Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-02-23
Destructiye Fire.

Destructive Fire.
The sounding of the fire alarm
Tuesday at 80 O'Clock awakened
many citizens from their peaceful
slumber and caused a general early
morning commotion throughout the
city.
The cause of the alarm was a fire
on the first floor of the WolfesIbuilding
corner Raleigh and Martin streets, in
the room occupied by the grocery
store of l.. q. King, which room was
Quilted by flames.
AT five O'Clock in the morning Mr..
King arose to make tho fire in the
kitchen stove, which is in a room to
the rear Of the store room. With a
lamp in II hand and a shovel in the
other, he was engaged in getting a
bucket of coal from a bin in the cor
ner of the room, when the lamp be-
gan to ''act funny 1t blazed up
and then apparently went out, but in
a few seconds it exploded in his
hands, severity burning his right hand
and burning his mustache and hair
nearly off.
Mr.. King dropped the lamp on the
floor and Immediately secured a blank
ct to smother the flames, but they
spread too fast for him to control
them. They leaped up the board
partition separating the kitchen from
the store and began devouring the
paper signs on the partition. The
blazes were now almost beyond Mr..
Kings control.
He called for help and his nephew,
Jacob Heck resp onded. They attempt
ed to put out the blaze with water,
but their efforts were fruitless.
The flames leaped about over the
shelves and were fed by the coal oil
tank and other inflamable material in
the store. When Mr.. King saw the
fire was beyond his conrtol he left it
in charge of his nephew and devoted
his attention to arousing his family
and the other occupants of the build
ing-the families of Mrs. Anna Roby,
Mrs. Bateman and Mrs. Parkison.
John j.. Bateman gave the alarm at
the City Hall and at 5 80 the bell was
tapped.
The firemen responded quickly and
in a short time had the fire under con-
troll and the building saved. The fire.
men did good work and by their quick
a serious fire was averted.
Everything in the store was, however,
ruined, either by fire or water.
Mr.. King places his loss at about
$500. The stock was insured with the
New York Home Insurance Company
represented by Alexander 81 Tram
nell, for, $3.50, and the fixtures for $50.
The damage to the Wolfes building
amounts to about 300, covered by
insurance with the Merchants 81
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company,
of Berkeley County.
Fire In Berkeley Springs.
Fire yesterday afternoon destroyed
the interior of the house occupied by
Mrs. Eliaz Yost, Berkeley Springs.
The fire started while she was out
working and burned for several hours
before it was noticed. Mrs. Yost left
the house at Q a. m. and the fire was
discovered at IL 80 p. m. Everything
ON the interior of the house was de-
stroyed. Within an hour after the
fire was extinguished a subscription
paper was circulated for the relief of
the unfortunate woman.
Fire I'm Chimney.
A fire in the CHI mney of the build
ing occupiedIby the saloon of Geo.
w. Schill, N. Queen street, caused
quite an excitement Friday at 10 80
O'Clock. Mr.. Shill sent a young man
to give the alarm, but by placing a
ladder on the building and throwing
salt over the chimney the blaze was
soon extinguished and the young man
called back.
The Pope's Wardrobe.