, with the result.
From the barber shop, the fire
spread in three directions. Back
through the wooden partition to the
law offices of L. J. Moore and Jarvis &
,@'o& ;ltAo j..
ing, then out the rear window to the
frame building containing the offices
of Blount & Fleming and Dr.. W. H.
Bagwell. Up the flames went into the
opera house, from which they we're
quickly communicated to the store of
H. B. Clark, next door. Out at the
front the row of wood buildings on the
Bernard property, across the street,
fell an easy prey. The wind was
blowing from the southwest, and the
fire went no further up Third street
than DR.. Bagwells Office. IN the other
direction it swept to and destroyed
the law building occupied by G. M.
Bernard and F. G. James, and from
this building Skinner and Whedbee's
Office. Smiths stables and Hooker's
bar room were only saved by strenu-
GUS work. Had these buildings been
lost the fire would have gone at least
one or two blocks each way.
Down Evans street on either side
the raging flames continued their
mad flight, licking up two blocks of
splendid brick buildings. 1t looked
like the whole of the street would be
cleaned and not business house left.
Busy workers hurried with turns of
goods until the streets and lots tor
squares away were covered with
conglomerated stocks of merchan-
disc.
AS the fire came on down the street
it was concluded that if the old Dancy
frame building on the corner could
be torn down it would prevent the
fire from crossing Fourth street, and
also save several stores. Several
kegs Of powder were exploded about
the Dancy building, only demolishing
small part of the structure, when
workmen set to with axes and ropes
and literally cut and tore away the
house.
Fortunately the fire never reached
this building at all, but was checked
at the Brown y Hooker building next
,H t An' stopping it there Was dar-
ing and heroic work. s. II. Hooker,
Chief of the fire department,
marshalled few brave men to his
assistance and they stood on top of
the building in the face of blistering
flames, and with another squad of
workers on the inside, they fought
manfully until the adjoining build
ing, only separated by single brick
wall, had@burned beyond the danger
line.
Because of the scarcity Of water
the firemen with the engine were pow
erless to do effective work. When they
first reached the fire even one decent |
well would have enabled them to have
put it out in the room where it.
originated. As it was they started |
at the Market house we'll but had on
ly got stream fairly started before
the well was exhausted. They work
ed arduously moving the engine from
place to place trying to find water,
even going down the branch near the
Yellowley place, but the hose was not
long enough, and nothing was accom-
plished.
On the morning after the fire the
Greenville Reflector issued five
column extra giving a complete &C
count of the fire. This work is much
appreciated by the Greenville peo-
pie. -