Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1901-10-18
THE BILOXI FIRE
Damages Not so Heavy as al
First Supposed--- ---Foreign-Go-
ing Vessel at GuIfport.

Biloxi. AS usual in matters Of the
kind, the damage wrought by the re-
cent confagration is not as great as
was at first thought. The Biloxi
Hardware Company suffered an entire
loss of stock, estimated by the man
ager, 7. f. Sigor to be about Sc, 900,
on which there was an insurance of
81, 00o The building which this firm
occupied is wreck inside, but the
walls stand, but are more or less dam
aged. The building was owned by
Lopez and Dukate, worth about S., 900
and insured for 50, 900.
The Masonic order, consisting of
Blue Lodge, Council Chapter and
Commandery, occupied the second
story of the building and suffered an
entire loss Of all furniture and para
| phernalia, only the records and jew
| els being saved. Their loss is about
81, 500, with 81, 900 insurance.
The fire was confined to this one
building, with the exception of a
warehouse adjoining it and the ware
house of J. w. Swetman. druggist.
The building was a two-story brick
| and built after the disastrous fire of
1894. To the west of this is hand
some brick building occupied By Mrs.
5. Picard as dry goods and clothing
store, which was damaged probably TO
the amount of $500, fully covered by
insurance. Mrs. S. Picard estimates
her stock as worth $18, 900, and it is
more or less damaged by having been
moved out and partly by fire and
water which reached one department.
before the goods, consisting of blank
cts, etc., could be moved out A rea-
sonable estimate of her loss is $4,000,
covered by $40, 900 insurance, of which
amout S3 500 is with the Marx Agen-
cy of New Orleans, and the remainder
with local agencies.
| DR.. W. o. Talbot, dentist, and
Dodds and Griffith, attorneys, ooou-
pied the upstairs portion and both
suffered some damage from water.
The other principal sufferer is ]. w.
Swetman, occupying his own building
just east of the Biloxi Hardware
Oompany's building The stock, con-
sisting of drugs, chemicals, patent
medicines and sundries, was moved
from the building, and the damage is
great. Mr.. Swetman estimates his
sotok at 81, 900, aud the loss is fully
sS, 900, covered by 50, 500 insurance.
Mr.. Swetman suffers an additional
loss Of q warehouse and contents, un-
Insured and valued at $780, The west
wall Of his building is damaged about
81, 500, covered by 81, 600 insurance.
The lodges of Knights of Pythias,
Elks and Knights of Honor occupy
the second story, but suffered no loss.
There are conflicting reports as to
the origin Of the fire, but the best in
| formation obtainable is that it origi-
mated in the frame wareroom Of the
Biloxi Hardware Company, and
| HuAOhly W tIio Lila Il
building. There are reports of its
having begun in what is known as
the "goat room of the Masonic
hall, but all the evidence shows the
fire burned from the ground up and
not from the top down. The cause is
yelled in mystery. A similar fire oo-
CURED in 1894 and began within
twenty-five feet OF where this one be-
gan, but at that time destroyed several
blocks. The Biloxi Hardware Com
pany is owned by DR.. H. M. Wolkes
Of this city, and the business will
probably soon be resumed. The fire
department was hampered by insult
ficient hose and water, but did splen-
did work and prevented the spread of
the flames into the very heart of the
| l. I.-k.. 80