Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-05
GRACEY Quilted.
TWO BIC MERCANTILE EsTABL IsH.
MENTs co UP IN SMOKE.
MeGehee Bros, and d. j. Wall sustai.
Losses OF $40 900 or More-McGehee
Bros, Partly Insured-Both VIII
Resume Business.

Two of the principal business
houses of Gracey were destroyed by
fire about 2 o'clock Wednesday after
noon. They were the general mer-
camille store Of McGehee Bros, and
the grocery and saloon of B. j. Wall,
on the opposite side of the street,
The fire originated from an insecure
Aue in the main store room of McGe-
hee Bros. When discovered the fire
in the roof was we'll under way and
spread with such rapidity that moth
ing of consequence could be saved, as
the whole house was soon filled with
smoke.
There are no facilities for fighting
fire in Gracey and the flames could
not be stopped until the McGehee
building and the Wall building op-
posite were totally destroyed. The
McGehee building was big frame
house with side rooms used as ware
houses. 1t was the Eastern one of
row of business houses, but fortunate
" an intervening space kept the fire
from catching the next house, brick
building.
The intense heat though set on fire
the frame building Immediately
across the narrow street, owned and
occurred by B. j. Wall. Mr.. Wall,
however, had time 10 save the greater
part of his stock and his loss is prin-
cipally on the building.
The day was clear and calm and
the fire was not as disastrous as it
would have proved with high winds
prevailing.
The loss to McGehee Bros. is esti-
timated at $1,000 on the building
and $4,000 on the stock. The firm
carried insurance for ST 300, $1,000on
the house and the rest on the stock.
Jack S. Moore's agency has $1,000 in
the Hamburg Bremen and 1000 in
the Niagara on the the stock and ST.
600 in the Hartford GA the building;
Garnett a. Co. have $1,000 in the
Royal and $1,000 in the Celodonian
on stock land $500 in the Royal on
furniture and fixtures.
The firm of McGehee Bros, is COM
posed of four brothers having branch
houses at Pembroke, Guthrie and
Gracey, the main store being at
GAINESVILLE. The Gracey branch was
managed bysMr. Albert c.. McGehee,
one of the brothers.
About seven years ago the firm lost
store at Belleview, two miles from
Gracey, in which one of the brothers,
John y. McGehee, and negro man
named Chester Gray, were burned to
death The building was wrecked by
a tornado and burned before the inn
prisoned men could be rescued.
The main store at GAINESVILLE was
also destroyed in general confagra-
ton few years ago. This fire serl-
ously crippled the enterpriseing firm,
but the brothers picked their hints
and came again and were soon on
their feet again. The Gracey house
will OF course be rebuilt at once, as it
is one of their best stands and does a
verV large business in TWO counties.
The loss to b. J.Wall is a building
worth about $500 and some losses on
his stock, His total loss will proba-
bly, exceed $1,000, with no insurance.
Mr.. Wall has already secured va
cant building and as much of his
stock was saved he will at once re-
sumo business
The two stores destroyed were
among the four principal houses of
the village, which is thriving little
place at the crossing of the L. & n.
and o. V. railroads, ten miles west
of this city. This is the first fire that
has visited the town, which was built
about ten years ago.