Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-03-24
STAUNTON VISITED
BY DISASTROUS FIRE
Damage Estimated at $15O,OOO
Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Clifton
Forge Called Upon to Aid Local Depart
ment in Fighting Conflagration Which for
Two Hours Seemed to Threaten Destruc-
tiOn of Entire Business SectiOn---- Biggest
Blaze in City's History.

A fire that started either in an old
blacks niti shop or IN the bowling
,lley of q. II. Klise swept away
nearly the entira block bounded by
johnson, Lev and Augusta streets
and Middlebrook avenue Monday night
and carsed a l1ss conservatively es-
IL mated at $3.50. 600.
It is the price Staunton has to pay
for allowing the collection of fire
.raps to exist in that locality and the
;itv is extremely fortunate that the
entire downtown section of the city
vas not swept away. Had the wind
been blowing when the fire started %
il had earlier in ths night there is
not the least doubt that the loss Would
have besn ttree times as great and
that the entire section soath OF Main
strest and east of Lewis would have
bsen swept clear to the Baltimore
a nd Ohio station, if the flames had
bsen stopped even there.
TIL. following buildings on John
son street were destroyed:
W. J. Neff, dealer in vehicles etc.
Luther B. Bosssrman, feeds and
fertilizers.
w. E. Tribbett, spraying apparatus
and supplies.
Edward Dora, stable and Wagon
yard.
Rissba1ger's, barber shop
Wehn's stable ana wagon yard.
Trim ble's wagon yard.
j. Elmer Hanger. wheelwrighj.
Dudley Foster, lunch room.
, Gayhart's grocery store.
} Hounihan's old saloon stand.
On Middlebrook avenue, in tn
hlonk known as the wharf, the f0l
3 lowing concerns we're PRACTICAL
wiped ont.
Staulton Milling Company.
Michael Kivllghan. feeds. hay et'
+ B. W. Grim, feeds and fertilizerl
The building occupied by Bosssl
l. nan, Neff and the establishment
Elmer Hanger was owned by MI
Kate Brown, widow Of the Ia
Dennis Brown, and she will be OF
l. of the heaviest Of the losers. One
these buildings was only recent
srected and was iirst class moder
10 business structure.
y The blacksmith shop IN which tf
10 ire is supposed to nave STATED W
l. owned by Thomas ]. Hounlnan
At was the structure which housed q
as restaurant and the building on Il
'e north side of johnson street VIII
q. was Quilted.
- With two or three exceptions t
~ other buildings destroyed were own
!" ~ the concerns occupying them.
~ The fire broke out about 10
y o'clock. Just where it started Is
NC some doubt at this time Some "
III were on the scsne early say 1t start
% in the blacksmith shop. while 9TH
assert that the fire was first seen
Kisses bowling ALLEY. HoWev
Z that may be it was right among
lot of shaoks and sheds that hs
on been a menace to tine safetv OF
o,ty for years. Ike fire alarm
sent in by Herbert Hughes and
all fire department responded prompt
m- Before the fireman and THAR appara
me we're on the scene the flames
ry. Gained tremendous headvay
in Hangers blacksmith shop was n
ng- of flames. The frenen's eff
ION seemed to be without effect and
hat fire working east and west at
GOO same time communicated itself
est- several one story buildings on
sast and mad attacked the big bu
oon ing occupied by Luther b. bos
az man in the rear Flames ents
'iop through the rear windows and oau
'sry big pile of baled hay in the
osrt of the building while the
a. men we're still worKlng on the bl
" smith shop, frame building wi
the was then blazing Ike an inE'
fon' bonfire
DOT A soon as the Bossermap build
ease caught tne spectatrs saw that al
'naO the stables in the vicinity
ls'io doomed and there was q ger
ooa' movement for the release of
horses which were in them.
'orts faw moments tne stable doors
'len' broken open and the animals
Pe. led ont, some being tied to fe
la'A some taken to other stables and o
nent r;,or tho WAGONS
other vehicles were run out an
much property of this characts
possible taken out of danger.
arau. building occupied BY W. J. Net
nors broken open and pretty much Q
,ss a thing on the first floor was
He By this time there was q rush 20
affer movable thin3s of every descri
. his out OF the relgnoofnoou nos
B. F. Of the property on Lewis street
Va ed their furniture, business
moved their books ana pepel