Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-11-03
Big BLAZE
AT TAZEWELL

About ten O'Clock last night the Central
Hotel was discovered to be on fire. 1t
started in the kitchen, and eliminated in
one of the most destructive fires that has
occurred in the history Of the town. The
hotel building was entirely destroyed, and
at one time 1t looked az if the store build
ing Of H. w. Pobst, which adjoined the
hotel on the west side, could not be saved.
If that building had caught ia all prob
ability every house west of Pobst on
the north side Of Main street would have
been destroyed. For some weeks there
had been scarcity of water in the town,
but fortunately the large steel tank had
been kept full and reserved for use in just
such an emergency as came last night.
There is no regular fire company in
town but volunteers handled the hose
with courage and skill that won the adj
niration Of travelling meu from large
cities; aud after hard fight of about two
hours the fire was gotten under control
and large portion of the town sayed
from destruction.
At about 1920 O'Clock the large circu-
lating boiler in the hotel kitchen exploded
with terrific force. The boiler was thrown
high in the air, went 800 feet In westerly
direction and fell on the rear end of DR..
GiIIespie's sanitorium. 1t crushed in
through the roof breaking several rafters
and otherwise inJuripg the building. The
explosion threw debris for hundreds of
feet in all directions, shattering one of the
large plate glass in the front of Harrison
& Gillespie's store and lnhicting other
damage. The editor of this paper was in
the rear of S. D. Mays law office and
within forty feet of the point where the
boiler exploded. He was thrown violent
ly to the ground and almost covered
with the flying, burning debris
but sustained only one slight burn Oh his
right hand.
The amount OF damages cannot yet be
estimated but it cannot be less than $751;
900. The east wall of the Pobst building
is go injured that it will have to be rebuilt
and bis stock of goods was greatly damaged
by water and breaksge. r. G. Chapman
on the east side of hotel had his handsome
stock ofgoods considerably damaged by
water and otherwise It was thought
necessary to remove tie libraries, papers
&c from the law offices of S. D. May,
Greever & Gillespie, A. S. Higginbotham
and Chapman & Gillespie, all of which
were west of the Pobst building. And
Hankins & Son carried out their large
stock of goods from tie Masonic store
building. All of these had considerable
injury inflicted on their property. A num-
Der of boarders at the Central Hotel lost
moet of their personal effects.
The outbuildings at the county jail
caught on fire and the prisoners were all
turned loose. Thomas Leedy who was
confined in the Jail upon the charge of
murder acted the part of hero. Instead
Of trying to make his escape be went to
work to put out the fire on the outbmld-
ings. Then the roof of the Jail caught on
fire and no one being willing TO go on the
roof, he made his way there by climbing
the lattice of the porch on the south side of
the building, put out the fire on the roof
and saved the building.
There are many incidents in connection
with the fire that we would like to mention
but we haven't time nor space as cur
forms were made up when the fire occur
red.
w. P. Huffman had his leg badly |
sprained by large trunk which he was
moving from the hotel, falling on it.
Lee Harry was badly hurt by a trunk