The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-05-24
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
FIEND
More Than 100000
Loss
FORTUNES GONE IN AN HOUR.


The most destructive fire in the his
tory OF Scotland Neck, and doubtless
in the history OF Halifax county, occur
red here on Wednesday night, May IL.
The fire alarm was given about II 80
O'Clock and in an hour more than one
hundred thousand dollars worth Ct
property had gone up in smoke.
The fire started in a small ware
room in the rear of the store on the
west side OF Main street formerly &C.
cupied by Riddick and Hooker and at
the time of the fire occupied by John
L. Hooker as manager OF the business
recently opened as "The Hub" be-
longing to Morrisett Brothers.
The building won't down like straw
and so did the building adjoining it
north, occupied by Hancock and
Lassiter.
The Futrell building, which was
separated only by stairway, though OF
brick, easily caught and went down In
4 few minutes. The fire leaped across
Eleventh street and soon laid in ashes
tho large double store OF Hoffman &
Bro, on the corner, and then consumed
the ware house OF Hoffman & Bro. in
the rear of this store on Eleventh
street near the residence OF J. s. Bow
srs.
In the upper story OF the second
building which caught, the store OF
Hancock and Lassiter, were the lodge
of the Masons and Odd Fellows, and
the sleeping room OF Mr.. R. G. Lassi-
ter, who barely escaped with his life,
being asleep when the fire occurred.
On the lower floor of the Futrell
building were the stores OF Hardy
Hardware Company and Morrlsett
Bros, each store having two depart
ments and a double front. In this
building above were the mayor's Office,
the Office OF G. w. Dunn, the opera
house and the law offices of Hon.
Claude Kitchtn, occupied by the law
firm OF Kltchin, Smith & Kitchin,
and the insurance Office of DR.. J. E.
Shields.
The night was calm-almost with
out a breeze--and it was because OF
this fact that the flames were hinder
ed from making complete destruction
of perhaps twice as much property as
was lost.
On the north the flames were stayed
with the burning OF the Hoffman
store, the store of D. H. James being
saved only by the most strenuous eff.
forts. Reaching back towards Church
street on the same block, the residence
of Mr.. j. S. Bowers barely escaped. On
the south the large brick store OF
Josey Hardware Company had the
windows burned out. and once ii
seemed impossible longer to hold out
80 intense was the heat and had this
building caught all on the block to the
n. B. Josey corner, including the Bap-
list parsonage and the Baptist church
and the residence of E. E. Hilliard
would have been swept away. The
barn and COW stalls of the latter barely
escaped as it was, and all the vegeta
bles in the garden were scorched tc
ruin.
The loes was heavy and the destruct
ion disastrous az it was, but only ths
heroic work of men and women awaited
to hinder a more disastrous confa.
grafton. It has been remarked time
after time that the women worked a
berolcally as the men.
The losses have been ascertained al
follows:
Hancock & Lassiter, stock $4,000
with $1,000 insurance Hardy Hard
ware Company, stock $4,000 with
$4,000 insurance Morrisett Brothers
stock $50, 900, including 1.-THE Hub,
with $4,000 insurance and 400
worth of stock saved Hon. Claud
Kitchin, law office and magnificen
library $1,000 with no insurance
Hoffman & Bro, stock $35 900 will
$22, 700 insurance, building 5000
with $3,4O insurance Mrs. Stern
buildings occupied by "The Hub" ant
Hancock & Lassiter, $4,000 will
ST. 800 insurance j. H. Futrell, o
Norfolk, the Futrell building, $1,000
with S., 900 insurance W. L. Hare
sewing machines In the Futrell builc
Ing 1925 with no insurance; G. W
Dunn and DR.. ]. E. Shields, office fix
lures $3.50 with no insurance May