The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-08-12
FIRE CAUSES MUCH DAMAGE
One of the Most Disastrous
Fires in History of Town.
ESTIMATED LOSS ABOUT $4,000.
l.. 81 &. Depot, Office and Seed House
OF Oil Mill, Also Warehouse of
Hardware Company Burned.

hardware Company Burned.
One of the most disastrous fires in
the history of Lancaster occurred
Saturday morning about 10 O'Clock.
IL originated in the large wooden
frame building of the Lancaster Cot
ton OH Company, used as a hull and
seed house, and had evidently been
burning for some time before it was
discovered. The alarm was quickly
given, freight train which was
standing on the nearby tracks aiding
in sounding il. The shrill whistle
soon summoned crowd and the fire
department responded very prompt
ly. The flames, however, had been
making rapid headway and had
spread from end to end of the large
structure. The heat from the burn
ing building was so intense that tho
fremen could not approach near
cough to fight the fire successfully.
And moreover ii had already en-
tirely enveloped the building and
their efforts were devoted mair'y in
trying to prevent the spread of the
flames to the freight and passenger
depot of the Lancaster e Chester
Railway Immediately north OF and
on the opposite side of the tracks.
The heat from the burning build
ing full of seed and hulls constantly
grew more intense and presently the
Office building OF the oil mill. a few
feet away, was cnveloped in flames.
Soon after the fire swept across the
tracks to the l.. G G.. station and this
mammoth structure perhaps $50
feet long, was also swallowed up by
the fire. A very strong south wind
contributed to the force of the con-
hagration which could not be stopped
until it had spread also TO another
wooden building which was used as
the warehouse of the Lancaster
Hardware Company.
The main building of the oil mill,
which is of brick, was fortunately
saved. OF the seed house and office
only the large vault in the latter re-
mains standing.
The l.. d c. passenger and freight
depot was completely demolished,
only a part Of the books and records
of the railway being saved. The
Bennett-Ferguson Company had
large amount of freight stored in
part of the station which they used
as a warehouse. The warehouse of
the Lancaster Hardware Company
with all its contents was completely
wiped out.
Owing to the valiant efforts of the
volunteer fire department., the resi-
dence of Mr. II. Y Hathcock, owned
by Mr.. w. L. Clyburn OF the Halle
Gold Mine, was saved, though it
caught several times \ small fruit
and lunch stand near the station,
which is the property Of Mr. G.. J.
Derrick, was partly burned also.
The loss has been estimated at
about $4,000, the Lancaster &
Chester Railway suffering the heav-
lest loss of all Their depot was
filed with a larger accumulation of
freight than usual, which had been
shipped i'm or was to be shipped out
as soon as possible, but which, on ac-
count of the recent wreck on the
l.. d G. had been delayed somewhat.
Two fiat cars were burned on the
tracks The loss to the railway was
about $35, 900 and was practically
covered by insurance The Lancas-
ter Cotton on Company lost perhaps
100000, which amount is said to be
covered by insurance The Lancas-
ter Hardware Company lost about
$4,000 with a like amount OF in
surance while the -Fergu-
son Company lost $4,000, partly in
sured, The damage to the Hath
cock residence is estimated at sew
eral hundred dollars.
The origin of the fire is not def
nitely known, though it is thought
by many to have been caused by
spontaneous combustion. There
gathered to witness il one of the
largest crowds which ever gathered
at fire in Lancaster. Several hun
dred citizens viewed the Contiagra-
tion as we'll as numbers of people
from various parts of the county,
who had come to town shopping.