The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-08-18
A Big Fire in Hanover, Pa.

HANOVER, Pa, August 1.-THE
most disastrous fire in the history Of this
place occurred this morning, destroying
sixteen buildings The loss will aggregate
about. $50, 900.
Shortly before three o clock flames were
discovered issuing from the stable Of the
Hotel Obold, in the triangular space at the
rear of Broadway, York and Baltimore
streets and adjoining the storage warehouse
of the j. C. Tanger Hardware Company,
and the large livery stable Of j. II. Shriver
But few minutes after the sounding of
the alarm terrific explosion Of powder or
dynamite occurred in the warehouse Of the
hardware company, which shattered build
ings and heavy plate glass windows in varl-
GUS parts of town and scattering burning
brands everywhere, and almost instantly the
entire district was converted into seeth-
ing, roaring furnace.
For the time being the fremen seemed
appalled, at the magnitude of the task be-
fore them. 1t was necessary that the fire
be fought from four sides simultaneously,
which was not possible with the amount of
hose belonging to the department, and
there was every prospect that the entire
Eastern city would he devasted. Aid from
York was asked, but it was found that the
wires leading out of town passed through
the burning district and had been destroyed
w, 4 was finally gotten through BY way
of Baltimore, over the Western Maryland
Railroad wires from the northern edge of
the town, and steamer with hose and
other apparatus were loaded on special
train at York 1t was not needed, however,
for the Volunteer Hose Company of Nc
Sherrystown, Adams county, attracted by
the extraordinary glare in the sky, came
laundering to the rescue with their APP
paratus, amid the cheers of the frightened
pOpulace gathered in Center Square. The
excellent discipline and almost superhuman
efforts Of the local iiremen bad checked the
eastward sweep of the flames, and, with
the united efforts of the McSherrystown
men, the fire was finally gotten under con-
troll after three hours of hard fighting.
The scenes around the Shriver livery
q
stable were pitiful in the extreme. Thir-
teen out of twenty horses were roasted alive,
and the screams of the suffering brutes as
they rushed to and fro through the fire
made weird accompaniment to the roar
ing and cracking of the flames. An agent
of the Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Animals was stationed on the
roof of neighboring building with rife,
and shot as many Of the horses as he pos
sibly could
Out of the sixteen buildings which fell
prey to the fire, six were dwellings, in
Guiding the new and handsome Hotel
Obold. The rest of the buildings were
barns, stables and warehouses
The three heaviest losses, however, will
be on the Hotel Obold, the Tanger Com
pany and the Shriver livery stable, which
will foot up about S25, 900. At least
one-h half the total loss is covered by insur-
ance. The engines have been playing
upon the ruins all day, and much difficulty
is experienced in subduing repeated out
breaks in the Hotel Obold, which adjoins
a large liquor and spirit house. A rumor
which cannot be verified is that a man by
the name of Trescher was lost in the Obold
ruins. Howard Fischer, colored, 80 years,
was found on the third floor of the Obold,
overcome by heat, and almost drowned by
the deluge Of water poured into the build
ing. The origin of the fire is unknown,
but is supposed to have been caused by
crap shooters in the Obold stable