Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-08-06
An EARLY MORNING FIRE
Blaze Destroys Valuable Property
on West King Street.
SPILlMAN HOME DESTROYED
Residence Of Mr. Samuel Bowers Also
Burned-Loss viii Probably be
About $1,000.

eN$ tSAOtc : y N1oCh NttI uBy
mornioC fire was discovered 10 the
frame dwelling house owned BIZ Mrs.
Jas. Westall. of Brunswick, and ccc pied
by the family of Mr.. Samuel Bowers,
| on West King street, adjoining the
building OF the Southern Merchant
Tailoring Co.. and before the tlazs
could be gotten under control by the
fireman, il had eaten into the frame
house owned and occupied by Mr..
Fred Spillman. on the vest. and
travelled thence to the property of the
Mufh heirs. occupied By Misses Lizzie
and Lula Muth, where il was checked
by the hardest kind of work.
The fire originated in narrow space
between the Westall property aud the
building Of the tailoring company,
and was first discovered by mem bers
of family just opposite, The ,tlaze
mad obtained considerable heaawav
before an alarm was turned in, and a
young sou Of Mr.. Bowers. with rare
presence of mind and coolless. oh.
tanned short hose and fought the
fire until driven from the house,
thereby aiding materially in checking
the advance of the element.
When the tiremen arrived on the
scene it was seen that the blaze would
he an ugly one unless hard AMI prompt
work WAS accomplished, aud tile gen.
eral alarm was then sounded. In o
few minutes after the department
arrived stream was in play, but the
frame structures burned fiercely and
1T was an hour before all danger of a
further spread was averted. .--.
The fire was located principally in
the upper stories of the buildings and
was exceedingly hard to.combat. After
practically DESTROYING the entire upper
portion of the Westall property. the
blaze communicated to the Spillman
home, which was so enveloped inH the
upper story. So rapid was the advance
of the flames that the roof of the Muth
property was soon ablaze, aud only
the hardest kind OF work prevented the
destruction of that house also. In
about an hour after the firemen arrived
on the scene the fire was under con :
troll. and the large crowd. which had
gathered slowly dispersed.
The family of Mr.. Bowers escaped
from the burning building after an
exciting experience. The upperDpor-
ton of the house was epyeloped in
flames when the members were
aroused, and in the excitement and
haste in getting out Of the building,
nearly all of their wearing apparel
was left behind So close were the
flames that little was taken from the
upper story, and about all the house
hold effects in the rooms above were
destroyed.
Young Jimmy Bowers. who was
working the hose in his impromptu
iire department. was almost surrounded
by the flames before he was driven
away. He escaped without shoes or
stockings. bat was not injured. When
ssked why he did not escape before he
replied that there's where he had been
told to play the stream from his hose.
Most Of the furniture was taken
from the lower foonas of the Bowers
home. but nearly all Of 70 was badly
damaged
The members of the Spjilman famils
were enabled to escape without the
slightest difficulty, saving much Of
tho clothing and furnishings in the
uprer story Nearly all the furniture
in the lower rooms was taken out.
but much Of it was damaged by water
While the Misses Muth were driven
from their home by tue advance of the
flames, their Loss is comparatively
sligth. The fire caught the roof of
the house, but did not make much
progress. Some of the effects in the
upper portion were slightly damaged
by rhe great volume Of water thrown
on the roof.
THE LOSS.
1t is hard to estimate the loss, but