Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-01-13
OBSTRUCTIVE FIRE Al
BERKELEY SPRINGS
slsze Started in Bakery Tuesday
Night and Burned Down -Four
Houses and Damaged Church.

II
CARED Tuesday night, in which foux-
houses near the business center al this
town were burned to the ground. the
Methodist church badly damasea ans
ether buildings partly so, involving 4
less Of about $4,000 partly coverec
by insurance
The fire started in some ulRRown.a
manner about O'clock in the two~.
story frame bake house OF n Bailey
Hunter in the rear OF his confection-
cry store on Fairfax street. and soon
the building was enguifed in names4
and finally burned TO the ground.
From the Hunter house the aames
swept over to Saml. Rupentnail's
three-story frame building and il
shared the fate OF the other. On the
first floor was Robert Cunningham
confectionery store and eating house
On the second floor was Mrs. Rupen
thall's millinery store, while on the
third floor were the living room OF
the Rupenthalls family He lose
everything and had no insurance.
From this structure the flames com4
nunicated with G. w Buzzard's biz
Hard room. a one-story frame strnc
ture and this was entirely consumed
The IRE then leared across thn
Warmspring run to the Danl. Cor
relius three-story frame house, knowrrs
as the annex, and occupied by Mrs
Annie Ambrose as a boarding house,
which was also burned to the ground,
despite the efforts of the local fire
men on this as wen as the other
hou es mentioned
The next building attacked by tho !.
Terry element was the Methodist
church Sweeping over the George
Cunningham house the fames reach
I'd the capola OF the church and II
was soon consumed For a time tho
church seemed TO be doomed, but "a
slate roof covered the structure. it.
being further rendered ireproof ly -.
metal ceiling. However the fire got
under the slate roof ald was only
cxtingushed after heroic efforts OF
the flremen. The damage 70 the
church Il from $1,000 to 81 800.
The roof on the house Of Aaron
Howard. a colored man on a Side
street. was ignitea by sparks from the
grafton some distance away. but.
was put out BY a bucket brigade.
In the pathway OF the fire faunod
by wind With almost The velocity Of
gale, was the printing Office of the
Lerkeley Springs News which, though.
covered With sparks and flying en-
hers. WIS saved Likewise were
dwelling houses of Or. Green and s.
f. Shelley and Louis Aliens boarding
houses on the west side OF Wilkes
qtreet. though surrounded w the
flames
Houses at considerable d stance
from the connaeration were endanger-
ed by SPARKS and the wind-driven4 en-
hers. but fortunately there was 1c
further spread Of the flames than al
ready described though OF orc time
II looked as If the north half OF the.
town would be burned up and the
populace was terrified.
Martlnsburg TO the Rescue
Some time after 10 o'clock when
tho fire hid gotten beyond the con-
troll OF The local fremen anu a gem
eral conaagratlon seemed imminent
4 gentleman Of Berkeley Springs tele
rhoned TO the authorities here foc aid
Both telephone exchanges got busy at
once and the NIGHT OPERATORS lent
every assistance POSSIBLE. City Recor-
der Letter was called 5nd he in turn
notified Fire Chief Laagford. the lat
ter soon being on the job, Officer
Pltzer was ent to the y 4 o. tele
ersph cfiice and arranged 10 have
train No 2 due here at 1928, stop
AZ Hancock to let of some MartinH,.
burg flreman and hose. while the r.
q Q. superintendent at Cumberland
arr2n@od to have an elgine and q,
couple cars az Hancock station when
No. 3 would arrive. The Ryneaf
Hose Co. gathered up 500 feet OF hose.
and sent rs 10 No. 3's hose house on
Wei John street for hundred feet
more As time was short this alr
took quick work but a dozen or more
arenen and The hose were ready ar
the danot when the train arrived
Reaching Ifancock station the Mar
ti7shrrg CONTINGENT net IRE eom-
pany from Hancock ana together
they went to Berkeley SPRINGS on the
sFecial provided, arriving there short
" otter 70 o'clock. But the fire was
then under control. so the visiting
bremen hadn't much to do but thar
little they did manfully The Martins
burg boys returned home this morn
ing on No 10.
Sad Incident Of Fire.
Mrs. Jerry Mason, OF Hancock. wher.
tod Of the fire raging at Berkeley
Springs dropped over dead. aged Az
years. Her husband had started for
the fire but turned back when
heard the sad news.
Messrs. Alex Clohan and n. T..