The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-12-05
HOf Block
Badly Burned.
Stubborn Blaze Starts in Attic
Losses of Owners and occu-
pants Heavy.

The city was thrown into state of
great excitement at $50 O'Clock last
Friday evening over the discovery of
fire in the Hof block on West Main
street, and hundreds Of people fiocked
70 the scene to assist in extinguishing
what promised at one time to be
eonaagration. The fire department,
assisted by volunteers, worked heroic
ally. but under great difficulty, to
save the property and prevent the
flames from spreading to adjacent
holdings. Never, perhaps, had they
found a fire lnore difficult TO reach or
harder to subdue.
j The building is a large tWo-story
brick and adjuins a building of the
same height and character belonging
10 Willoughby Harrison. 1t was COW
cred with tin roof, with but very
narrow space between the ceiling and
roof. This popularity Of the structure
madeit practically impossible To reach
the fire in its first stages, as 1t was in
the attic that the blaze started.
For nearly an hour it could not def
nitely be determined just where the
fire was located, for the reason that
smoke rolled out all along the edges of
the roof and no blaze was to be seen.
However, the hose was turned on from
the rear of the building and the stream
PLAYED upon and under the roof.
Ladders we're at last placed against
Mrs. Van Osten's residence andseveral
volunteers with hose in hand climbed
upon the roof and from there to the
roof OF the burning building.
About I O'Clock the first flame was
seen in the ceiling of the room In the
middle of the building, and in a few
minutes more the flames leaped up
ward and swept westward toward the
new building being erected for Judge
Golf. The cornlce work along the
front of the building was soon all
ablaze.
II seemed that the building was
doomed but the fire ladies worked
with will and had the fire under con-
trol nv 8 O'Clock. But the flames were
smothered only for time and broke
ont again about llo'clock in anentire'
" different section Of the building.
This time it was in the ceiling Of the
Harrison section of the block. 1t
would appear that the flames had.
crept stealthily along the cornlce I'M
til they reached that part Of the
building. Then they burst forth with
fury but were soon subjected.
The origin of the blaze is shrouded
with mystery. It's supposed to have
been caused by a live electric wire, al
though the theory is advanced that it
caught from a stove in the second
story. Spontaneous combustion is
also another theory. 1t appears to
have started in the attic oyer a room
oceupted by G. G. Southern, real es-
tate broker, but, II that be true, it
could not have started from stove as
MI. Southern had not been in the Of
fee for four or five days. II may have
started over rear room occupied by
]. W. Dodge with sign painting es-
enlistment. The ceilings Of these
two rooms as we'll as the room over
/. the clifford Osborn Undertaking Com
nonv ,,ara badly burned and the roof
over these sections collapsed. The
ceiling of the Harrison section Of the
block was also considerably burned.
Dodge s. Repass lose $500 by the fire.
Mr.. Dodge loses also besides this 800.
TheClifford. Osborn Undertaking Com
pany and r. L. Martin s. Company,
hardware merchants, are the greatest
losers among the occupants of the
building. The undertaking company
had a q. 500 stock with only $1,000 in
snrance The front office contained
$500 worth OF robes, which were prac-
tically ruined from water. The exact
damage to the caskets in the storage
room has not been ascertained but will
be heavy, perhaps $500 all told. The
hardware stock Of R. L. Martin s.
Company was damaged $500 to the
+ extent Of about $500.
Southern's loss amounts to prscti-
cally nothing as only few articles
were destroyed. His desk with notes
and other valuable papers was saved.
The damage to the Hotf part of the
block will reach nearly s1,5Co. There
was no insurance The owners are
Misses Rllin and Maud Hoff, John and
Lewis HofT, and Mrs. George w. AL.
bright the last named having half
undivided interest in the building.
- Mr. Harrison's loss is slight. He has
q the building Insured,
The undertaking company secured
oms In the Boughner building on