Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-11-14
Disastrous Fire.
Shepherdstown's Most De-
structive Conflagration.
Flames Sweep Valuable Business
Block on Main Street.

Block on Main Street.
CThe most disastrous fire that has ever
visited Shepherdstown occurred early
last Friday morning, November 9Th,
when the buildings of E. H. Reinhart, the
H. M. Loyns estate, H. L. Snyder mot
the Register office and section of the
Entler Hotel structure, all on Main street,
in the business center of the town, were
utterly consumed by the devouring
flames.
The fire was discovered about half past
three O'Clock in the morningin the build
ing belonging to H. L. Snyder, the ground
floor OF which was occupied by Frank
L. Johnson's Home Cafe and the upper
by Mrs. Sallie Licklider as living apart
ments. Mrs. Licklider was awakened by
the cracking of the flames, and found
that the rear part of the building was all
afire, with smoke filling the rooms. AT
the same time Nellie Sperow, a Shepherd
College student who boarded with Mrs.
Licklider, found her room filled with
smoke, and fire blazing about the window,
and she helped give the alarm. These
two ladies', with Mrs. Licklider'S young
son Kearney, and her mother, Mrs. Mar
tina Kearney, barely had time TO find
their way down stairs through the bliud-
ing smoke and the growing heat, when
the flames burst into the house. They
had no time 10 save any OF the belongings,
and everything in the house was LETT to
destruction-jewelry, clothing, furnish
ings and personal belongings. Their
screams quickly aroused the neighbors,
who saw that serious fire was in pro-
greSs, and general alarm was sounded.
The ringing of the fire bell and the cries
of "Fire !" soon bought large crowd OF
persons TO the scene. In an incredibly
short time the Snyder building was a
mass OF seething flames, and not penny's
worth of the valuable property in the
Home Cafe could be rescued. The
building used in the manufacture OF ice
cream, and which contained new ma
chinery and equipment, also took fire
and went up in smoke. In the meantime,
the flames had communicated with the
three-story building on the west belong
ing to the H. M. LoynS estate. This was
soon afire from top to bottom. The
lower part of this building was occupied
by H. A. Tenant, harness maker, and
the upper part contained the household
effects OF the late Mrs. Loyns, no one
living in the apartment al the time. Will
ing helpers managed to carry from the
harness shop almost all of the contents
before the flames entered the show room,
but practically all OF the tools were lost.
The next building on the west was the
large tWo-Story brick house belonging to
E. Hess Reinhart. There was no tenant
in the upstairs rooms, but the lower floor
was occupied by the grocery store OF
Renhart Bros Despite the efforts OF the
firemen, who were working vailantly,
the reliable Silsby engine throwing three
streams of water, it was impossible to
save this building. A considerable part
of the stock of goods was carried out Of
the store, but much valuable stuff went
up in smoke.
A strenuous attempt was made TO save
the store and residence Of B. S. Pendle-
ton, next to the Reinhart building. Men
with buckets and tubs OF water and two
streams from the engine flooded the fire
in the Reinhart house and at the same
time kept the Pendleton building wet.
Although it was nip and tuck for time,
the fire fighters finally won, and the build
ing was saved. SO imminent was the
danger, however, and so certain did II
appear that the house was doomed, that
all OF Mr.. Pendleton's household effects
were removed and carried TO place oil
safety in the old college building. AL
though damaged some little by the hasty
transfer, comparatively little harm was
done, and later in the day the furniture
was put back in place. Some damage
was done the house by water, but the
store and its contents were not injured.
While the flames had been eating their
way through valuable property to the
west, they had at the same time attacked
the big brick building, part OF the Emit
Ter Hotel property, just east OF the Sny-
der building and separated from it by an
alley. This building was occhpled by
Miss Nettie Entler and +. L. Weltzheimer
as dwelling-ho while the corner
room on the ground floor contained the
grocery store of John H. Schoppert.
This building was three stories high and
contained numerous windows facing the
blazing Snyder building. One by one
these window frames caught fire, steadily
the blaze found its way inside, and ii
was seen that the stately old structure
was doomed. Presently the upper parl
was mass of seething flames that made
so fierce fire the metal roof was lifted
bodily by the heat and rolled back as a
scroll. Ii had not seemed practicable to
remove the goods from Schoppert'S store
as il was hoped that the building might
be saved by keeping the doors closed
and so avoid the drafts. In the belize
that the structure could be saved, Miss
ENTERS furniture had not been removed
and when finally it was concluded to carry
| if out, il was too late. Anumber OF pieces
of very handsome and valuable antique
mahogany furniture were destroyed, &c
the great regret of the owner and others
who hated 10 see the destruction OF arti-
Giles that could not be replaced. The
| o,-onjf ,tbar,c clOck an old DOrtrait