The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-12-24
WORST FIRE IN YEARS
SWEEPS BROWN BLOCK
At EARLY nOUR SUNDAY
rorAI TOSS ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND
APPS WEIGHS NEARLY GOV.
Erred BY INSURANCE.
sARs-FooreD GLAD ~ N'eH' CLOTHES Oh 'O'''',O
COURT HOUSE BELL UNTIL TOWN WAS A"~'-
WATER FRoz AS IT FELL

Columbia was visited early Sunday
morning by the worst fire in years.
and TODAY half a dozen firms are out
of business and more than that num-
Der of tenants are seeking new offices.
The FIRE was in the southwest cor
ner of the square, originating either
in the back of the building occupied
Jointly by Dr. H. G. Roskind and the
Singer Sewing Machine company, or
in the Office above, which was occu-
pied by DR.. VOORHEES,.
The Roskind-Singer building was
wrecked and the contents are total
loss.
The Ketchum Barber Shop was a
complete loss.
H. G. Hill & Company suffered Sc
yerely. and their loss will amount to
several thousand dollars.
Addison Brothers stock was dam
aged by water, and the loss will be
two or three hundred dollars.
In addition the following offices
were completely wrecked: John l..
Jones, law Office; s. O. Thomas, real
estate Offices; DR.. VOORHEES,, physician;
Jim Sheppard, sleeping apartments;
Mrs. Dowdell, pressing club.
The cellar of the building occupied
nv + b. Rees was flooded with water
and a slight loss incurred.
Insurance was carried as follows:
J. A. Ketchum, $500.
Addison Brothers, $4,000.
H. G. Roskind, S1,100.
Col II. A. Brown, $500.
H. G. Hill, $4,000
]. B. Rees, $4,000.
The total fire loss after the insur
ance is paid will amount to several
thousand dollars.
All of the buildings burned were
owned by Col. Allen Brown, who has
not as yet estimated his loss. 1t Is
said that the original cost of the
buildings was about $4,000, and insur
ance men believe that the actual loss
sustained is fully covered by the in
surance carried. Most of the insur
ance on both the building and stocks
were carried by the companies repre-
sented here by Hendley, Frierson &
Cochran. although $1,000 was writer
by Wilson & Regen. The figures
given above represent the total insur
ance carried in all companies.
Monday the wrecked buildings
were viewed BY large crowds and pre-
scented an icy appearance, large icycle'
hanging from every available place
while a surplus of ice extended from
the burned buildings far into thu
street, where the water had frozen a.
it fell back from the burning struc
TIRES The irtcrior of the Roskind
Singer e,fiu14. ~ 8sented the appear
ance Of cave, with beautiful stalac
titles hanging from the charred raj
ters and fixtures. On this buildlnl
the firemen had concentrated thel
efforts, and the loss here was sweepin
and complete, except for a few sew
ing machines that had withstood tn
fury of the flames
The fire alarm was turned in abou
2 o'clock Sunday morning, by DR.. RIOS
kind, who had jumped from his smoke
vel7ped bed without taking time t
don Lis street wearing apparel. Bare
footea and cold, wearing nothing bu
his night clothes, Dr. Roskind not onl
turned in the alarmS but grasping Tn
) rope of the court house bell herolca
ly rung for help for full fifteen NIL
utes after the initial alarm had bee
sounded.
"When | awoke I was stifled wit
smoke, and at first hardly realized IN
situation, said Dr. Roskind Monda
without taking time to don my clotl
ing | fastened into the street an
turned in the alarm, Then I rang tn