The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-04-07
u MDERf On ABB Az 81.
a DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
SWEPT TIE. TOWN
THURSDAY NIGHT
TINE LOSSES.

oDc OF the T1OSl uSStl uIliNC, III LIZ
most destructive, fires i'll the history OF
Lu1nberton visited the town last Thurs
day night The fire was discovered
shortly before II O'Clock i'll the large
stores Of Mr.. Frank Cough, and before
the people could gather Tie entire bu.ld-
ing was wrapped i'll flames.
in a short whila-almost before one
had tine to tl1ink-tlle fire had 1eaped
acrosssAiain street and caught the store
of Mr.. III. CaLdSe1l and that too, was
a seet1ling, roaringriass OF flames. Fol
lowing in quick Succession CAME the
stores of Messrs. John Redmond, P. {.
Blake, d. W. NI;llsaps and II. B. Putnam
& Co., all of which are now shoulder
ing mass of ruins.
10 the rear of MIR. Ca1iwell's store were
several wooden buildings OH Water street
ali of which were destroyed.
With no facilities for fighting the fire
the people were poweT1ess and saw with
regrQt and CONSERVATION one valuable
property after another crullble to pieces
under the intense heat. It was tllrly a
terrible scene and one long to be reine1,i-
bered.
The entire stocks of goods Of Messrs.
Cough and Caldwell were destroyed, the
fire being so fierce that no one could
enter their stores. A part of the goods
of the other merchants was saved.
| We have never seen a hercer or quick,
er fire and it appeared at Ole time as il
the whole business portion Of the tow
would be destroyed. Fortunately, how
ever, the thick wall of the store of DR.
1 J. D. Mcmillan, adjoining the store o
II. B. Pitnian & Co., was barrier to tllt
further progress of the fire, and TIL
building, together with the buildings &C
cupied by Caldwell s. Carlyle, wa
saved The Jones hotel, OH the opposit
side of Water street from Ca1dwell's, wa
considerably damaged and had nar-ov
escape. It caught fire several times bu
was saved by hard work.
The loss by the fire will closely approx
innate $Ioo,ooo, Tie sufferers, togetlie
with the amount OF insurance carried, i
given below:
Frank Cough, loss on stock ST., occ
insurance $500; Melke estate, loss O
buildings $1,000, insurace $3.50; l.. H
Caldwell, loss OIL stock 81 1850, i1lslll
ance SIS, JOHN Redmond loss Q
stodk $500, insurance $375; P. c. Flake
loss Oh stock S., 900, insurance 1850; I
W. Millsaps loss OIL stock s., 900, insu1
ance $3.50; H B. Pitinan & Co., loss o
stock $1,000, insurance s., 600; Dr. J. I
: Mcmillan, damage to stock and store 81
800, insurance 81, 100; Caldwell s. Ca
lyle, damage to stock 5000, insuranc
So, 500; W. J. Prevatt, stock damage,
fully insured; J. ". Edmund, loss c
; store and stock $500, no insurance; A. I
Freeman, loss Oh stock $500, 10 insu
: ance; Caldwell heirs, four brick store
loss s., coo, insurance s., 500; Mrs. L.
Caldwell, loss OH brici, store $500, i
surance Fl 200; l. Jenkins, loss on brio
store s., 500, insurance $500; B. Godwi
4 loss Oh two wooden stores and te1la1
Y house $500, insurance $500; Mcmillan c
1 tate, loss Oil two wooden stores $500, /
! insurance. There were other losses
amounts ranging from, +z5 to $500. S
large stores-two of them double stores
: five wooden stores, one dwelling and Sc
s era1 out houses were burned.
Mr.. c. B. Skipper, had his furi
ture i'll the second story of Coughs sto1
and all of it was destroyed. The loss
re $500, upon which there is 10 insuranf
ut The origin Of the fire is not known.
re started in the rear OF Coughs store ?,
ir ties were in front of the store only SIX
while before the alarm was given and s.
as no sign of fire. When discovered the
nc tire back part Of the store was i'll fam