The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-10-31
THREE BUILDINGS
REDUCED TO ASHES
Post Office, Telephone Sta.
tion And Hotel Licked
UP BY Flames

| wv
two solid hours, by means of a bucket
| brigade, with flames which threaten
ed at one time to blot out completely
this village, 500 people from all the
surrounding territory managed to ex-
tinguish fire which, arising from
an unknown origin, caused damage
! $4,000.
Three buildings, once fine struc-
lures, are now nothing but ashes.
| They are as follows
Hotel and livery Of Jesse HartsOck.
Business block Of Lydia Sellers.
Dwelling Of Lydia Lauderbaugh.
STARTS IN LIVERY
A little after 8 o'clock, Jesse Hart
sock, who operates large hotel here,
in the rear of which is livery barn,
happened to notice the odor of smoke
He rushed to the barn and there
found flames licking up the dry wood
of which the structure is built.
A general call was put in and the
village of Homer ceased all of its
work, the residents turning out to
combat the flames which threatened
the entire town:
HOTEL IN FLAMES
1t was the space of only few mo-
ments until the fire had spread from
the livery barn to the hotel. The
two are one and the same building
and not separated. An efforts to stay
the flames proved unayailing and the
hotel was soon a roaring mass of
dry timber. A good share of the fur
nishings was removed before the heat
became too intense to enter.
BUSINESS BLOCK NEXT
Near by the hotel stood the bust
ness block owned by Lydia Sellers.
This was In the immediate path of
the flames and was consumed in com
paratlvely short order. In this block,
the general furnishing store of Por-
ter Zore, the postoffloe and the tele-
phone Office we're located.
Practically the entire Zore stock
was taken out of the building before
the fire got in its disastrous work.
Furnishings in the postoftice were not
removed in time, but all mail and
money were taken out.
CUT OFF FROM WORLD
A little after o'clock, the Homer
operator called the Brandon operator
and informed her not to put through
any more calls as the building was
threatened and was going to be aban.
doned by the exchange. With this
Homer was cut off from the world
as far as telephone communication
is concerned.
| DWELLING CONSUMED
Between these two structures was
the home of Lydia Lauderbaugh, This
was a frame structure and was burn
ed down, although practically all OF
the furniture was saved.
TEN O'CLOCK END
The valiant work OF the fighters
had it's reward as, at 10 O'clock, the
fire had been stopped to such an ex
tent that no more fear was felt fol
the balance of the village. Fire,
fighters from both Licking and Kno,
counties received the thanks OF the
residents OF Homer for their labors
HEAVIEST LOSER
Jesse Hartsock is the heaviest los
er in the fire. He valued his proper
ty at $4,000. 1t was covered by onl,
81 900 in insurance. The Sellers bus
mess block, valued at about I3,OOC
was fully covered by insurance, Will
the Lauderbaugh residence, wort
$4,000, was only partially insured
GREATLY PUZZLED
There has been no reasonable e'
planation advanced as yet as to tn
cause of the fire. 1t has been sal
that possibly there was lighte
match accidentally dropped In tn
barn, but no direct evidence to sui
stantiate this has been produced,