The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-03-22
A Destructive Fire.

a Destructive Fire.
Laet Sunday just about the dinner
hour, the town bell sent out its
alarm of fire. The pretty apd COM
Portable home of Col G T. Graham
was discovered to be on FIRE From
all the sccounts that We could gather
and put together it seems that Mrs.
Graham was preparing the midday
neal, using q kerosene stove, which
she had left burning to attend to
some household duties in the front
part of the house, when she was in
formed by her young son, Fort, that
the kitchen was on fire. With re-
markable presence of mind Mrs.
Graham went to work to save what
she could of her household effects.
Her husband was away down street,
there being no one at the home but
herself, her son Fort, aged about II
years and Ben. her years old son,
they, together with the sons OF Mr.
W. W. Barre, Heber, Edwin and
Gus, and Lucius Buckley, living
nearly opposite, saved the piano and
q few things cut of the bedroom.
In a few almost be-
fore it takes to pen these lines-the
elegsnt home of Col. Graham was
down to the ground together with
their furniture and clothing. There
wasburned valuable library and the
papers and sermons Of the Rev.
Jacob Hawkins-pspers that are
beyond monetary consideration.
From the flying sparks and burn
ing ,imbers the residences of MIR. JAS
Rswl and Mrs. Eugenia Hendrix, q
distance of about a fourth of q mile,
caught and at one time it
really seemed that the town of Lex.
ington was doomed, but the people
rallied to the rescue and the flames
from these building were e1tinguish-
ed and the town saved.
This leads US up to the necessity
of having q system of waterworks,
or some kind of protection against
fire. The property of this town is
valuable. There is the jail valued at
about, and is we'll worth it, $4,000 or
more, the home and Office of this
Editor, the brick building OF the
Department Store, the brick store
and residence of DR.. M. @. Hendrix,
the store and residence of j. W.
Long, Mrs. Alice Timmone millinery
store, J. W Longs one.story wooden
building, now occupied by Mr.. Frank
Corley, bis son.in-law, then another
building of Mr.. Longs used ss the
clothing establishment of E G.
Dreher & Co.. then the post Office
and the store of W. P. Roof and after
the store and residence of DR.. Smosk,
owned by Mr. Elias Caughman,
comes the resident portion of the
town. % the other side of the
street is the residence of Mr.. W. P.
Roof, the store of the late DR.. Smith,
the building of Mr.. Scott Hendrix
then his furniture store. the dispen'
sary, b. NJ. Wingard, Meetze Rotel,
D. E. Ballentine's store and sesi
dence, The Home Bank, Kaufmapu
Drug Company, the court house, NJ
D. Harman's store, j. NJ. Craps
store and residence, then opposite
Meetze & Sons stores, Caughman &
Harman livery stable, then comes
the resident portion of town. We
have been particular about these
things in order to show what pro
per'v is involved should fire break
out n the business portion of the
town and how this same property
could be saved should We have some
protection against fire.
There are several plans on foo,
now looking toward this eud, sny ot
which would be better than We nov
enjoy. Some want an engine, some
tanks and there are others who wan
cisterns, but any how there shoulc
be something done and the bes
plan should be agxsed upon by th'
people in mass meeting assembled
It has been suggested and 40 agreef