The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1907-03-28

Spartanburr. s. C., Specialize
most disasterous FIRE known in Spar
tanburg swept through the village Of
the Spartan Mills Monday morning,
burning I'll houses of the operatives,
all owned by the mill, and redering
325 operatives homeless and without
food and clothing. The loss is esti-
mated at between $4,000 and 100000
perhaps more, for when the loss suS-
tanned by the mill company it may
reach greater figures. The Spartan
Mills insured on these buildings
about six months ago. Before that
time no insurance was carried.
The fire started at II o'clock in Il
house at 1S7 Forest street occupied
by J. NJ. Carver, mill operatives
and the flames being famed by a
strong southwest wind, spread hapid-
ly. The wind-swept flames ragged for
three hours, clearing 40 acres of mill
houses despite the furious fighating Of
the fremen. The damages covered
distance of half mile from the
point where they started to where
they were stopped.
After the fire started in the Carver
house on Forest street the flames,
burned in a northerly direction
swept everything in sight. Duncan
Methodist church was In the direct
path Of the fire, but the flames did
not touch the church, jumping across
Forest street, burning to Arch street.
then back to Brawley and clear
through the block to the tracks Of the
Southern Railroad.
The spread of the fire was awful
for the flames reached over the rail.
road tracks and burned several hous
es in that section. The water pres
sure was exceedingly low and genera
complaint was heard on all sides. The
streams were feeble and entirely III
adequate to handle fire of any con
| sequence. This is said to be due tt
the very small mains in the street
and this fire will doubtless cause some
| steps to be taken TO protect the city
against heavy loss from lack of wateI
| pressure.
The burned district is nothing BIZ
a mass of standing chimneys, smould
ering embers covering an area Of per
| Nla Ill 1Nf
mill village is strewn with househol,
| effects Of mill operatives, chairs, beds
kitchen stoves, mattresses, quilts, pie
lures, clothing and other effects cove
every street and alley within a radiu
of a half mile from the burned sec
ton.
! When it became known that fir
was raging on the mill hill and tha
flames swept through the homes o
the operatives both the mills shu
down and the operatives rushe
through the streets of the mill com
munity in a state of wild excitement
Everybody aided in saving the Pre-
perty Of the mill hands. Hundred
of people who had gathered from til
city gave their assistance and di
what they could in the way Of savin
household property, and these effort
were partially successful, though tn
majority of the operatives who live
in the burned district lost everything
| Numbers of mill hands now have oni
the clothing on their backs.
There were many pathetic scene
during the fire. The sight Of man
women in state of frenzy. rushin
into their houses and snatching L
sleeping infants. dsshing out into Il
open and falling faint ia the stree
and on door steps added to the e,
citement of the operatives. 1t is sal
that large number Of women are
serious state from nervousness ar
excitement.
.. The work of rebuilding the burnt
district will begin at once.