Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-04-07
j. +. CRAIG LOSES by FIRE.
Fire Sunday Afternoon Brings Loss
OF Several Thousand Dollars.

Last Sunday afternoon the alarm
, Of fire was given when it was discov-
| cred by neighborS that the residence
Of Clerk Of Court John f. Craig was
burning, smoke and a small blaze is
| suing from the roof Of the main part
| of the house.
The first intimation of the fire
came to Mr.. Craig rs he sat with his
children in front OF the house. He
had just noticed and remarked upon
the large quantity Of SCOT that was
falling when the warning of fire was
| sounded from members Of the house
hold OF Mrs. c. G. Strong, whose res
idence is next south of the Craig
| property. The blaze was beyond
| control, with the fire fighting appli-
| ances at command, and it was real
lied almost from the first tina the
home was doomed.
The origin Of the fire is not
known definitely, but it is supposed
to have been caused by coal SCOT
catching fire in the chimney and fall
| ing over on the roof. During the
winter Mr.. Craig had been burning
coal, and on Sunday last, not need
| ing so much heat, the fires had been
made with wood, and it is supposed
that the wood sparks started an ac-
emulation of SCOT in the chimneys
to burning, and that particles OF the
SCOT fell on to the shingle roof
When efforts we're made to get into
the garret of the house the blf ze
there was so fierce that DR.. Graz &,
who made the effort to get into the
don this attempt, but also to leave
the trap door open, thus giving addi-
| tional draft to the flames. Within
half an hour the two-story building
was heap Of smouldering ruins.
Practically nothing was saved from
! the upstairs rooms, but from the
lower floor a considerable quantity
Of household goods were rescued,
and practically everything stored in
the basement was saved.
| Mr.. Craig estimates that his loss
is about $500. He carried insur-
ance to the amount of $4,000 on the
residence, thus leaving a net loss of
some $500 to $4,000.
| Mr.. Craig and family are at pres
ent occupying rooms in Miss VanDi-
viere's cottage on College street un-
, til other arrangements can be made.
AS soon as Mr. Craig finds he is able
10 rebuild he Will do so, locating a
new home on the old site.
1t was only by the most heroic
efforts that the cottage residence of
| w. l.. Werner, next door north, was
| saved. The side of the house next
to the Craig residence was charred
wherever the heat from the burning
building had an open sweep. For
some shrubbery between the two
places and these to some extent pro-
tected the lower part Of the Werner
cottage. This was occupied by Mr..
and Mrs. w. E. Seaborn, and they
! lost some considerable amount
through damage to household goods
as they were hurriedly removed
from the house to the street There
was great work done on this house,
every door and window in the place
being removed to the street. Mr..
and Mrs. Seaborn are temporarily
with Mr.. Seaborn's mother, Mrs Jas.
Seaborn, on Main street.
The residence of Mrs. Tahnestock
in which S. \. PitchfOrd and family
reside, just across the street, caught
fire several times, but each time the
blaze was eXtinguished with but lit
tie damage to the house. The resi-
dences of Robt. Pickett and John p.
Hutchison, a block away, also caught
during the Craig fire, sparks being
carried by the wind for several hun
dred feet.
Mr.. Craig's loss is considerable,
and he has hosts of friends here and
elsewhere who sympatbize with him
in his misfortune.