Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-16
A CHURCH ON FIRE.
A House of Worship In OnancOcI
Has "a Narrow Escape.


ONANCOCK, VA. March 15-(Special)
The people living near the corner Of Main
street and College avenue were startled
about o'clock Sunday morning by the
cry Of FIRE" and on going out they found
smoke issuing in great volumes from
Holy Trinity Episcopal church. The en-
tire building was filled with smoke. so
that IL was Impossible for a person TO re-
main on the inside for any length OF
time; and flames were seen bursting up
through the floor of the middle aisle just
il front Of the chancel. Efforts were made
20 extinguish the fire with buckets of
water obtained from the neighboring
well, but these wells were soon exhausted.
and the flames continued to mount higher
and higher. Ii looked as If the beauti-
ful edifce was doomed to destruction,
and some OF the ladies. by whose efforts
and sacrifices the church had been beauti-
fed and adorned. rushed in and carried
out such articles of furniture as they
priced most highly. The nearest water
main was so far away that it was thought
impossible TO reach the church with
the 600 feet Of hose which the town had
provided. 1t was, however. decided to
make the trial, and when the hose was
laid down. il was found TO be Just long
enough to reach from the nearest fire.
plug 10 the basement window OF the
church, nearest the place where the fire
was raging. The water was turned on
and in a few minutes the flames were
eTtinguished. But for this fortunate con-
lAnCture OF affairs the church would have
been destroyed. and with IL several Of the
handsomest and most costly residences
Of the town.
The edifice was built about fifteen years
ago. and is regarded as the most grace
fGl specimen of church architecture on the
Eastern Shore Bishop Randolph re-
CARDS il as the comeliest church in his do
cese outside the larger cities.
CAUSED BY A FLUE.
The fire originated from an overheated
fue running from the furnace in the base
meut TO the chancel, and almost touching
the sleepers on which the floor rests
Had the fire been discovered twenty min.
utss later, or had the hose been a few
feet shorter, property far exceeding
the cost of the water-workS would have
been destroyed. The damage to the
building, amounting TO several hundred
dollars. is fully covered by insurance i'm
The North American company, of which
GrotOn q Doughty are the local agents:
but there was no insurance on the furni-
ture.
The truckers and farmers of the Eastern
Shore Of Virginia are looking to the
markets Of the West as outlets for seve-
raj Of their products. Last year many
carloads Of sweet potatoes were shipped
from this region to western markets,
some Of them going as far as Oregon and
California Several Eastern Shore men
have located in western cities, and have
succeeded in creating a demand for the
famous sweet potatoes and other pro-
ducts that reach their highest perfec-
ti0n in this favored region. 1t is said
that the Baltimore. Chesapeake and At
lan,ic Railway Company is much in
terosted in the scheme, and Is consider
ing the advisability of sending agents
throughout the western country 10 assist
On developing this trade.
The storehouse of Edward Davis, at
Gr5enbackvlle, in the northeastern part
81 Accomac, was destroyed several nights
ago with all its contents. amounting IN
an 10 about 5000. on which there was an
Insurance Of 81, 300.
The Rev. j. Manning Dunaway' OF Ac-
comac Courthouse who several years ago
wrote such a vigorous protest TO the
Religious Herald. Of Richmond against