Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-04-06
SWEDT nv FLAMES

line tOw0 OF fOck Till SuStdlueu teI-
rible blow last Sunday morning. Fire
broke out, it is thought, in Negro bar
ber shop at about 1920 O'Clock a. M, and
within five hours afterward fully half the
business part Of the town, including sew
eral of the largest merchantile establish.
ments in the county, was in ashes.
The first news of the great disaster
reached Yorkville at about 0.30, Sunday
M orning. The operator at Rock Hill had
been working all the morning to get the
news here; but for some unexplainable
reason, no communication could be got
ten through until the hour named. MIR.
II. II. Beard at once turned the message
over to THE ENQUIRER, and after it had
been properly bulletined for the infor-
nation of the people, reporter set out
for Rock Hill on bicycle to get full i'm
formation.
1t was abou. II o'clock when the re-
porter arrived. At that time the fire had
already run its course, and the burned
district was only scene of crumbling
ruins. Most of the citizens who had been
fighting fire during the night had left the
scene and returned home for a much
needed rest. But already crowds of visi-
tors from Fort Mill, Charlotte, Pineville,
Leslie, Tirzah, Newport and other sur
rounding points. had begun 10 arrive on
bicycles and in horse conveyances, and
the badly disordered streets were soon
crowded with strangers. Laterin the day
there was also a large number from York
vile.
During the day, from different citizens
of Rock Hill, and with the intelligent
assistance of THE ENQuIRER's bright
young correspondent, Mr.. R. NJ. London,
the reporter managed to secure about as
complete and as correct story Of the
confagration, together with its disastrous
results, as it is possible to present up to
this time.
The fire originated in cellar just un-
derneath the New York Racket store (;
but Just how is matter of uncertainty.
The facts are these. The cellar was divi-
ded into two compartments. In one was
a large quantity of wine belonging to the
Morrison estate, and the other was occu-
pied by Negro barber shop, run by Bob
Hope and Brown Workman. The barber
shop was a notorious loafing place for
Negro idlers, especially at night, and the
principal diversions were drinking, gam
bling, and occasionally a little fighting.
1t is theory of some people that possibly
during the night lamp was knocked
over in the barber shop or a match was
thrown about carelessly; but as to this
nothing is known definitely. Those who
were about the shop at the time have
nothing to tell which throws any light
upon the matter, and there is no evidence.
The only thing that is certain about The
origin of the fire, is that it was discov-
cred by Policeman Rivers at about 1920
o'clock.
The alarm was given at once, and it
was but few minutes until the fire COM
pany was out in full force. Within a
very few minutes more, the fire engine
was down to business with a lively
stream but already the flames were
bursting from the door Of the New York
Racket store and the case was practically
hopeless.
From the Racket store the flames
spread both ways with relentless certainty,
Notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the
firemen and citizens generally. There
was plenty of water for the engine; but
on two or three occasions something got
wrong with the hose, and soon the fire
was so hot that the stream turned to steam
the instant it struck the flame.
The propretors of the different stores
endangered soon realized that the de-
struction of their property was certain,