Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-08-01
FREIGHT DEPOT BURNED
Early Morning Blaze Does Con-
siderable Damage.
BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN FREE
Flames First Seen Inside Window Where No
lnAammable Material Was Located
Other kIarms-Ihe Loss.

The clang of the fire bell shortly be-
fore s O'Clock last Friday brought the
department out wiah rush, to find
that the big brick building occupied
as a freight depot by the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad Go. at the crossing on.
North Queen street. was III flames.
The department made good rub, but
when the boys arrived there they
found the whole interior of the struc-.
ture was burning.
The fire was first noticed by Lou
Hartman. conductor in the yard, who
turned in the alarm. The whistles on
the Bishop Touring mill and the knit
ting mill also added their hoarse voices
to the general alarm. and il was but a
few moments until great crowd of
people was gathered about the scene of
the confederation,
The building is of brick, with a
slate roof. and the department bent lis
energies to keeping the flames confined
to it. This was not very difficult
matter, and none of the adjacent prop
erty was in danger at any time. 1t
was indeed fortunate that the flames
were prevented from spreading, for
the freight depot is in a district thick
ly built with valuable manufacturing
property, great deal of which is of
frame.
The fire boys broke open the doors
and windows and turned the water on
the inside of the building, and it was
not long until the fire was extinguish-
ed. 1t had gotten such headwav, how
ever, that the interior of the structure
was almost completely Quilted. In the
building was quantity of freight a.
waiting delivery here and shipment to
other points, and this was almost a
total loss. In one end of the building
the offices are located. The books and
papers in these were badly damaged BY
the water, although as compared with
the.loss in the other part OF the build
ing, the damage in the offices is slight.
The fire started IN the north side of
the building, just within one of the
windows, and is believed to have been
the work of the firebugs who have been
operating in this city during the past
two months. The officials at the depot
say there was no inflammable material
in that part of the building where the
fire was discovered. aud this lends col
or to the theory that it was fired by
unknown parties.
The loss on the building will amount
to between 81. 900 and $4,000. while the
loss on the contents cannot be accu-
rately estiamted. 1t is thought that
several hundred dollars will cover the
loss on the latter.
As the insurance ON the building
is placed by the officials in Baltimore
nothing could be learned concerning
the amount of insurance carried.
FIREBUGS RESUME WORK.
The firebugs who have been opera.
ting in this place for the past two
months started the week with blaze
at o'clock Monday morning. AT that
hour flames were discovered coming
from the stable in the rear of the res
idence of and owned by Mr.. Jacob
Wild. on North Spring street. An
alarm was turned in Immediately. and
the clang of the fire bell soon brought
crowd of several hundred people to
the spot.
AS usual in the fires started in the
stables, the blaze had gained consider
able Roadway, and when the depart
ment arrived the building was COM
pletelv enveloDed. A stream of water
was quickly turned ON the burning
structure, and in short time the fire
bows had the flames under control.
The absence of any wind at the time
prevented the blaze from communicat-
ing to the adjoining properties, and the
loss was confined to the stable.
Owing to the start the fire had gain
ed. and the infiamwable material in
the building, many people were at
tracted to the spot through the belief |
that the conhagation was Of conider-
able extent. However. the fire de-
partment had no difficulty controlling
the blaze, and soon reduced it to a
smoking heap.
The stable was not in use. except as
storehouse for lumber. There was
QUANTITY of it in the building, to-
gether with some boxes and other in
hammabls material. There was no
insurance on the building, and the
loss will not be more than several
hundred dollars.
SECOND ALARM.