Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-01-30
Disastrous Barn Fire.

A disastrous fire occurred last Thurs
day night about half-past s O'Clock, when
the barn on the farm belonging to Mrs.
D. L. Rentch, along the Martinsburg
road, about quarter of a mile west OF
Shepherdstown, was destroyed. David
Sigler lived on the place, which was
farmed by D. L. Rentch, who owned the
live stock and farming implements. II is
believed that the fire was accidentally
started by some unknown person who
had been sleeping in the barn. MIR. Sig
Ter had discovered that man had been
sleeping in the hay now for several
nights, and Thursday evening mentioned
the matter to Mr.. Rentch, and it was
agreed that il should be looked into.
About 8 O'Clock Thursday night Mr.. Sig
Ter took his lantern and went downto the
barn TO look after the sheep, which were
in pen at one end of the barnyard. The
theory is that whoever was making the
barn sleeping place, without permis-
sion, saw Mr.. Sigler coming with his Ian
tern, and thought he would get in trouble
if caught there. As Mr.. Sigier passed the
barn to go to the sheep pen, It's believed
that the invader sought to escape by way
of the feed room and that he lighted
matches to find his way, with the result
that an unextinguished match fell to the
floor and set fire TO the inflammable ma
terial that was all around. AS Mr.. Sigler
was returning to the house he saw man
run from the barnyard and disappear in
the darkness. He went on to the house
to get his gun, and after talking to his
wife for a few moments they discovered
that the barn was all afire. An alarm
was given, and the neighbors quickly
responded, while many persons went
out from town as soon as the blaze was
seen. Mr.. Sigler ran to the barn to try
to hberate the horses, but this was i'm
possible. The fire was all around them
and fierce flames were pouring from the
doors. There were eight horses in the
stables, and the poor beasts persisted
miserabIy. The cattle and sheep were
in sheds at one end of the barn and were
liberated in time to save them from harm.
There was no chance to save the struc-
ture, as it was soon all ablaze from one
end to the other. A cistern at the barn
was not available because OF the great
heat, but we'll near by was utilized, and
many willing helpers by the most heroic
work managed to save the dwelling house
and the corncrib that contained 500 bush
els of corn. The house caught fire sew
eral times, but men climbed to the roof,
and with buckets of water that were
passed from hand to hand succeeded in
saving it. II took the hardest sort OF
work to save the corncrib, but this was
accomplished by men who dashed water
upon it as they ran past in The almost I'M
bearable heat. The engine was nottaken
out from town, as there was no water to
supply it.
The barn was an old one, valued at
500 or $500, and on this Mrs. Rentch
carried an insurance OF $500 in the JEFF
ferson County Mutual Fire Insurance
Company. Mr.. Rentch estimates his loss
at about ST 300, and he hadn't a cent OF
insurance. Besides the eight horses that
were burned to death, he lost ten tons
of hay, a quantity of fodder, binder,
drill, corn planter, harness, etc. II is a
serious loss to him, coming as it does in
the middle OF the winter.
The burning barn made brilliant con-
flagration, an5 the light was seen for
many miles around. 1t was plainly no.
ticed in Hagerstown and Martinsburg.