Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-07-07
BURNING OF THE
Shenandoah House Stables.
A FEARFUL SIGHT.
A DE- PERATE BUT ST CCEssFUL FIGHT
WITH THE FLAMES.

The people of Woodstock we
n through with nerve racking fire at ;
early hour last Sunday morning, Il
most appalling and by lar the most da
gerOus since the brutal Sheridan a
= tempted to lay 1t in ashes. For aVhi
it looked as if much of the town must z
specially when the engine which WI
promptly on hand. was found 10 haN
: been tempered with and would ~
work.
1t was only a short time before | o
clock Sunday morning when the cry {
'iireW followed by the Changing OF tn
new fire alarm bell, brought the peopl
from their beds to see the flames burst
ing from the big frame stables of tn
Shenandoah HOuse, right in the hear
of the town, and closely surrounded b.
wooden buildings, one barn at tn
jail, only a few yards away. Tn
long flamc building of Kniesley Bros
Timing and stove establishment wa
only few yards from the front of the
stable, and as this is built up righ
against c. W. NcwtOn's bakery anl
grocery with NewtOn's dwelling and G.
X. travels biz three story frame furni-
ture rooms all iammed together it look
ed as if large part of the town was
doomed, and especially was this the case
when after the engine was put in posi-
ton at the court house fire eisteLn aud
and line of hose stretched, it was
found that it would not work. Many
Thought it had been tempered with, and
i. looks very much that way. After
awhile Mr. A. 5. Parker got it in partial
working order and il did valuable SER
vice but nothing like its capacity. As
the smoke and burning embers poured
down over the buildings in Il c direction
of Court street it looked like hopeless
fight. bnt the lircmen ana citizens gOn-
orally put up a gallant fight, and never
for moment thought OF giving up.
Ladders were run up Oh the cndang-
cred buildings and lines Of men and boys,
and IN many instances, ladies carried
water ia buckets and in this way the
fire was kept down, AT times the dense
black smoke almost obscured tie Shen-
andoah House ana the jail from sight,
and as the haf dozen men in the steel
cages in the later, thought they would be-
helplessly roasted, their cIies for help
were terrible. They were soon brought
out and put i'm the fire proof clerks
office under guard. AT one time, IN adj
dition to The Jail, the roof Of IAYenner q
bauserman's Office, the back building OF
k. L. Bargelt's house, all on Court
street, and the Jail stables, were on fire.
About the same time Gu Main street
Kneisley Bros. building and q large
she'd adjoining in rear OF NewtOn's store
were burning, along with hen houses,
sheds, fences aud several small Outbuid-
inaS, and JnO. Gill's blacksmith shop.
But the bucket brigade, nlanfully as
sisted by the partially disabled engine.
finely mastered the fire after desperate
fight. When the fire was FIRST discover
ed Mr.. Hoffman with several others got
into the stables to save the hcrSes Ii
Was a dangerous and thrilling experience
as the upper part Of the building filled
az it was with hay and straw was ROM
ing furnace aud lire was dropping down
allarouud them. Same Of the horses
we're in box stalls, but Mr.. Hoffman
bareiooted and with only pants and
cause shirt OH, succeeded IN getting
them out, the last enc, Frank, u iaVCrite
animal, attempted to run back, but
sharp blow and the cry OF go, made
him leap burning pile OF hay and darI
out through the falling embers. Another
horse, that was tied with two iaiicrs, tor
from Ike manager and ran ont with nfine
and tail burning and dragging several
boardswi;h him.
Two horses belonging to NJ Jack Weaver
of New Market. which had been driven from
that place by Ma. Lem. Hotel and put IN the
stable little after 10 o'clock, could rot De
gotten at and were burned in their stalls.
Some of Mr.. Holtzman's vehicles were got
ten out, several % thcn in damaged con
ditior, hut tie following were lost one three
seated and one two seated Dayton wagons,
new buggy, open top suffy,
road wagon, cart, bike sulky. one sleigh, a
set of wheels number of buggy poles about
f!;con sets of double and single harness, lap
robes. spreads and many other PARTICLES, HIS
smoke house with over nifty pieces OF meat
four cans of lard of TOO lbs. each ana other
provisions were destroyed. His wash house,
ice house and ice, hen house with thirty or
forty chickens, hog pen with ten small shoats
lie also lost in the barn ten tons OF hay, four
of straw, a load of oats corn and sc.
Nj Hoffman estimates his loss at from
5000 10 - upon Mfi4tA kliNAN Wtio iA'N ftNN
Of insurance Besides fencing, sheds &c, M.
G. w Newton lost hon house ana toitychicA
ems His fine garden vas also destroyed. we
have not heard the amount OF his loss, but u
will be considerable. The stables OF the Shen-
andoah House belong to W, /. Laughlin and
were insured for $50.
When the fire began to threaten the destruc-
ton of much of the town Mr.. II. Is. Chapman
telegraphed to Winchester 20 know II they
could send help The reply was prompt and
encouraging. Two fire companies with their
steam engines and plenty OF hose, would pc at
the depot, where the b. 4 .. K. K. would nave
an engine and cars ready to bring them al "a
moments notice. The management OF the
Southern x. r., also held an engine and tram
crew at Strasburg. ready 10 bring The Win
chester hrcmen through without moments
delay. Although their help fortunately was
not needed our people Will not soon forget
their generous response TO onr cry for help
knowing as we 60 how effective and invalu-
able would have been tue work OF these
trained FIRE ladies
Our own FRENCH did wonderfully well. es
.pecially SO under the discouraging citcum.
stanoes thut beset them. With the exception OF
Ia Jew persons who never do anything but ZOOS
on and who seem "a be utterly destitute OF
every instinct of manhood or sense OF sname,
our people fought this fire grandly ana
manfully. And right here we want TO say "a
word for our colorcd people They were on
hand promptly. They took hold with Will
and determination that counted big IN the
fight, and no part Of our people did iheir cNt.
more manfully or stuck 10 II mere pfSvely.
Some of our ladies ard all the small boys
aertSvd faithfully, and their services were
valuable.
Several Of the big telephone poles with their
numerous cross arms loaded with Fnra,
caught FIRE but fortunatelT ~sre not put out oi
service
The jail was saved by Mr. John Ruby who
cut a mole through the roof and went out Q1
the building with buckets Of water
The people Of Woodstock don't gel
rn,,ch nninr.r, ont n,lt IL thn brilliant cleo.