Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-21

metal
The firemen and the Kllbourn boys
bravely fought the flames. keeping
five streams constantly on the burn
ing structure. Again and again were
they driven back by the intense heat
from the burning building, only 70 re-
new the attack on the deyouring ele.
mel7s with more determined effort.
But ii was soon realized that there
was no hope of saving the building
doomed to destruction as 1t was, SO
the firemen turned their efforts 20 "a.
jacent property.
Fortunately the evening was calm
and gentle rain had fallen for an
hour before. dampening the roofs OF
the surrounding dwellings,, factories
end outbuildlngs. Many OF these are
covered with slate roofs which made
them all less liable TO catch fire from
the flying sparks and embers. some OF
which were carried great distance,
which. under other circumstances,
would have endangered property at a
NuhciNcioDAS uiStaitNfs run tilt tpilHh-
grafton
The three frame house OF Mr. Gless-
ner. west of the CIV tracks and al.
most directly opposite the Stewart
plant. we're in imminent danger of be-
ing destroyed Indeed the one occu.
pied by Mr.. Arnica would surely have
been consumed had not the firemen
Kept stream of water playing on It..
Had this happened the two other
houses closely occupied by Harry My
shared q like fate. AS it was the Ar.
MICA house was pretty badly scorched
Mr. Jacob Sites brick residence fur
Their south was outside the danger
zone but his apple orchard along the
railroad and only couple hundred
feet from the fire was pretty badly
damaged, many OF the trees being
scorched and their foliage turned
brown.
A frame storehouse of The Stewart
the southeast corner was scarcely
scorched by the fire and how 1t was
saved is a wonder. except for the fact
that IL has a metal roof and the air
carried the flames away from 1t. The
same reason would in part account
for the escape from the fiery demon,
of the Lloyd bakery, closely, but
which is built of concrete with fire
proof roof.
A number of dwellings on Winches-
ter avenue, east of the Stewart plant,
were In danger ws5se4tEA FIRE was
at it's height. Among these were the
residences OF Messrs. II. N. Stewart,
Claude w. Stewart, Charles Weller
Ernest Lutrell. Joseph Haas, o. G..
Bentzel and l.. b. Brooks. Nearly all
of them were more or less scorched
en- the rear end, that of Mr.. Haas be-
ing especially so, his mouse being new
ly painted. But all are insured against
fire loss.
North of the fire are the Norwalk
Motor Car works. the Shenandoah
Pants Factory, c. ID. Burns lumber
yard and numerous sheds and out
buildings. 1t looked for a while as II
some CT these structures might take
fire but they did not The nearest
large building in the above named is
that Of the Norwalk automobile works
the employees of which had a stream
playing on the fire till the third wall
fell in and then they played their
stream on the building to guard
against the numerous sparks. They
also had small hose on the roof and
two chemical extinguishers.
AS stated before embers and sparks
were carried a great distance, some
as far as Martin street, but owing to
damp roofs and premises, fortunately
no other fires were thus started.
Call For Help
While the fire was at its height City
Recorder p. w. Letter telephoned TO
the Winchester fire department for
help. A steam fire engine was al
ready loaded on G. V. car ready to
start for Martlnsburg when Mr.. Letter
telephoned the willing helpers that
the nic WIS uuuti SOhAiNA
The Vehicle Plant
The Stewart Vehicle Co., is joint
stock company, with the following Of
fcers: President r. N. Stewart; vice
president and general manager, c. w.
Stewart; secretary and treasurer, G..
II. Harris, recently succeeding w. w.
Downey. The directors are the three
officers named and Lee M. Bender
and w. w. Downey, this city, and j.
c. Byron. Hagerstown. and Mir. Geo.
Goetz. of Charles Town.
The summer following the disas-
trous fire that burneds down their
plant in January 1908, the company
built a new brick building along the
Cumberland Valley railroad in the
southern section OF town. This was