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

the vehicles were loaded with all manner
of goods and carried to places of more or
less safety. Several Of the big general
stores had just gotten in their goods, and
in some cases the packages had not been
opened. These packages, of course, were
easy to remove without damage; but in
the case of many Of the goods that were
saved and carried to backlots, the steal
age was on large scale. The Negro, as
rule, is the best firemen in this section.
The better class fight like good fellows,
and without even the hope of reward.
But there is another class that looks upon
an occasion of this kind as one for good
stealing. Hundreds of Negroes were OBJ
served selecting shoes and clothing to
fit and carrying them away. In the ex-
cltement and decentralization, however,
such thing as attempting an arrest was
not thought of.
Along about o'clock there was ter
rifle explosion. 1t is supposed to have
come from the J. B. johnson Company
drug store, and the theory is that it was
due to the combustion Of gases OF some
kind. At any rate the concussion was
like discharge of artillery, and The al
ready hot plate glass in the buildings on
the opposite side of the street was shiver'
ed to splinters. A number of people
about were badly cut with flying pieces
of glass. Among them were Captain A..
e. Hutchison, Messrs. c. J. Key, George
d. White, and Negro woman. The wo-
man was seriously hurt. Her scalp was
cut into, and it was with the greatest diff
ficulty that the physicians kept her from
bleeding to death. Another serious acci-
dent occurred to Mr.. Fred d. Marshall,
who was run over by runaway horse
and badly bruised.
Other explosions occurred in the A. L.
Smith Il Co. building and in Milling's
and O'Neal's stores. The explosions in
the A. T.. Smith building were caused
by about 10000 military cartridges, and
in the other two buildings by large guam
titles of fireworks left over from Christ
mas.
After it was seen that the flames were
getting beyond control, the Rock Hill
people telegraphed to Charlotte and
Chester for help. The Charlotte engine
came on special train-but too late to be
of service-and the Chester engine was
stopped at the depot before it left thai
place.
The fire continued to sweep all before
it until about 5 o'clock a. M, when its
; progress was arrested at the store of Frew
Bros. The building was separated from
that of A. f. Smith & Co. by all alleyway
some 10 feet wide. 1t was owing to this
fortunate circumstance only that all the
brick buildings on that side of the street
were not destroyed.
Although the flames did not cross the
street, the buildings on that side did moi
escape unscathed. How plate and other
glass windows and doors were broken by
heat and the explosion has already beer
stated. Besides this, the metal coping
was melted off the front of the Roddey
building, and the rosin was extracted
from the woodwork of other buildings
all along the line. The damage in this
way was considerable; but fortunately II
was fully covered by insurance. Follow
ing is statement of the insurance carried
by the different losers:
w. L. Roddey-S5,OOO on opera house
and 5000 on J. B. Johnson Company
drug store.
]. b. Johnson Company-s5,4OO on
stock.
True & Klutz-S6,0O0 on stock.
J. w. O'Neal-Sl, 200 on stock.
| 40
Mrs. Minnie Ratterree & Co.-$600 or
stock.
A. J. Evans $1,000 on stock and furni,
ture.
A. E. Smith & Co.-S2,OOO on building
and $4,000 on stock.
r. r. Fewell & Co.-$3,sOO on building
and Sl7 900 on stock.
George Beach-S6OO on stock.
C. s. May-S4,OOO on stock.
s. II. Frew & Co.-S75O on stock.
i c. w. Frew-S4, 800 on stock.
w. G. Reid & Snn-$2,O 900 on stock.
J. H. Milling-Sl, 900 on stock.
A. Friedheim & Bro.-ST, 500 on stock
and $l2, 800 on buildings.
August Friedheim & Co.-T.5OO or
stock.
DR.. I. Simpson & Son-S5OO on office
furniture.
c. Frew-Sl, 500 on stock and $4,000
on building.
John R. London-S2, 900 on building.
The Carolina hotel building was dam
aged about $1,000. The loss is fully COW
cred by insurance.
A. H. Green & Son-damaged abou,
$3.50.
e. Brodie lost about sl25. Insurance
$500.
DR.. J. NJ. Hunter and DR.. w. w. Fen.
mel lost their Office furniture, etc. Nc
insurance.
r. NJ. London sustained losses to his
job printing plant. Covered by insurance.
J.J. Hull lost about 800 worth of unin-
sured printing material in the opera
house. He also sustained damage in The
Herald office but covered by insurance.
The entire plant of the Rock Hill Mes
senger was destroyed and no insurance.
A quantity of jewelry in Mr.. George
Beach's safe was damaged.
Messrs. R. T. Fewell & Co.'S. books and
valuable papers were saved out of their
vault intact. A. Friedheim q Bro. were
equally fortunate.
From the best estimate the reporter
is able to secure, the total loss foots up
about Sl75, 900, and the insurance will be
in the neighborhood of about $4,000.
The last big fire that occurred in Rock
Hill, previous to this, was in the spring
of 1887. It was at that time that all of the
large buildings on the opposite side OF
the street were swept away. Then all
losses were fully covered by insurance, or