The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-03-04
FIERCE BATTLE
WITH THE FLAMES
Entire Northeast Corner OF Exposition
and south Pond street Burned
Last Evening
FIREMEN AND VOLUNTEERS MADE
A NOBLE FIGHT

tacuIar. lighted up the whole city ana
drew a crowd of nearly 1000 people 70
the scene The fremen were on the
ground from 1870, when the fire was
discovered. till this morning, and
had the hardest fight that the depart
ment has put up since the burning OF
the McIver & MacKay buildings.
The fire originated in negro res
taurant in one of the rooms OF the
corner block of wooden buildings own
ed by Mrs T. H. Wallis, with
frontage Of 100 feet on Exposition
street and situated at the western end
of the brick paving. The buildings
were very old, built of yellow pine ana
there was much infiammable goods IN
the different stores and rooms SO that
its spread was exceedingly rapid.
Ffremen Were Right on the Job
Coming as It did, when most people
were off the streets and many In bed
there was some delay in getting the
alarm, IN the fire station, but none after
| that for the firemen responded in a
| hurry and were at the fire in very
| few minutes. not stopping to ring the
bell Some people living at a distance
land seeing the flames mounting heav-
EDWARDS before they heard the bell
i supposed the fire department only left
the station when the bell was sounded
Good Water Pressure
| The water pressure was fair at the
beginning of the fire, and very good
later on, so the firemen say. Before
the fire was long under way, Fire Chler
! Chambers had seven streams OF water
4 p1aying on the flames and all the hose
of the department, $500 feet, was in
luse, several trips. having been made
back to the station for more hose
Fire Fighters All to the Front
| All of the paid fremen and many Of
the old time volunteers with lot OF
NEW stars in the fire fighting business
worked like veritabIe fire fiends at sub
, DUNG the flames.
: 1t was a foregone conclusion that all
, of the wooden buildings so closely
, grouped together would go and the
firemen soon began to have their hands
, full to keep the flames confined to the
} property and prevent general spread
to other blocks.
t The big, two-story frame buildings
: across the street on the north SIDE
were ablaze number of times, the
: paint was scorched off. the resin run
e ming out of the fat pine boards in
5 streams anu lHOSl VI INC SAoNo0 7N~'N
J. way with the heat.
Z On the west, across the street, was g
e long, one-story building parallel to the
o flames, owned by Mr.. Fausett, was
v ablaze a number of times and was saw
d ed with difficulty. On the south, the
e big frame Mount Moriah Baptis
s church was only saved by the most un
firing efforts.
s Brave Boys Were BIistered
Two young men, Usher Norwood ana
: Jim Duffy, sat ON the top of the bel
e tower, a kind of a tripod arrange
!" ment, twenty feet high between tn
d burning buildings and the church, AM
: played a big stream of water on tn
sloping roof and the side of the build
ing which was smoking and sizzlini
= with heat all the time. These tw
Ie young men were almost roasted an
&c today have blistered hands and face
and ruined clothes to show for thei
= good work.
&c Don MeIver's Home fin Danger
all One can easily understand the dan
IS ger of the spread of the flames an
le the difficulty to prevent it, when tn
fact is recalled that sparks set fire t
Mr.. D. E. McIvers home, more than
VI
send over and put out the blaze.
n, On the east side of the fire, a two
L. story, seven-room frame dwelling, oil
ia and very fnfiammable, owned by j. {
70 Ferguson and occupied by colore
family caught FIRE, and as it was onl
few feet from the Wallis building
,al it was almost entirely destroyed. Tn
IN tenants had time to get their good
h out and the firemen did much goo
"a work on this building. Beyond thi
NJ building was a solid row Of othe
Ia buildings food for the flames, had the
gone beyond.
Carriers Bakery had a branch of Fl
a. main establishment in the Fause1
la building The stock was damaged
, some extent by fire and water. Nun
caster & Bell, insurance agents, had
d. policy on this stock.
at A large one-story frame buildin
n was situated between the Wallis Blu:
MT mess block and the church, on tn
nd south side of the property. This build
xe ing was occupied by two colored fan
&c lilies One of them was away fro
e. home and the other had a sick child
ar the house, so that none of their good
were saved. Two pet dogs that WEI
shut up inside of the house were roas
ed alive.
The business block was occupied b
HarrelI, Johnson & Co., live stoc
dealers. Their stock of harness an
us buggies was all removed and the bi
nc drove of horses and mules in the stall
IN of one of the rooms and in the lot
nc the rear were all saved, they hayin
~ been driven out before that part
'le the building was on fire to any exten
Gu Had the fire occurred at a later hol
p in the night, the animals would han
Sc been burned to death, as a horse car
as not be removed from a burning built
ing after he becomes frightened ar
no feels the heat of the fire.
Mr.. Floyd, the manager for Hare
ne Johnson & Co., stated that the con
ne pany's loss would not be over SIS
NJ but that his personal loss in velv
beans stored in the building would
ne close to 5000 with no insurance
us The owners of the restaurant 10
ny most of their goods. A colored pressir
~ club, and fruit and grocery stor
called the California Fruit Co, o
AP cupied the balance of the building al
their loss was considerable.
of VIII Make Room for Improvement
ill Mrs. Wallis will lose heavily
Ss rentals, as the property was bringir
pc in SIS per month in rents, but its i
he trinsic value would be difficult TO est
mate The buildings were of wo'
and very old, though it would cost