The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-30

II
Districs Was Threatened With De-
structaon For Two Hours. Firemen
Msde . Hard and Winning Fight
Againa Big Odds.
a Qulet. uneventful and pleasant
Christmas day was brought TO an
exciting and lurid close by iire that,
for time. threatened the greater part
OF the business section Of tho city
With destvucton. and which was got
ten snder control only after q hard
aght b. the tremsn. and property
loss Of about $4,000. The insurance
will cover approximately two-thirds
Of the lcsA The Hrs started in the
salss stables OF the Booth HARDY Live
stock Co.. at the corner OF West LAber-
y and Sumter streets at $40 O'Clock.
and for more than two hours the west
ern half Of the block bounded by
Main. Liberty. and Sumter streets and
Hampton avenue was q raging sea Of
flames.
The nre resulted from the criminal
carslessness Of four little negro boys
who were shooting fireworks on Sum-
ter street alongside the Booth-H HARDY
Stables. They were shooting Roman
candles at each other and one of the
explosive balls passed through a crack
In the stable wall and. lodging in the
loft. which was filled with hay, start
cd a blass that was instantly be-
yond control. Mr.. Noses Green and
his son Alva were passing the corner
OF Sumter street at the moment the
hre started and their attention was
attracted by the frightened cries OF
the negro boys. who. terrined at the
result Of their carelessness, ran on
In the darkness and made their escape.
Aiva ran back to Monaghan Hose
Company's house and gave the alarm,
but before . line OF hose could be
stretched and . stream turned on, the
loft OF the main stable OF the Booth
HARDY Company was q raging. raving
furnace OF flames. A crowd gathered
Quickly and everybody reaiising that
there was no hope Of saving the sta
bt,s, or for that matter any Of the ad-
joining property, efforts were imme-
diately directed toward saving the
horses and mules In the stables and
such other property as could be re-
moved. All the horses and mules
were gotten out safely. but quick
work was required. and some of the
lose ,horses that were rescued were
slightly scorchd.
A stif wind was blowing from the
southwest and the flames spread rapid
" through the premises Of the Booth
Hardy Co.. and in q comparatively
short time all Of the buildings oc-
cupied BY the company were burning
furiously and despite the large num-
ber Of willing workers who were
iaboring TO remove the contents of
tho carriage house adjacant 20 the
stables. only . portion Of the stock Of
vehicles and harness could be saved
before they were driven OF by the In
tense heat The firemen had a num-
Der of streams playing on the f,re but
there was no hope OF stopping the on
ward sweep Of the fre.
The stables Of c. w. Smith q Co.,
we're the next to 60. but not before the
live stock and most Of the vehicles
and harness had been hastily remov-
ed. The next to 20 was Mona CHAN
Hose Cos house and the small store
adjoining. occupied a. q plumbing
shop by w. J. Ard. The tools and
stock Of goods. except the heavy pip.
Ing. were removed before the flre
reached the building. At this point the
nramen made q stand. as the next
building. was the solid brick block
owned by H. J. Hardy, occupied by
the Western Union Telegraph
Company and the Star Fruit Com
pany. on the FIRST floor and
Dy the ofices Of the Trexler
Lumber Company up stairs, served as
nre break. The flames gained en-
trance to the building through the
oack windows and the second floor
was considerably damaged. but the
nremen won the fight at this point
and the building was saved as was al
so the adjacent office building OF
HARDY q Co.. and the Andrews build
Ing next to II which was occupied by
birnie's Drug Store and DR.. C. w.
Birnie's ofy3caa ~ 49, ,