The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-07
BIG FIRE ON MANNING AVENUE,
FIRE ORIGINATED IN STORE OF
JIM WRIGHT, COLORED, AND
BURNED SEVERAL BUILD
INGS.
Most OF the Burned Buildings Insur.
ed-Jim Wright Principal Loser
Thirteen Buildings Burned in All.
Loss Amounting TO Between Five
and Six Thousand Dollars.

-AhiouuAhS 10 IetWcen rive
and Six Thousand Dollars.
Sumter was visited by the second
big fire OF the season Sunday night,
the store belonging to Jim Wright, at
the corner OF Manning avenue and
Bee street took fire and blazed out
about o'clock and thence spread to
the neighboring buildings, thirteen Of
which were destroyed by the fire be-
tore II was put out. The loss which
Is one hard to make an estimate of
was reckoned at about five to six
thousand dollars in buildings and
goods lost
The fire started in the store belong
ing to Jim Wright. but its cause is
not yet known. for no one was SUD-
posed to have been In the building
since Saturday. From the store the
1t spread in all directions except
rear Of the store and then from there
ita spread in all directions except
across Manning avenue.
The houses that were destroyed
numbered thirteen In all, several Of
them being only little shops of very
small value. but some being two-story
buildings. The houses destroyed
were; A store with dwelling house
attached and two adjacent dwelling
houses belonging to Jim Wright. col
,ored. and occupied by Jim Wright,
Norman Mack and Sep. Robertson;
sallie Belser owned and occupied a
dwelling house; house owned, by Le-
grand Singleton. colored. OF New
York CITY. and occupied by Jim
Young: house owned By O'Dounell
and occupied By Anna williams and
Leila Aoses; house owned and oc.
lcupied by Rev. o. H. Hopkins; house
owned by LeGfand singleton and oc-
pupisd by John Holman; shop owned
By sallis Bslscf ana run by.Neyo Tin
ds} two ssosss owned Aby Eugene
Pinss, ana cafA sun ~ IAdsoh cou-
I :asks lcs CO. "A msesly d tRe
'buiidinss. for. except the stock Of
goods In the store belonging to Jim
Wright, most OF the goods In the
stores and shops were saved and al
most all OF the furniture from the
dwelling houses we're saved before the
fire reached the buildings. The
stores and houses belonging to Jim
Wright were all insured and the
stores belonging to E. w. Dimes were
insured, as was most OF the other
property
The property on the east side of
Manning Avenue was saved by hard
work on the part Of the fire depart
ment. and besides the cracking of tho
glasses in the front windows and the
scorching OF the walls. the building.
were not damaged. This property
belonged to the estate Of E. r. Jayroe
and was insured.
Mr.. Griffin, who had his stores at
the southwest corner Of Manning
Avenue and Bee Street, was damaged
only to the extent OF having one glass
In his front window cracked. The
store OF Dimes was a new one and
had just been completed and was not
yet occupied.
The fire began about one O'Clock.
and as the frame buildings were dry,
1t spread very quickly and, even after
the fire department reached the
scene, 1T had a hard time checking
the rapid spread Of the fire and final
ly succeeded in doing so only after
an exceedingly hard fight.
All of the telephone wires covering
that portion Of the town were torn
down by the burning of the posts.
and the street was left in a dangerous
condition because Of the danglina
ends of wires. Next morning the
Sumter Light and Power Company
was hard at work rearranging the
lines and putting up new posts. and
liking the wires for service.