The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-05-22
Most Destructive Blaze in the His
tory of the Town Occurs---Is d
Regular ConfIagration.
Losses are Heavy With Insurance AstonishingIy
Light-Fire Believed to be of Incendiary Origin
Started in Rear of Camps Store in
Trash Pile.

The tolling Of the church bell at the
midnight hour Thursday night awakened
the citizens of Bridgeport from their
peaceful slumbers and summoned to the
scene of conhagration, the greatest
that has befaIlen the town in all its
history.
At y o'clock tile Rev. Penn, the
Methodist preacher there, saw a blaze in
trash pile in the rear Of George Camps
general merchandise store on Main street.
1t was under good headway and alarm
ingly close to the store building. He
ran 70 the church Immediately and rang
the bell a an alarm to the citizens.
The people rushed forth to behold the
store building ablaze. There was con
sternation on every hand, but bucket bri.
gades we're formed at once and heroic
efforts were made TO put out the blaze.
The building was frame, two stories
high, and it burned like cinder.
The Central hotel, owned and conduct
ed by Fred hester. and the store were
in the same building and was soon ablaze
and razed by the flames. The FIRE spread
to the next building down the street,
owned by 4. D. Corpening and occupied
by him with a general store and meat
market. It was an easy prey to the
hungry flames, being two-story frame.
Contents and all were destroyed and
nothing remained except the debris to
tell the tale.
The fire was soon in the John DunIlin
building in which he had large gen.
eral store and a barber shop conducted
by Russell Mead. The building and con
tents we're quickly licked up BY the
flames.
The fire would have gone on in its
path Of destruction hal it not been for
]. B. Martins big brick store building.
The flames threatened it too but had
exhausted themselves too much to attack
that which was practically firc. proof
There was danger on the other side Of
the street, and twice the blaze under.
took to leap across, but the heroic work
of the volunteer fire fighters checked
them in their mad career in that lircc.
tion, and the only damage they did was
to blister the front of DR.. ". NJ Late's
residence considerably and scorch to
considerable extent the front part of
the residence Of J. B. Sandusliy. The
bucket and blanket brigades saved these
houses, and by SO doing saved many 9th
ers and, perhaps, the entire town.
An astonishing disclosure is the light
amount OF insurance carried. George
Camp had $1,000 on his stock of goods
and A. D. Corpcuing $500 on The meat
market. The others carried none, and
their losses are complete.
Virtually all the contents Of the build
ings which were burned were DESTROYED
Some few goods were carried out. but
not enough to amount 70 much. The
hotel equipments were wiped out com.
pletely. Mr.. T. Kcster lost all his
clothes, except the shirt and pair Of
pants he had on at the fire. He also
lost $50 in money. which he forgot to
take from under his pillow when he
rushed out of the building At the first
alarm Of fire.
The cause OF the tire IS not definitely
known, but it is believed by many that
it was OF inceud;ary origin. Still 9TH
ers think it may have started from a
cigar stump.
A telephone message was received
here from the place for help from the
city fire department, but the latter, not
being equipped with engines, could be
Of no service, and did not respond. a
wire was sent also to Grafton, but this
was rcmanded. when it was seen that
the fire would exhaust itself before
spreading beyond the burnt district,
was practically in ashes before the Graf
ton fire department could have arrived.
TSaNaggrcgate loss amounts to from
. $4,000, with only $500 in
st.rante al told. The losses are divided
As follows:
Fred Kcstcr, owner OF the hotel and
building, $500. with no insurance.
George Camp, stock Of goods, $1,000;
insurance. $1,000.
A. D. Corpening, building and store and
So 200 ,.;,l sIOO ing,,rarrf