The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1903-06-26

<14se ok flame Ghot up through the
.'1'p@pl1Fe ut 1880 o'clock Monday
<'@I' md those who saw it started in
gay Ajtseti6n, not knowing what build
>I9 was 6tite. As they approached they
|''S1p|cEsa that It was ut a site that
4ezU- t9ibe an iIl-fated spot, If the his
&@E 4 has had 80 far as fire is con-
@@-ncd = evidence. Only a year ago Mon
N1{ morning, June 10, was that very
spot visited by destructive blaze, and
~ tiA3e Monday night, while not COW
4Iine a fEsat q district as ON the former
accession VII Just as destructive ut that
t<1Iie|s|sr spot
be- cIefs e'irriage and blacksmith shop
|Ke tssini Mas the exclamation of all
|.t apnroached the scene. The first
.HIe ht4cld the flames shooting and
Nrtnding from the roof end to end, the
0rst being instantaneous all over the
ol- Next was SEEN men busy pulling
a1otis ON the outside of the building
bit d range of the fire, but the blaze
bon became 80 intensely hot that that
nd to be abandoned, and the crowd stood
n the dgenching rain, which it was for
4nate was falling, watching the pro-
Eress of the blaze and wondering where
DE Ore department was. After several
ninntes, wait they heard the alarm ut
<he eleetric Light plant and then came
the ire department with some of its main
plI7cials absent. There was confusion
and part Of the hose was unstrung Mt
he Howndes corner q block away with
no show TO get it to the scene of the fire.
The wagon rushed onward to the post
Once corner and the hose was finally at
taehed to the plug at that point. Then
the lighting began, or rather the splash
ing Of the walls, where wer not afre
and could not burn. The roof was ready
70 cave IN by that time. and down it
went, destroying all the contents of the
building. Wagons on the outside con-
finaea to burn, especially in the rear,
and the spectators wstehed the blaze
@=sat the walls and conAume the wagons.
IN the course Of an hour the hre had
about exhausted Itself. the water having
lad . late effect. tut a6t suct az might
haze saved the building it promptness
had been exercised.
It was at least twenty minutes after
I the roof was all ablase before the Are
department arrived. Citizens on Main
street ran to the fire, passing by the
IRE department, believing that the de-
rirtment had already gone to the scene.
Imagine their surprise when they ar
rived and found the department not
there.
Fortunate Il was that rain was falling
heavily, else that entire section of the
city might have been ablaze before the
have been razcd
The origin Of tine blaze is mystery
and the owner of the building and the
occupant believe it was accidental. At
. o'clock no light was seen in or around
the building and the occupant states
4 that there was no fire in it Mt that hour
or when he left it for the night. The
owner states that he thought the build
ing was absolutely fire-pruof and, If any
one had told him that he intended to yet
e afre, he would have felt perfectly con-
dident that it could not he done. Tho
Dpinion is that in some way the upper
part of the building caught early in the
evening and that it had burned several
hours before the blaze burst through the
roof.
The building was q brick, one-story
and half. i0xso feet, and was covered
with tin. The rafters and frame work
OF the roof were very heavy and the
building throughout wa. substantially
built The walls were brick. thirteen
inches thick. It was one of the best
buildings of the kind IN the city and
was erected last July at cost of $500.
The owner was ". s. Siers, the well
known blacksmith and an ex-councilman
AZ The e.;tv