Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-03-01
BIC FIRE At MILLER
WHOLESALE GROCERY.
Blaze Starts in Large Warehouse After
Midnight and Does $1,000 Worth of
Damage to Stock and Building---Ev-
identity of Incendiary Origin---Gallant
Work of the Fire Department.

Fire broke out in one of the build
ings of the G. A. Miller Grocery Co.
at the Qneen street crossing about l
o'clock last night. entailing a loss es-
timated at s3,500 and for a while
threatened adjoining valuable prop
erty. The loss is fully covered by in
surance. The fire is supposed to be
of incendiary origin.
The fire started in the west end of
what is known as the buggy house.
This is a large one-story frame struc-
ture, about 50x120 feet in dimensions.
south of the wholesale grocery house
and running back to the kilbourn
(Middlesex) mill on Exchange Place.
A fe wminutes after one o'clock as
some men were going home from the
firemen's fair in Feller Hall, they
saw a blaze in the farther end of the
building. They gave the alarm and
one of them, Straight Linthieum,
ran up to the Ryneal fire house on
East Burke street and called the boys.
The fire bell was Tung loud and long
and in a few minutes the whole fire
department was on the run, as well
as hundreds of other people awaken
ed out of their sleep. Fortunately
there was no lacking of water plugs
in the neighborhood and soon seven
streams of water were playing on
the flames. The Ryneals ran out two
lines of hose, Hose Co. 5, two lines,
and Hose Co.'S 4 and 3, n line each.
The No. 5 boys also used the hose of
the Middlesex mill very effectively
from the private plug there. The
fremen stubbornly fought the flames,
and not only prevented their spread
to nearby property but practically
saved the building itself. Therefore
the highest credit is due the gallant
fremen. 1t wasn't very long before
the fire was ~extinguished.
While the building was not likely
damaged more than to the extent of
$500, yet the damage TO the stock was
far greater, amounting, it is believed,
to $4,000. Here were stored a lot of
buggies, sleighs. farming implements
and harness and these were all prac-
tically destroyed, while about half a
carload of timothy seed in the back
part where the fire started wars ruin
ed by fire and water. A carload OF
crockery ware was also IN this floor,
but the damage to it is regarded as
slight. In the basement the damage
by water was very considerable.
Here was a carload of salt and a car
load each of hay and straw, and this
stuff was all ruined by water. A big
lot of wooden ware also stored in the
basement was not much damaged.
OF l~ncendiary Origin.
1t is confidently believed that this
fire was of incendiary origin. Mr.. c.
l.. Onderdonk, the night Waterman
at the b. & o. crossing, says that a
few minutes before n O'Clock last
night two strange men came to his
watch box at the railroad. One oil
them asked for a match and then was
seer to walk down the switch track
i'm front of the Miller wholesale gro
Gerry: but when he reached the end OF
the track he disappeared. MI. Onder
donk says the other man walked
around the building in the opposite
direction. This morning the heavy
paddock on the door of the warehouse
where the fire started was found e
have been wrenched from its fasten
ing and was lying inside the door
This is evidently where the incen
diary entered the building and SCI
fire TO it.
Fire Notes.
Mr.. Miller has suffered two losses
by fire In less than two weeks. Early
in the morning of February Is fire
broke out in the basement of the Mil
Ter Supply Co.'S building on the nortf
: side OF the 3. e. O. tracks, causing Z
loss estimated at $500. Mr.. Miller
now believes this fire to have been o
i~ncendiary origin also.
One of the pathetic incidents OF tbs
fire last night, Mr.. Miller says, is thu
loss of his fine collie dog. When h