The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-07-31
TWENTY BUILDINGS CONSUMED
IN TWO HouRs-HEAVY Loss
WITH LITTLE INSURANCE.

n sllG S"ePL btAl 8HS AAe'AS
town OF Mnnongah this morning and
for time IL looked rs II the entire
place would be destroyed. The timely
work of the volunteer department, the
absence of wind and the dynamitins
of houses confined the fire to tao
blocks Oh which everything was burn
| cd except the Currey Hotel. the Coli
scum building and the First National
Bank building. Twenty buildings
buildings went up in smoke within two
| hours.
The fire started this morning about
$40 o'clock in Mrs. Grace's r1stnu-
rant. The origin of the fire Is un-
known. Al ten o'clock last night all
| the gas was turned off. Tho only the
cry so far advanced. Is That the build
ing caught from defective wiring.
Tho fire extended on the North side
of Bridge street from Oliker's store,
dircctcly back OF the Currcy Hotel to
the county bridge over Booths creek.
Everything Dn the north sid" OF
Bridge street on that row to Alley II,
was entirely destroyed. On the snnth
side of Bridge street the fire extended
from Main street TO Booths creek
bridge. burning everything between
Bridge street and Alley III.
When the fire started the fire wills
tic al MunnnEail could not make ans
noise on account of not having any
steam. Mr.. A. ]. RuckmHn hal man
TO 70 TO the company whistle and
alarm the people.
Seeing the danger that the town WIS
| in the local department received Il
message 10 send nose to the relief nt
thc threatened town. At i:20 the hose
ordered from the F2irmOnt fire dephrt-
mrnt was mt Monnngah and within a
few minutes was In use. In tho mciili-
time all the hose nj MnnonEah hAH
been playing OH tho flames.
been playing oil tine flames. CE'rl
Reel and four fircmrn from ilerc help
ell TO put the fire out
The automatic shutters on tn" Cur
row Hotel saved that building from
being entirely ruined. Tho snnllcrs
arc So arranged that when the tchl-
ncrntrlrc reaches certain degree ul
/ heat they drop. The shutters became
very hot aud closed shutting of much
of the heat. The damage to the notcl
was considerable. The ROOF was nadl!
damaged, the wiudnws are broken anu
thc rlastcrlng will fall from the thor
ourh soHlinE given the building.
Tine First NHtioual Rank building
was slightly damaged. Tic windows
were burned out OH The east sihe.
Tho Coliseum WAS slightly damaged.
The uostuf!icc building was conslhcra-
hIv scurcncd but nothing was hur; III
side.
One sf,l., of Lloyd kuln's store WAS
burned ont an. the goods ruined. fhc
ntncr siin was HnhnFmeL and the
rotsls seemed To be fresh. Mr.. kuan
had no insurance.
Levi Orkcr and Sons. wAo Conduct
| cd department store on HFlhTe
strcct were the heaviest losers. MI.
Olikcr had II new three story h"'sIins'
well stock with goods. He placed MS
loss ut saS.n0O. Some of his insurance
hoi r,n ont. AMI Mt the time OF tue
fire he was carrying about $4,000 IN
surnncc.
David Levi, owner OF the ten cent
store. sustained n loss Of sf.0Oo- Ills
insurance policies expired TO" Gays
ago.
Tho local fire department assisted
Inv nil The available men of the thn-
mnnity. jhh wi,nt they could I" put
down the flames. One thing was H.
| yoralIc 10 the town AMI that Is ther"
was no wind. The flames and s7'oke
went straight up. The fire spread from
the intense heat alone. To check the
hrc three houses had 10 be iEH"m't-
cd-
rar t.os was turned off The town AMI
at ten o'clock the pcopin on thc east
side of the West Fork river had hhh
mn hrcnkfnst. Mr.. Wagner. OF Inc
ralrmont Gas andl Light Company
went TO tho scene 10 see what hah
hanpcncd to the gas lines. All seem
cd TO be right. Tho Consolidated fei-
cphonc Company through General
Manager !. Walter Barnes, reported
no loss.
| Several insurance men were on thc
ground taking notes on the loss Oh
property Insured in their companies
| George Nuseth. Assyrlan store Keep
or. became excited and Jumped
through n window. 1Ic wns cunsidrra,
bly, cut up by coming In contact WITH