The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-03-27

Famed Nv a stih breeze from the
southwest. a fire which started in the
rear w the boiler-room Of the Farm
ers' Milling and Grain Company at
MI. Airy. shortly before noon on We'd
nesday and from some unknown
cause. wiped out one whole side Of
the business district OF the town and
for a time threatened to spread to
the residential section. The damage
is estimated at $S6 900 partly covered
by insurance.
The buildings destroyed were:
Farmers Milling and Grain Company;
Storage warehouse; z. nj. Molesworth,
lumber and coal yard; Watkins s.
Banks general merchandise; Robert
l.. Runkles, hardware and CUTLERY;
q. ". Skagg, green grocery Home on
William ". Baker, manager OF the
milling concern; First National Bank
of Mt. Airy; Runkles Wagner, ice
plant; Several outbuildings on the
place Of c. Arnold Fleming, quarter
of a mile away
The buildings partly destroyed
were: The Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road station, side facing mill charred;
Mount Airy Lumber and Grain Com
pany, office burned; e. M. Molesworth
& Sons, furniture dealers, front and
cornice damaged; Office Of the Pied
Mount Airy Company, roof and
side burned.
The offices OF DR.. w. ID. Hopkins,
dentist; E. M. Molesworth and the
home VI William %. Banks were in
the buildings destroyed. Persons liv-
ing within two city blocks from the
blaze, fearing that the flames would
spread, moved the majority of their
household furniture out Of their
homes. In fighting the flames at the
Mount Airy-Piedmont Company Nor
man Woods, salesman, was Slightly
burned about the face and right hand.
1t was a few minutes before noon
when Robert Runkles, proprietor of
a hardware store but a few houses
away from the mill, walked out Of
his store and, glancing toward the
milling concern, noticed flames lick
ing their way through the roof direct
ly over the boilar-rcom.
None or the men employed in the
place had as yet discovered the fire.
Hurrying to the plant, MIR. Runkles
notified George Davis, engineer and
fireman. of the blaze
Davis sounded the alarm and In a
few minutes the half dozen or more
men employed In the mill had form
ed a bucket brigade and began to
fight the flames, but their efforts TO
check it were unavailing. In less
than ten minutes after the fire was
discovered the entire mill, which is
of frame construction, was Seething
furnace.
Carried by the stiff breeze, the fire
jumped across two-foot opening be-
tween the mill proper and the storage
plant and in a short time this build
ing was also ablaZe. Mount Airy has
no water lines for fire fighting and
the only water available was that
carried from a nearby pond in buck
cts. 1t was a tedious job, but the
men employed at the mill and citi-
zens OF the town worked like Trojans.
In the storehouse was thousands
OF bushels Of wheat and corn and
these helped to feed the flames and
make the fire burn more bri5kly. IL
was but a few minutes after the
flames started before they had shot
UP to the telephone and telegraph
wires which run along the side of the
milling company and these fell to
the ground, endangering the lives of
the firefighters.
Milton G. Urner, president Of the
First National Bank, ordered the
money there put into trunk. Forty
thousand dollars worth of green
backs and coins was dumped In and
Mr.. Hall in an automobile, with an
armed guard on each side, carried
the money to Frederick.
The whole street was alive with
shouting men, almost frantic at their
inability to cope with the fire. Elk
cited calls for help were sent over the
telephone to Frederick. The Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad also rushed
two of its largest engines to the
scene.
By the time the engines from Fred
erick, which il 12 miles distant, and
the two Baltimore and Ohio engines
reached the scene the flames had
leaped across a 12-foot alley separat-
ing the mill from the other buildings
in the block and had set fire to the
general merchandise store of Watkins
q Banks.
The Frederick motortruck was Of
little assistance al there was prac-
tically no water left for the firemen
to throw into the flames. Then it
was that the two engines or the Balti-
more and Ohio were kept going back
and forth to the B. q o. watering
tank about three miles down the road
for three hours.
Mr.. c. C. Gorsuch of this city,
president Of the Farmers Milling and
Grain Company. hurried to the scene
OF the fire with Mr.. and Mrs. George
NJ. Hunter In Mr.. Hunters auto
mobile, going by way Of Sykesville
and arriving at Mt Airy, little be
fore 5 o'clock Mr.. Gorsuch states
that the Milling Company's loss H.
covered by insurance.
Burning embers were carried by
the wind to the barn OF Arnold F1em-
ing, a farmer, a quarter of mile
away. In ten minutes 1T and the ad-
joining stable were destroyed. Mr.
Fleming saved much OF his corn
which was stored in the barn.
Miss Belle Rlnkles, whose home
and millinery shop stands on a hill
On Main street, rot all her hats and