Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-26
Village of Kensington Suffers Heavy
Loss
HALL AND OTHER BUILDINGS BURNED
The Aggregate Damage Estimated
to Be $4,000.
SMALL INSURANCE CARRIED

special Dlspatch to Inc bSenlDS star.
KENSINGTON, Md, October 26-Fire
visited this town this morning about
O o'clock and did damage to the amount of
about $15, ,OOO The town hall was burned
to the ground, as was a stable in the rear
of the building, and the building occupied
by the Kensington Publishing Company
was gutted. Only the brick walls of this
last named structure We're left standing. A
small frame building, formerly occupied as
a barber shop, was moved from near the
scene of the fire to the railroad tracks and
saved.
The town hall was a large frame struc-
ture facing the tracks of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad near the station. On the
ground floor were located a drug store,
conducted by DIR. Bruce Thomas, and a
grocery store, owned by J. w. Hopkins.
Most of the stock in these stores was saved
and all the portable property in the town
hall, Including the piano, was also rescued.
The fire started in the building of the
publishing company, where the Montgom-
cry Press, the only republican newspaper in
the county, was printed. Its origin is not
known. A young man in the employ Of the
company was In the boiler room starting
fire at the time, but the flames started near
the stairway in another part of the build
ing. Town Marshal John Wagner discov-
cred the blaze from the street, and entered
the printing office before it had gained any
headway. He believes that had he been
able to procure water without delay he
would have prevented the disastrous re-
suits which followed. He was unable to
get the water, however, and as there was
no fire apparatus in the town there was
nothing that he could do except to sound an
alarm and summon the residents of the
town to assist in the work of saving the
contents of the stores endangered.
Summoned by Church Bell.
The vigorous ringing of the bell in the
tower of the Methodist Church had the de-
sired effect So far as the printing office
was concerned, there was not the slightest
chance of saving even the books, for the
grease-soaked timbers and light material
in the building fed the flames and caused
them to spread with great rapidity. Editor
G. w. Clum of the Montgomery Press was
notified of the fire by the ringing of the
bell on electric car in front of his house.
He was soon upon the scene, but he was
unable to do anything so far as the saw
ing of his own property was concerned.
The big crowd of citizens which gathered
at the fire attacked the property in the
town hall and the stores on the lower floor,
and in a short time groceries and drugs
were piled on the open space in front of the
burning buildings. 1t was feared at first
that the piano in the town hall could not
be saved, but number of strong men sue
ceedCd in carrying 1t to q safe distance
from the danger line.
Several bucket lines were formed and
every effort possible was made to save the
town hall. The flames reached the roof of
this building first, End several times the
members of the bucket brigade succeeded in
eXtinguishing them. This was kept up un-
til the contents of the building, well as
a number of doors and windows had been
removed.
Finally the fire got beyond control Of the
volunteers and the structure was soon on
its way to total destruction. From this
building the flames spread to Mr.. Hopkins
stable, but not until his stock and hay had
been removed The little building that was
Cnce used as barber shop was about TO
be abandoned when Mr.. Johnston suggested
that IT might be saved A number OF big
pipes were procured, and on these the build
ing was rolled away. A short distance from
the scene of the fire was Mrs Browns
millinery store, and this building was saved
by careful watching and the use of water
soaked blankets
Good Work of Citizens.
The citizens did creditable work, and very
little Of the property that was removed
from the building was injured. A big pre-
scription case taken from the drug store
was dropped and smashed, but beyond this
very little damage was done In this way.
The need IF a fire company in the town
has been discussed number of times and
only last night Mr.. b. H.Warner, who owned
the printing plant, spoke to some of the citi-
zens of the necessity for establishing such
a company. His sugges ton was met by the
statement that there had never been fire
OF any consequence in the town. Today's
experience, it is believed, insures the fOrma-
uon of fire company in the near future.
The town hall property was owned by
stock company, and cost between $1,000 and
5000. and carried an insurance Of $500.
Mr.. Warmers building and stock were val
ued at about 5000, and were not insured.
The destruction of the newspaper plant will
cause delay in getting out this weeks edi-
ton of the paper, but Editor Clum told a
Star reporter that it will be issued and in
1t Will appear a copy of the official ballot
to be used at the approaching election. Both
buildings Will be rebuilt without delay, 1t is
stated, and the town hall will probably be
made larger than 1t was before.