Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-11-24


Snow Hill on the ID. NJ & v Railroad
was visited by destructive fire Mon
day night about 10 O'Clock. which de-
stroyed every business house in the
town save the brick bank building, and
cost one young man his life. Mr.. Clarence
Parsons clerk in the store of +. T..
Wharton & Son, having been burned to
death in the storehouse. How he met
his fate will never be known.
The loss to property will amount To
about $50, 600, with insurance of only
$4,000.
All that is known is best told by Mr.
Thomas p Wharton, junior member of
the firm of r. f. Wharton Il Son. He
and his father, Mr. Zadok F. Wharton.
senior member of the firm, are probably
the heaviest losers.
Mr.. Thomas Wharton said:
1--WE closed the store. as usual. at q
O'Clock last night. wrote few letters,
and while | was at the desk Clarence
i dESOilN, OuI Citths Npoh MS idliN anu
went upstairs to his bedroom and, |
suppose. went to bed. In few minutes
left and went home. passed the
windows of the store but noticed
nothing unusual.
SIDE OF STORE BLOWN OUT.
81 had been in my house only very
few minutes when | heard a tremend-
Gus explosion. rushed out of the
house at once it is only about 20 yards
or so from the store. The noise seem
ed to be from that direction. ! ran
there and found the whole west end Of
the building blown out. The windows
and door on the east end We're also
blown out and the whole house seemed
to be on fire saw nothing of Clar
ence. We had just gotten in a keg Of
powder and had our usual supply of
coal oil on hand. That is all | know
about how it happened and ! can forna
no theory about il. >
Both Mr. Zadok Wharton and Mr.
Thos. Wharton are deeply distressed at
the sad fate of their clerk. He was an
industrious and faithful employe and
respected by all who knew him. The
condition of the building was such that
il was impossible TO make any attempt
to rescue him. even if il had been sup
posed he was alive or even in the build
ing No trace of him was found until
after hours of search. All that re-
manned was heap OF charred bones.
From the position of the bones 1t
would seem that he had started down
the stairway to the first floor. Whether
he was killed by the shock of the ex-
plosion or by the flames will never be
known. He was only about q years
old and was son of Henry Parsons and
a cousin of Capt. Snow Parsons.
A scene to affect the nerves of the
strongest was when the boys aged
father rushed to the still burning store
crying that he must go to his baby. .
Sympathetic friends led him gently
away. II is said the young man and
Miss Holland. who had been his sweet
heart since their childhood days, We're
to have been married during the Christ
mas holidays She is Frustrated. All
the heavy property loss, and it issevere
TO some, is overshadowed by the trag-
edy of Parsons.
WHOLE TOWN OF FRAME.
The whole town is frame, except the
Stockton Bank, and fair prey for the
flames. 1t is evident to the observer
that the inhabitants of the town must
have put up desperate and gallant
fight. The flames were checked on the
north at the residence of A. 5. Brom-
ley. on the west side of the street, and
office of l.. j Houston. at the stables
of f. j. Duer. on the west side of the
street, and the residence of F. +. Jones,
on the east at the residence of Mrs.
Nancy Burbage and the residence of
John w. Payton. on the west. and at the
Stockton Bank, on the north side Of the
street, and the residence of Edwin II.
Taylor on the south side. On all sides
the fire was stopped within a few