Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-01-18
TWO FIRES IN ONE NIGHT
Firemen Called Out Twice to
Fight Blazes
A DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION

ADlSASTROUS CONFEDERATION
DR.. P. D. Barlow's Home Destroyed-1he
Building in Which He liye2 Total
wreck-The oris'.n a Mystery
fHe ?. Home Of Samuel
ThomF sol.
The first big fire of the new year
and one of the most disastrous that
has occurred in Martinsburg tor
months broke out at an eally hour
Wednesd ay in the house occupied
by DIR. Page D. Barlow, corner Maple
avenue and Burke street. AS q result
OF the blaze DR.. Barlow's home, which
was in the frame building owned by
Miss Bessie Housworth, was destroy
.ed and several thousand dollars dam
age was do=e. The adjoining build
ng owned by Mrs. K. j. Hanlev, of
Baltimore. and occupied by William
stephens, was also damaged, together
with the contents.
The fire broke out shortly after
one o'clock. Harry Anderson, who
lives on the opposite side OF the
street, was ON his way home at that
hour and as he neared the corner he
noticed smoke pouring from the
building. Another good look con-
WINGED him that the building was on
fire and he gave the alarm with all
possible haste.
In verv short time hundreds of
people were, attracted tn the street
by the sounding of the fire bell and
the fremen were soon on their wav
to the fire with the fire apparatus.
Those who first entered the house
say the blaze appeared to have started
at the head of the stairway. 1t was
then eating its way rapidly over the
inter- Or of the house. spreading into
the garrett and all the rooms. There
was no one in the house at the time.
Mrs. Barlow being on a visit to her
relatives in Baltimore and the DR.. out
a ttending a patient.
Bv the efforts of the firemen and
citizens some of the furniture was
saved, but good part of 1t was de-
stroyed. The firemen soon had streams
playing OH the building and held the
blaze in check, but while they were
fighting it from the outside it was
spreading on the interior. After they
got into the building wi tn the hose
the fire was extinguished. Three
streams were directed on the fire, two
attached to the fire plugs and one to
the steamer. which, for the first time
in several years, was brought into
use at tire. 1t turned out. how
, ever. that the use of the fire engine
I Marshall Kline ordered it stopped.
The Houseworth building is almost
total loss. The walls of the build
ing still stand, but it is likely that
they will have to be torn down. The
! Hanley building Is only slightly dam
aged, while the furniture of Mr..
stephens is damaged to some extent.
All of II was carried across the street
TO the First M. Il. church, the only
damage being by water.
The furniture of Or. Barlow was
insured for $500, the Houseworth
house for 81, 600 and the furniture
| I,f Mr.. Stephens for 5000. There was
| 10 insurance on the Hanlev building
All of the insurance. was with com
hauies represented by Alexander and
'rammell Mr.. Stephens did not take
ut a policy on his furniture until
esterday. The entire loss will
mount to about So. 600.
The Origin n Mystery.
. n The origin of the fire is a mystery
hlch no one has been able to solve.
ne thing which adds to the belief
/ That it was CT incendidary ori-
n is the fact that $3.50 was stolen
Int OF bureau drawer. DIR. Barlow
d not get 70 the house until the
e had gotten good Roadway and
,zens OF people hau been ON the IN
lie. The first thing he did when he
tered the house was to go to the
reau in which he had placed the
pney during the day, and to his
rprise he founa the drawer open
d the money gone. Whether bur-
srs had been in the house and af-
lootlng it had set fire to 1t, or
lether the fire originated from some
Ter cause and the money was sto-
by someone after the alarm was
lnded, is mystery, DIR. Barlow
vs. he has not the least idea as to
" it caught. The fire is believd to