French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-02-15
ESMERALDA INN BURNS
WITH A $4,000 LOSS.
Made Famous by the Movie Actors
Fire Of Unknown Origin Destroys
Widely known Inn.

After having been devastated last
July by the most memorable food in
the history of western North Carolina,
Bat Cave, Tuesday afternoon suffered
a severe loss in the destruction of Es-
meralda inn. owned by Thomas Turner
with a damage, it is said, of $50 900
says the Ashevile Citizen The FIR.
was of an unknown origin and the
insurance small. Details of the fire
are meagre and what little is known
Of it was brought to Asheville yestes-
day by a Mr.. Reed of the Bat Cave
country.
Esmeralda inn, made famous by the
excellent country dinners served there
for years, was the home of many
movie actors who have filmed thrilling
mountain dramas in that wild and pic
turesque country "In the Heart of the
Blue Ridge" Esmcralda inn was q
fine old country home, originally, re-
modelled and adapted to the needs of
the tremendous tourist business which
each year invades the Hickory Nut gap
country. The building was well fur
nfshed and it is possible that the total
loss will exceed the estimated $4,000.
The destruction of the inn will not
however, destroy the hotel accommo-
dations in the famous gorge. Noun
tain View inn and FreemaI's camp,
both able to adequately care for many
people, are still there and will cater
to many visitor attracted to coun-
try by a flood which has left its marks
to endure for all time to come The
lack of details of the fire would not
exist had the telephone line SO long
and insistently advocated by the boaTI
of trade, been built to Bat Cave. It
was thought at the board of trade
rooms last. night, that the fire yester
day might give to this talked-of line
its decisive impetus.
Esmeralda inn is in the heart Of
that beautiful country made known tc.
thousands through Francis Hodgson
Burnett's story, '.Esmeralda." The
mountains and valleys Of that section
have been made known to millions
more through the scores of pictures
filmed there. It-was at Esmeralda inn
that the movie actors have made their
headquarters for many years, and
some of the most popular screen dra-
mas have been enacted near this inn
now but heap of ashes. 1t is said,
indeed, that the people of the noun
tains derived a considerable portion
of their income from taking part ir
these plays, and there has been many
a desperate encounter seen on the
slopes of the mountains between the
moonshiners and the revenue men.
1t was through this gorge cut in the
almost straight up and down noun
tains rowning on it, that the Rocky
Broad river last July roared and cary
ed new bed for its waters, carrying
eway the Bat Cave post Office, the iron
bridge close by, and utterly DESTROYING
the fine road connecting the fine road
connecting Chimney Rock with Ashe-
vile. The bridge has been replaced
and communication with the Bat Cav ;
country now is through Henderson
county. The road is still in too rough
a condition to permit of motor ca"
travel. The tremendous damage caus-
ed by the storm of July Is was felt
owe ra large area in this part of the
State. but nowhere was it's fury more
manifested than in "The Heart of the
Blue Ridge" now visited by probably
the most serious fire in it shistory.
nDnWNT OW TArKS0N SICK