The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-10-22
JACKSON HOTEL BURNED.
SUMTER VISITED BY \ MOST
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Fire Originated about Midnight oil
Second Story, Destroying jackson
Hotel, HilPs Bicycle Shop, Vogel's
Store, WitherspOOn's Furniture
Store and One Residence.

From The Daily Item, Oct. 10.
A fire which originated back of the
stairway on the second story floor of
the Hotel Jackson, a little before
midnight last night, destroyed the
hotel and almost all of the Rowland
block adjacent to the hotel, a resi-
dence belonging to Geo. ID. Shore q
Bros. and occupied by O. E. Bos-
tick
HowNth fire originated is un-
known and is apt to remain so. Mr..
j. Hirshmann, a travelling man from
Charleston was the first man to dis
cover the fire, short time before
midnight and a few minutes after he
had retired. All the guests were III
their rooms at the time and for next
few minutes Mr.. Hirshmann ran
from door TO door waking up the
occupants of the rooms. This was
not an easy job, as the hotel was
crowded and it was sometime before
all were aroused to their danger and
ready to leave the building. Many.
in their haste and fear, leaving their
belongings behind them, some re-
turning for them and some leav-
ing them to be destroyed by the fire.
Another gentleman, Mr.. F.. S. Yer
noy of Columbia reached the build
ing about the time that Mr.. Hirsh-
mann was waking the people and he
also went from room to room beat
ing on the doors and trying to get
the occupants out from the building.
This did not take long, but the fire
was burning rapidly all the time and
spreading at an astonishing rate.
The alarm had been turned in to the
fre companies. but they had mis-
taken the number and started up
Main street instead of toward the
fire.
Mr. Vernoy and others as soon as
the occupants were all aroused, Sc
cured an automobile and started out
to find the fire wagons and bring
them to the fire, meeting with them
on their return from their trip in
the wrong direction. When the fire
wagons arrived and turned on the
water from the hose the fire had
spread almost over the entire build
ing and was still spreading at a
rapid rate.
All their efforts to stop the fire
seemed for a while to be fruitless.
but at last with the help of the rain,
they got control over the fire. but
only after 1t had spread from the
hotel to the buildings on each side
OF 1t, the Rowland block being al
most entirely destroyed, the resi-
dence of Mr.. o. e. Bostick having
been burned 10 the second floor.
The IRE burned from about midnight
to o o'clock this morning before it
was finally put out. the smoking ruins
attracting much attention today. The
hotel was entirely destroyed, Ralph
HiIPs bicycle shop was entirely gut
ted, as were Vogels two stores.
Witherspoon's Furniture store lost
considerable from the fire, but not
all of the stock.
On the hotel which was owned by
MesSrs. Perry Moses. Jr., Davis d.
Noise and Henry ]. Hardy, the in
surance was $4,000. the estimated
value being $4,000. Mr.. A. l.. Jack
son. who was running the hotel, lost
about $500 dollars worth OF table
linen and bedding. The insurance
on the Shore building was $500.
while the damage was estimated at
twice that amount. The pool room
situated next to the hotel was val
used at $4,000 while the insurance
was about $4,000. The Rowland
buildings were insured for $4,000
while the loss was estimated at about
$4,000. In these buildings about
haif OF the stock of bicycles Of Hills
Bicyole shop were saved, the insur-
ance on the whole being $1,000.
while the loss was estimated at about
$500. Vogel's two stores had a stock
in them valued at $1,000 while the
insurance was only $4,000, the loss
being almost the entire contents of
the store. Witherspoon's Furniture
store has a stock of goods valued at
5000 while the loss was about rs
per cent. which was entirely covered
by Insurance.
The hotel was full Of guests al
the time that the fire originated and.
as there was no watchman, porter,
or other employee about the build
ing at the time to give warning or
TO rescue the occupants, it is pos
Slble that some of them would have