The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-04-27
DISASTROUS FIRES. Of
|NCEND|ARY ORIGIN
Arouse Towns People Be-
fore Sun-up on Sunday
Morning.
Through UntirinX Efforts of Citizen
Volunteers, Fires Were Confined
to Buildings Marked by
Destroyer.

1t was perhaps little before, or
after, o'clock last Sunday morning
that some one discovered blaze in
tho old black-smithing shop on Mar
ket street, opposite the home of E. I.
| Clark; the cry of alarm was raised
and pistols fired, but before anyone
could get to the place there was a
fierce, raging, roaring, sky-leaping
flame enveloping the entire building.
Nothing could be done except to
make effort to save adjoining build
ings. The home of Mr.. and Mrs.
E. J. Harper was closest to the fire
only some 40 feet. The contents
of their homo were grabbed by neigh
bors and citizens and removed to a
place of safety, while others formed
a bucket brigade and tried hcroically |
to save the house. Their persistence
in face of the whitening, scorching |
blaze was rewarded 1t was saved.
front was an old one, dating back
to early times; it was not specially |
valuable, but it contained box mate
rial and a great quantity of field pick
ing boxes belonging to Her F. Ba-
= bers, who had rented the building for
storing purposes. 1t was the kind
of mcterial to make a fierce blaze.
This building burned some half hour
or more, when from down Central
avenue came some one shrieklng that
, another fire had been discovered in
the upper or west end.
= Then those who could be spared
from the first fire ran to the second,
only to find that the Babers' build
ing next east Of, and only some 1S
feet removed from, the Preston store
was also on fire and burning tlerce-
ly.
living near but only when it had got
ten a good headway. The fire origi--
. mated on the second floor, back, and
| the reflection came through the Win
dows: then there was burst of flame,
showing that the fire had a good
headway before discovery. The
shouts of neighbors, the firing OF guns
" and the cries of alarm soon brought
:. a big crowd, people coming IN dlsha-
u billie, or with only sufficient clothing
g to show that they had skipped the fin
: ishing touches of their toilette. Buck
d ct brigades were formed and began
t. working on adjoining buildings.
le Can't. Martin LaBree got busy with
1t his motor and routed out the Pres
Sc toms and every one else with an IN
IL terest. Messrs. Preston came lmme-
to diatclv, started the pumping machn-
ae crv in their store, and began playing
70 water on the roof. Dozens OF helpers
a were with them. When the fire was
Sc fercest onlookers said to save the
ly preston store would be an impossl-
ch bilitv. although it is of brick and Its
windows next to the fire were lrol
as suffered. But it was saved witt
ed hnt little damage to the stock on the
1T east side which consisted largely o
It's hardware. and this damaged only b!
water which came through the ro0l'
ers The burning building was mgl
ed one md built of heart pine tlmpei
of No fercer blaze could be imagine
than this Sunday morning fire in tina
building. :. u,
. The oak trees between it and tn
Ill home and store of Mrs. Alice CoWle
hlazed and for time it was though
that they would go in their entirety
.st, Rut thev acted as buffers to the roai
ISIS ;rc elements. They and the waite
NO, +hrown upon it's west side and roc
hv the heroic workers of the buckle
inc hriraic saved that building. 1t wa
)li- civ o'clock when the fire wHS over.
Liss The latter building was the proper
or - IIor r Rahers. Some two {
ZEN, three months aeo The News told
C. tho unsuccessful attemnt then
ey hurn this building; how the msuran(
us- comnany agent because of this .
P. +omn+ cancelled the insurance on |,
NJ. huilding and on the stock OF Mr'
Ho,Tis who was then a tenant
T. Mr.. Harris, "hout a month Hs
am moved to the Horton store some ~. Nv
me- blocks east. The BAhers' h',,,""
was empty except that Young fra'
mes Reeves elert there. He was NJ"
F. +bo bu;ldir~ howover the mont o' y
frc He bad attended the n'"tn
Coo how and from there had gone non
,zcll 70 snond tho ri"ht with hov tr'nnd
and Tbo+ both froS wnre Of in"end,9
o,,inir there is no doubt in the MN
,licI Of onv one.
p poo,1o on tho Crescent Lake fro
,,.oro orokoraI for tho fNS+ tirn
,1or- 4ho finrco harl,jn~ of = doc. Th
Mrs ,ov This doc evidently had heon 'ro'
od and woS horl,in" at the NAV ",
oe- is resnonsihle for the fire. and tn
Ian he'd there hoen any h'ooh noun %
available this man could have be
Ru- cartured. -,,ld;,,r
Aus The contents OF the hrSi oo'tuirr9
bnrn We're insured for the sum
,ses, e. 600, This insurance Mr.. Baoe
urs- nioced with the Tucker lnsurar
F. A@cncv in Palatka on March 10th.
t. T. On the same date, the policy on
Hell Robcrs building having been cancel
An bv the local agent, he secured a pc
cy for $4,000 on that building throu
It's tbe Merrill agency. also of Paiat
Cleo Whether Mrs. Miller had any lns'
iner. ance on the old blacksmith shop
Elsie NOT, we could not learn, but 1t Is
ans, likely she had. ~
heat All through the day Sunday tn
fires were the subjects uppermost
inted tbe minds of the people; it was no
.anch church going Sunday. A te!eph'
1a.--I+ CbariF Hapon fr