Smyrna times., 1899-04-05
DAMAGED BY FIRE.
The Residence of Mr.. M. H. Appleton Caught
Fire From a Spark to Baby Car
riage.-Mrs. Sylvester's Resi-
dence Burned.


The residence of Mr.. NJ. H. Apple
ton. more Familiarity known as the
Alexander Wilson property on Main
street, caught fire between three and
four O'Clock on Monday afternoon and
but for the heroic efforts of Mr.. and
Mrs. Appleton, Mr.. W. M.
Lewis and the Hose Company, a SER
ious confagration might have oc-
Cured.
Mr.. Appleton had been out in the
country all day on a business trip, and
Mrs. Appleton, expecting his return
about the middle of the afternoon,
started a wood fire in the kitchen stove
to prepare him his dinner. She built
the fire and was doing other household
duties, when happily she went out to
the pump to get some water. 1t was
while she was out there that she no
ticed the roof ablaZe. With a cool,
collected mind, without giving in to
her fright, she at once grabbed buck
ct of water and went up to the room
directly over the kitchen. By this
time, Mr.. Appleton arrived, accom-
panied by Mr.. W. NJ. Lewis, and to-
gether they worked with an indefati-
gable effort to extinguish the flames
which were fast gaining heading. The
kitchen loft was in blaze and the fire
had crept between the plastering and
the Notwithstanding and was shooting
out the at the top of the building, and
famed by the wind blowing strongly
from the northwest, gave serious as
pect to the condition of things. But
ere this the alarm had been given, the
fire bell rang, and the Hose Company
making hasty preparation to reach the
scene of action. 1t was only IL matter
of few minutes after they arrived and
the nozzle had been turned on the
burning portion, before the flames were
extinguished, but not until large
hole had been burned in the ceiling,
the room above and the roof.
Mrs. Appleton cannot account for
the origin of the fire III any other way
than that the sparks, in some manner
issued from the stOve-pipe (Which runs
through the kitchen ceiling and bends
into the chimney abOve) and caught to
some flimsy materials in baby coach,
which was close to it, and from there
crept to the straw mating on the floor,
and under the floor made its way up
the side of the building to the rafters
above. The first thing seen ON enter
ing this room above the kitchen, was
the baby coach envelOped i'll flames,
and the conclusion is naturally drawn
from this.
Mr.. Appleton much appreciates the
loyal work of the Hose Company and
all friends who assisted and wishes us
to make this announcement through
the columns of the TIMES.
Residence of Mrs. Sylvester Burned.
A few minutes after eleven o'clock
this morning fire broke out in the res
idence of Mrs. Levi Sylvester on lower
Main street, adjoining the residence of
Andrew Sisco and until controlled by
the Hose Company blazed furiousIy
The property belongs to the w. E.
Wilson heirs, G. H. Register agent.
No sooner had the fire alarm been
given than it was responded to by a
large crowd. Helping hands who ar
rived on the scene of action before the
| Hose Company arrived, rushed in the
house and began to clear it of all its
personal effects. The fire started in
the attic and thus gave ample time to
remove the furniture, &c. BY the
time the water was turned on about
everything was cleared out of the
house except one bedstead. The work
of the fire department was particularly
noticeable. They worked with a stu
pendous effort, and in fifteen or twenty
minutes time had the fire under con
troll. Considerable cutting had to be
done to get the stream under the roof
where the flames ragged the most.
Mrs. Sylvester had just built a fire
to prepare dinner and went ont in the
kitchen to do some work. She had nc
knowledge of the fire at all until Miss
Maggie Sisco rushed in and told her
that flames were coming out of the
roof. The origin of the fire is sup.
posed to have resulted from a defec-
tive fiue. The house was badly dam
aged by the blaze as well as the water