The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-17

| One of the most spectacular fires in the history of Bessemer occurred this morning at 11:30 o'clock in the whole sale district. The damage is estimated to be between $8000 and S10.0O0 with insurance amounting to over s6O00. | T. B. Spencer, brakeman on an Alabama Great Southern freight train, was standing on top of box car near the Frisco station and noticed a flame | dart fro a second-story window of brick llding used as warehouse, known as the old Vines grocery store. He immediately signalled the engineer. who blew a shrill fire alarm that brought the fire department out in full | force. The flames and smoke had gained great headway before the fire laddies arrived but soon five or six streams of water were in action, and 15 men were bravely fighting the con- l fagration.
 l The upper story of the Vines build 1 ing Is honeycombed with small rooms and the flimsy partitions and furnish ings of these apartments caused the fire to burn for several hours. The low CT floor was saved.
 | Every large fire brings its trail of pa thetic incidents and this one was no exception. Greedy Vines, an old bach elor and one of the former owners of the building, lived upstairs and was away when the fire started, but hur- ried to the scene when he realized that | his Iares and Penates were in danger. While no one was looking he slipped up to his room to secure some valuable papers and stayed until the firemen forced him to leave to escape death. He was badly burned and hurried to the Robinson hospital.
 Two cats held the attention of the crowd for a while by their frantic eff forts to get away and final disappear ance up the street, unhurt. Mrs. Gym thia Glenn, woman resident of the place. was ill with pneumonia and had to come out on an adjoining shed and descend a ladder to safety
 | The quarters of the Bessemer Groc- cry company and Bonham Lewis com pany on either side of the fire were slightly damaged which will be covered by insurance.
 The owners of the building, T. W. Rarden and the Bessemer National bank, intend to rebuild as soon as pos | sible.
 The house of Deputy Sheriff Lacey Edmundson was slightly burnt on the roof at l o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
 Two other alarms were sent in to the department but only small blazes among the negro houses.
 Attend Birmingham Meeting
 The canal committee of the Bessemer board of trade will attend the meeting | of the Birmingham Chamber of Com | merce Friday afternoon at o'clock. This meeting will have over 200 prominent men from all parts of the state present, and the purpose Is to decide on plans for | the VanHoose canal The committee | from Bessemer will read resolutions em- bodying the wishes of the people in re- gard to hearty cooperation in the mat ter of the canal.
 Announcements
 | Mr. and Mrs. J. Fl. Whited announce the marriage of their daughter, May | Belle to MT. J. K Randle, on Wednesday, March 15 1911.
 The Temple Aid society will meet Fri day afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Tenn pie to have the annual election of officers. | Thomas H. Holt encampment, No. 30, I. o. o. F., meets Friday night
 The Order of the Eastern Star will have | meeting Friday night
 Mrs w. M. Nees will be the hostess Saturday afternoon for the Forty-two club at her home in Jonesboro. The jury of the Riser damage suit in spected the wrecked automobile concerned in the case Thursday afternoon. Argu- ments of the trial were begun Thursday by Attorney Estes for the plaintiff.
 Those Coming and Going
 J. M. Lovett, accompanied by his wife and son, left Thursday morning for New 1 Canton, Ohio, to be absent some time. The continued i'll health of Mrs. J. Fred Robertson will necesstate her going to Charleston, s. C., for an indefinite stay.
 I. D. Martin has returned from a pleas ure trip to Atlanta.
 Mrs. James Armstrong and little son of Jonesboro will return today from visit | to relatives in Florida.
 Mrs. Huey and Miss Neva Huey, who have been the guests of MT. and Mrs. E. L. Huey, will leave Saturday to spend a few days with Ben Huey of Blocton.
 Party at Elks' Halls
 One of the prettiest affairs of the Lem | ten season was the forty-two party given