Smyrna times., 1908-12-09
MORNING FIRE DESTROYS
$4,000 WORTH PROPERTY
STORF AND DWELLING OF LII.
HIRONS REDUCED TO ASHES

HIRONS REDUCED TO ASHES
Occupants Barely Escape With Their
CiVes-Everything Burned up--Wilds
and Chase Residences also Burned.
One of the most disastrous fires
that has occurred in Smyrna in recent
| years broke out at the store of L.
H. Hirons on West Commerce street
between $50 and O'Clock Sunday
morning and in short space of time
wiped out the store and residence of
Levin H. Hirons; the property
adjoining belonging to Mr.. Hirons
which was in tenure of Miss Annie
Chase and her afflicted mother; and
the property of Samuel Wilds. The
loss will reach upwards of $40, 900.
Mr.. Hirons lost beside his properties
his large stock of store goods which
had just been replenished for Christ
mas, his entire household goods and
! about $500 in money, mostly in notes,
which was concealed in the cheffonier
/ drawer in the room of Leslie Hirons.
son of L. H. Hirons. Leslie en-
deavOred to get this money but was
driven back by the smoke. Mr..
HirOns' personal loss was about
So, 300 on which there was an insur-
ance of about SIS, 700 Samuel Wilds'
loss on his building and household
goods is estimated at $4,000 which is
fully insured. Miss Annie Chase
and mother lose a portion of their
household goods not insured. The
good people of Smyrna, however,
responded quickly to the aid of these
two women and raised a purse of
S115. 90 which was handed over to
Miss Annie Chase yesterday morning.
Mr.. Hirons will begin at once to
rebuild the store, a two story struc-
ture which will occupy the old site
and portion of the site of the Chase
residence. The building will be
50x24, eight feet wider than the old
store and provided with 1O-foot
driveway. He expects to have it
completed and ready for business
February the first.
Discovered by Two Young Men
The fire was discovered by two
young men, Cameron Goldsborough.
son of Denney Goldsborough, and
A. I. johnson, who came from Dover
on the three O'Clock train and were
walking in from Clayton. When they
passed. which was about twenty
minutes of four they discovered the
store ablaze and the flames eating
rapidly into the dwelling Losing
no time they gave the alarm Mr..
and Mrs. Hiron, Mrs. Joseph Evans,
mother of Mrs. Hirons, and Leslie
Hirons had barely enough time to
escape with their lives. Mrs. Evans
is an an invalid and had to be carried
out. They were taken to the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. C. P Gears. Miss
Olive Hirons, the daughter had been
spending the night with her friend
Miss Elizabeth Josephs. Miss Annie
Chase and her invalid mother were
gotten out in safety and taken to the
home of a friend on Mt. Vernon
Street. The Hose Company responded
quickly and despit the fact that the
fireplug in front of Thornley's resi-
dence was put out of commission by
trying to wrench it the wrong way,
our volunteer fiemen made the best'of
an ugly situation and turned their
attention to saving the properties ad-
joining the Hirons properties.
! Five Streams of Water Were Played
1t was a stubborn fight from start
to finish. The wind was due East
blowing a steady gale and the proper
ties, all frame, being close together,
made an easy prey for the onrush
of flames. Five streams of water,
however, were kept continually play :
ing on the fire and it was not until
the frame structures of the Hirons
properties fell that there was any
hope of checking the onrush. By close
attention the residence of Captain
Lewis was saved although there was
time allowed to get most of he house
hold goods out. In the excitement
Miss Anna Lewis fell down stairs and
sprained her ankle rendering her
helpless. The risk was not taken
to save the household effects of Miss
Chase and Sam Wilds. The resi-
dence of Miss Bebecca Carrow ad-
joining the Wilds residence was but
slightly damaged, although for a
time it looked as if it and the whole
line of residences extending west
would be destroyed. The falling Gin
ders caught to a number of roofs
but were extinguished before any