The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-18
EVERY STORE AT
 INVERNESS BURN Loss Amounts to SOmethi Like S15,000 WIND SAVES RESIDING Fire Starts in Negro Store at O'Clock in the Morning, Quick
 Spreading to the Entire
 Business Section.
WIND SAVES RESIDING

Union Springs. April 17.-(S News was received here this the destruction by fire of the portion of the village of 1nvernes H, miles south of this place. on the of Georgia railroad, in this county stores were i-irned ana one vacant house, Ahis being every business : in the place. Loss, about $l5,OOO.
 small amount of goods was but in a badly damaged condition.
 The fire was discovered at 2:3O oo this morning in the store of John Ho colored, and the flames spread rap to the adjoining buildings, and by time the citizens of the place could aroused and get to work the flames W beyond control and it was apparent Il every house in the business row. doomed
 The facilities for fighting fire were ve meageT, so everyone turned his ate tion to saving as much goods as possibl but with poor success, as in twenty mir utes from the time the fire was discoy cred every building in the row was h flames and the heat was so intense as t, greatly interfere with the workmen.
 About o'clock a heavy rain came n which greatly damaged what goods had been carried out of the stores. Most oi the books, cash and valuable papers were saved, and things in iron safes were found in fairly good condition after the fire, though some of them were consid- erably scorched.
 The home of the station agent was also destroyed, though the depot and cotton gin near by escaped.
 As the last store in the block was burning the wind changed and blew the flames from the residence section. Had this not been the case, it is doubtful If a single house. save the depot and cotton gin. would have been left in the village.
 The origin of the fse is not known. Some think it was incendiary others are of the opinion that it was due to care lessness of crowd of negroes who were seen congregated in the store of John Hough during the night.
 The list of losses are as follows:
 C. w. Sellers X Son. storehouse and stock of general merchandise, $6O00; in surance, sS5oo.
 w. C. Boyd, loss about 5000; no insur- ance
 C. c Bates, storehouse and stock s25o0; insurance, sl000.
 Dr. w. A. Sellers, office and drug store stock, loss $2500; insurance s1500.
 J. H. Hough, loss storehouse and small stock of goods: no insuraDce.
 The residence occupied by the station agent was the property of the railroad company and is supposed to have been insured
 A fine piano. the property of the Forbes Piano company of Montgomery. was among It's contents that was destroyed.
 Considerable advancing business was done at Inverness to the farmers of the surrounding county, but no more busi- ness can be transacted there for some time as insurance matters will have to be adjusted and new buildings erected.
 It looks as if incendiares are at work in this section. Only about two months ago the village of Terote, six miles south east of Inverness, was partly destroyed by fire and less than year ago the town of Boswell. four miles south of In verness, had disastrous fire. destroying several stores.