The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-05-12
Bl. AYE HOTTEST KNOWN !.
IN HISTORY OF THE CITY
Green Grass and Trees Block
Away Burn Like For
est Fire.
ORIGIN is UNKNOWN
Loss Reaches $780, 900 and is
Second Heavy One for
the Present Owners.

Fire at noon Monday destroyed the
mill and lumber sheds of the Clarks-
burg Lumber and Planning Mill Com
pany at gross loss of at least $4,000
with not more than $4,000 insurance.
cottage in the rear of the mill was
also destroyed at loss of $500.
The exact origin of the blaze is
mere surmise. 1t started from either
a spark from the engine stack or
defective electric wire.
1t was 1904 o'clock when Charles
c. Ridenour, Ira Snyder, Robert Reed
and Arch Micks, employees in the
groove room eating their dinners saw
fire in an upper corner under the roof
Mr.. Reed first discovered the blaze and
gave the alarm to the others. They
rushed out of the building to save
their lives as within three minutes
afterwards the entire roof was in
flames.
PeH Nell Rush.
pell nell rush was made by the
fin department but the entire mill
and the lumber sheds were enveloped
in flames by the time 1t arrived. Roar
after roar went up from the burning
mill and the flames leaped high into
the air and across the street, threaten
ing the destruction of that entire end
OF the city. The Spectacular scenes
quickly attracted thousands of people
to the burning buildings but they
we're not able to approach within 200
yards owing to the intense heat.
Luckily the wind was mild and with
the prompt and willing work of
bucket brigades the flames were kept
to the mill and lumber sheds with
the exception of the cottage on the,
hill in the rear and stable more
than half way across to Locust street,
which caught in the roof but was not
consumed as a buchket brigade soon
had the blaze out there The heat
was so intense that the green grass
on the Martha NJ Somemrs lawn on
the other side of the street from the
mill burned almost like forest fire.
Trees. telephone, telegraph and
street car poles burned readily.
Heroic Work.
Heroic work on the part of the fire
department and volunteers saved the
lumber yards and building adjoining
and near to the mill and sheds.
Telephone, telegraph, electric light
and trolley lines We're broken and
twisted for distance of more than
500 feet and service over these ceased.
The greater part of the books in the
office were saved Tools were mostly
lost although Earl Freeland and Louis
]. Helms saved some at the expense
of being severely burned.
The blaze was the hottest ever wit
messed here, the dressed lumber and
oils and paints furnishing easy fuel
The mill was virtually wiped off the
earth within forty minutes, while the
lumber sheds filled with dry and vaIu-
able lumber burned much longer
Household Goods Lost.
The cottage was occupied by Luther
Johnson, night Waterman at the plant.
and the most of his household goods
was destroyed at loss of several
hundred dollars.
The Stealey Heights mre depart
mcnt aided in combating the flames
and the water pressure was very
strong.
The plant was. owned by Virgil L.
Highland. S. c. Denham, Victor Will
.ers. ]. W. Duffy, j. ]. Cornell, G.
Iawman and others.
The fire Monday marked the fourth
or fifth time planning mills have been
burned on that site. Years ago mills
were burned there and the last three
fires entailed heavy losses. April p.
1900, when the plant was owned by
r 7. Lowndes and others, it was con-
sumed at loss of $4,000 or more
The present owners built new plant
there and it was burned April %. 1911
at loss OF 100000 or more and Mon
days fire caused a loss of $4,000.