The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-12-17

The people of Wilsonburg have cause
for gratitude and thanksgiving and they
certainly show THAT they appreciate that
fact. The town narrowly escaped a con,
fagration Thursday morning and only
the heroism and hard work of its citi-
zens, one hundred strong as Gre-aghters,
saved it from smouldcring in ashes. They
count themselves fortunate THAT the de.
structive flames no more than they did,
About s o'clock Wednesday night
Thomas Gerard, proprietor of the hotel
at that place, smelled something burn.
ing and upon investigation, he concluded
that the hotel was aiire between the cell.
ing Of the second story and the roof. lie
rushed out ind gave the alarn, and per-
sons went to work to loclte the fire.
They pried up the floor near the fire.
place, where The fire was believed to be
and found one Of the joists afre. The
blaze had not gotten under headway, and
it was eNtinguislled, apparently, but Mr..
Gerard was uneasy and he remained
awake and watched the hotel until about
? o'clock, when he became sleepy and
went to bed. At 4o'clock tlle shaTtling
discovery was made that the hotel build.
ing was enveloped in flames. The first
fire seems to have crept outside Of the
hotel building proper and started afresli
in THE barber shop adjoining. The
Methodist church bell WINS rung to arouse
the people, and it was only u short time
until one hundred excited people men,
women and chillrcr-1were on the scene.
A bucket brigadc was hurricdly formed
and all Joined in combat against the
flames. 1T was useless to attempt TO
save the hotel building, as ii was prac-
tically destroyed before The blaze waS
discovered, but their efforts were devoted
ito saving other property and, in fact, the
whole town, and well they did it. Hun.
dreds Of barrels Of water were gotten
from the creek and wells md dashed on
the adjacent property.
The Methodist parsonage stood only 25
feet from the hotel building and the heat
was 50 intense that il was feared the fire
would spread to it, and in order TO pre-.
vent that the parsonage had almost q
continual stream Of water on it from the
hundred buckets in use. Behind this was
Francis merchandise store only 25 feet
away, and this, too, was the subject Of
a virtual suBmersion of water from time
to time during the period the flames lick
ed up The hotel
While many were showering these
buildings with water, Others diligently
carried out the contents OF the build
/ ings, but not before many things were
badly damaged by the water.
Besides the hotel building, the barber
shop, a small cottage adjoining the west
side of the hotel and a physician's of
ice were entirely destroyed. The prop
critics belonged to NJ. j. Francis. The
barber shop was occupied by Ernest
Meyers and the cottage and doctors of
flee by Gerard, the hotel keeper.
Mr.. Francis loss on the buildings
amounts to at least $1,000, with $l,oOc
insurance. Meyers lost everything in
the shop except a table or 50. His losA
is probably 500. Gerrarl's loss is per-
laps 500 OF slightly more, the furnish
iugs OF the hotel belonging 70 Francis.
In addition to these losses Francis loses
about 81 900 on the stock OF merchandise
! from water and taeft. The Bell tele-
| phone wires we're burned and the com.
panw suffers considerable loss.
The fire ragged iierccly from 4 until
$3.50 O'Clock, when it died down and all
danger was over. During all that time
the volunteer fremen worked like Turks.
and they were completely exhausted
when Jhc hour came for them TO aban-
don their efforts aud contemplate how
Ithey providentally escaped from being
homeless in mid-winter.
a