Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-02-08
Destructive Fires in the County.


There was abad fire in Charles Town
early Monday morning at most mall
spicious time-the thermometer being
down to zero and an icy gale blowing al
forty-mile gait. The fire started about
4 O'Clock in the Charles Town Steam
Laundry, owned by ]. c. Ford. Mr..
Ford had made fire in stove in order
to start work as soon as possible. While
he was in another part of the building the
adjacent woodwork caught fire, and the
blaze got beyond control, although he
made desperate efforts to extinguish the
flames. Everything was frozen up and
water was hard TO get, and soon the build
ing was doomed. A freight train on the
B. & o. Railroad had just pulled in, and
the engineer blew his whistle for ten
minutes before he could arouse anyone,
Mr.. Ford, in the meantime, giving his at
tention to awakening the family Of Frank
Moreland, whose home was adjacent.
The alarm finally brought out the fire
companies, but they could do little, as
the water pressure was low and the water
froze on the hose and at the couplings,
making efficient work impossible.
The laundry building was burned to the
ground and the machinery and everything
in it entirely destroyed. Mr.. Moreland's
house was damaged to the extent OF per-
haps SIS, by broken glass, blistered paint
and scorched woodwork. The gale blew
the flames away from his house, FORUM
ately, and this circumstance was all that
saved il.
The junk yard of Hyman Wiener caught
fire from embers from the laundry, and
sheds in which were stored furs, feathers
and paper TO the value OF over 81, 900 were
burned with their contents. Luckily there
were but few buildings in that section Of
the town.
Mr.. Ford's loss is estimated at $4,000,
on which he had $500 insurance, placed
with Washington, Alexander & Cooke,
Burns and Jordan, and the Moore lnsur-
ance Agency. Junkman Vienerhad So. 900
insurance on his stock that was destroyed
and 1926 on the buildings, with Washing
ton, Alexander & Cooke. Mr.. Moreland
was also insured with this firm.
There was destructive tire near Kear-
neysville early Tuesday morning, when
the plant OF the Standard Lime and Stone
Company was almost entirely destroyed.
The fire was discovered about 6 o'clock,
and appears to have started in the boiler
house. II soon spread TO the other build
ings and sheds OF the plant, practically
all OF which were burned, as there was
no means OF fighting the flames, and the
machinery was damaged so that it is eS-
timated that the salvage will be only
about Is per cent. The quarries had
been shut down and the plant had not
been in operation for about six weeks,
though force OF men was employed in
stripping the earth from the quarries pre-
paratory to resuming work. The prop
ery was insured for $25 600 with Harri-
son Schley. of hepherdstown, and Alex
ander 6 Alexander, OF Clarksburg, w. Va.
The insurance will cover the loss, as the
property was insured under the 100 per
cent clause. The Standard Company
furnished limestone for iron and steel
plants in the Pittsburg neighborhood and
also did considerable business in crush
ed stone. Daniel Baker, OF Baltimore, is
the president of the company, and Joseph
Trout is superintendent OF the KearneyS-
vile plant.
The flour mill short distance south OF
Charles Town owned by r. ]. Weirick
and operated by J. S. Lancaster was de-
stroyed last Friday night. together with