The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1908-02-05
The Old Bee Hive Building
Partially Consumed in a
Midnight Fire.
EXPLODING GASOLINE
SCATTERED THE FLAMES
Two Families Lost Their House
hold Goods and the Total Loss
on Building and Furniture will
Approximate $4,000 with but
$1,000 Insurance.

About 1910 Saturday morning, when
a blizzard was raging, FIRE broke out In
what was known as the old bee Hive"
building, large frame structure on
Fifth street, near Main street, which
was owned by H. Alex Stoke. When
the fire was first discovered the middle
Of the building was enveloped in flames
ana the entire town was SO brightly IL
Illuminated that citizens four or five
squares away from the fire jumped out
OF bed expecting to see their neighbors'
house all ahame. The store room,
where fire started, was occupied by r.
d. Muir for an oil depot and great
sheets OF flame bursted out suddenly.
With stiff wind blowing and the fire
having such good start, before 1t was
discovered, 1t looked for a time as II
Reynold willie would have the biggest
conlagration the town has seen for
years, but splendid water supply and
the gallant work Of our fire company
confined the fierce and stubborn fire to
the bee Hive" and only one other
building, John M. Hays workshop,
which was a few feet away from the
"Bee Hive" was damaged by the
flames.
The "Bee Hive" which formerly
stood on the corner of Main and Fifth
streets, where the stone and brick
building now stands that is occupied by
the Bing-Stoke Co. large department
store, contained three store rooms and
one dwelling apartment on first floor
and flats on second floor. Muirs oil
depot occupied one store room, Lyons
bicycle repair shop another, one was
vacant and John Shobert lived in the
apartments on first floor. The entire
second fioor was vacant, except the fat
over Shobert's apartments, and Philip
s. Hauck lived there. Shobert and
Hauck resided in the department next
to the oil depot and about the time the
| fire was discovered there was an explo-
sion In the oil room, supposed to have
been can of gasoline, which spread
the flames into the Shobert and Hauck
department 80 quickly that Mr.. Shobert
and family barely escaped from the
flames and only a small part OF their
household goods we're saved. Perhaps
1t is fortunate that Mr.. Hauck and fam
lily, who lived on second floor, were not
at home, tor they might not have es-
capped. There was not anything saved
out oil their apartments. All their
household goods and all their clothing,
excepting what they had on when they
left home Friday afternoon, was de-
stroyed.
The origin of the fire is unk known, but
1t evidently had been burning for some
time before the flames broke out. The
night watchman had walked up Main
street shortly before the fire was dis
covered and he did not see any signs OF
fire, but thought he smelled wood
smoke near Martins confectionery store
and looked around that section to see II
there was a fire.
| Mr.. Stokes loss amounts to $500
with 81 200 insurance. Mr.. Hauck's
loss amounts to $4,000 or $4,000 and
Mr.. Shobert's loss amounts to several
hundred. Messrs. Muir, Shobert and
Hauck did not carry any insurance.
The fremen had hard fight to get
the fire under control, and on account
the blizzard some of them suffered cou-
siderably from exposure to the cold and
storm. While they were fighting the
flames, Mrs. VIM. Martin and daugh-
ters, Mrs. John NJ. Hays, J. X. John
ston, ]. Van Reed and daughter, Miss
Eleanor, and DR.. j. B. Neale serve d hot
coffee to them. Reeds and Nesle also
gave the firemen sandwiches.