Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-09-28
Fire Destroys Back Building on
East Stephen Street.
WOMAN ESCAPES WITH BABY
Percy Elliott, q. and 0. Employe,
Sussains Loss of More Than
s7oo--Fully Insured.

Fire broke out Tuesday night in the
house occupied by Mr.. Percy Elliott,
No. 213 East Stephen street entailiag
a loss estimated at $500. including
building, furniture, clothing, etc.
Mr.. Elliott, who is an employee Of the
B. & o. railroad was in Cumberland
at the time, and his wife and baby
were alone in the house.
Mrs. Elliott was awakened at 1880
o'clock by the smell OF smoke in her
bedroom and, with mothers impulse,
she saatched her child from the bed
and ran down the front stairway.
When she reached the kitchen she
found it all ablaze.
With nothing on but her night
clothes she ran to the house of her
next-door neighbor, Mrs. Lee Minor
and screamed for help.
Quickly recovering her fright, Mrs.
Minor sent her boy up to the resi-
dence of Col J. F. Thompson, corner
of Queen and Stephen streets, who, as
quickly as possible, telephoned the
fire alarm to the city hall.
But no answer came from the night
policemen, and messenger was sent
to pound on the door aad notify them
to ring the fire bell, all of which
consumed precious time
For this reason and the fact that
the firemea over town were asleep at
that hour, they did not reach the
scene of the fire till nearly l o'clock
Besides this there was confusion in
the rings of the bell and at first the
firemen did not know which direction
to take.
In the meantime the neighborhood
had been aroused and those first at
the fire began to carry out the furni-
ture from the house while the flames
in the back building were gaining
Roadway every mirute and the house
seemed to be doomed and likely, too
that of Mrs. Minor nearby.
But when the fire laddies arrived
they went heroically to work with
hose and water, while others got out
as many OF the things inside as they
could, at the same time keeping an
eye on the adjoining building AS
there was strong wind from the
west however, the flames were not
carried to the latter.
The firemea. composed of Ryneal
Co. No. 1 and Hose Cos. and 4,
fought the flames CALAMITY and were
successful in combining the fire to the
back building a'one and saving the
front part from conflagration.
The back building, like the front is
a two-story frame structure, but not
so high. Though not burned to the
ground, it is practically a total loss,
as well as all its contents, the fire
having gained too great Roadway to
save anything of much value
The back building contained four
rooms, the kitchen and dining room
being on the first floor and two bed
rooms on the second. Besides the fur
niture, etc, destroyed, Mrs. Elliott la.
ments. especially, the loss of all her
clothing and that of her husband and
baby which were all destroyed, and
she had to borrow clothing from a
friend to wear today
The front part of the house was
deluged with water from garnet to
cellar and the carpets all through the
house are ruined. So that when Mr.
Elliott got home at o'clock this
morning he found himself without a
home.
The origin of the fire is a mystery
Mrs. Elliott says there was no fire
in the kitchen stove when she went
to bed.
The building is owned by Mrs.
James Moran, who resides in Balti-
more. and is an aunt of Mrs. Elliott.
Fully insured.
The loss is covered by insurance. On
the furniture, clothing, etc. in the
house, Mr.. Elliott carried an insurance
OF $500 in the Pehonix Fire Insurance
Co. Brooklyn, ~ Y, the local agent
of which is Harry S. Thompson The
loss on the house is fully covered by
insurance, with another company here.