The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-09-10
TRUCK IN STATION
TWO HOMES BURN
HANDSOME MAYFIELD AND
BILLUPS HOME ALMOST
TOTALLY DESTROY
ED BY FLAMES.
LOSS VERY HEAVY
Origin OF Fire Is Unknown
Broke Out In Afayfield Home
At 1880 O'Clock Mon
day Mon ming.

With the big new LaFrance fire
truck carefully tucked away in the
fire station under injunction restraint
two fine homes were all but totally
destroyed by flames Monday morning
The handsome NJ E. Mayfield home
on North Ninth street and the hand
some Billups home Immediately TO
the North was partially destroyed.
The flames broke out in the May
field home at 1880 o'clock and a
prompt alarm was sent into the fire
station.
Much difficulty was encountered
in starting the old motor truck now
being rented by the city from the La
France people to use until the new
truck is released from litigation in
connection with the injunction recent
ly filed restraining the purchase -of
the thew truck.
1t stopped twice inside the station
and again before it had travelled a
block from the station. The delay
at the station was uncanny, and the
firemen were cranking the motor
with all their might in an effort to
get to the fire as quick as possible.
When the firemen reached the
scene the entire roof Of the Mayfield
building was a sheet Of flames, and
the firemen first directed their at
tention to the Willis Harris home i'm.
mediately adjoining the Mayfield
home on the South.
A gentle breeze from the South
west sent the flames and intense
heat from the Mayfield building
sweeping to the Major John NJ. Bill.
lups home, two-story structure.
Some delay was experienced in get.
ting water on the Billups home, but
finally two streams were directed
from the rear of the building anC
from porch roofs which nad beer
S"iiSN Hy bHS use VI tHe utFdI I'ilell
ladders, the hook and ladder wagor
having reached the scene few minu
ties after the motor truck arrived.
Some effective fighting saved The
Billups home from total destruction
but prompt and earlier a:.ion by the
firemen would have saved the Dulld.
ing foIm the ravages whicl L sus-
tanned. Or if sufficient pressure haC
been available, still it might have
been saved by playing streams Ol tn,
roof from the ground below. The new
LaFrance truck with its own motor
TO develop pressure would have sem
three or four streams easily over al
parts of the roof of the second story
building, but it lay peacefully in tn,
fire station restrained from use by
the enjoiners while the flames roar
eu ana scared in their work Of des
truction.
Inc tiremen were assisted in tn,
work of fighting the fire by uuEierou.
citizens and heroic work on the par
OF the many people saved much Of the
furniture and furnishings in both the
Mayfield and the Bllups home. Mr.
Jim Smith was in the Mayfield hom,
when the front roof section fell il
and sustained painful cuts about th'
head, face and arms
MIR. wayfield was in Atlanta, hav
ing left the city Sunday night on 4
business trip, and Mrs. Mayfield anC
little daughter, Annie Clair, wer,
making preparations to spend few
days in the country when the fire
broke out. 1t is estimated that Mr.
Mayfield's loss is around $4,000
while the Billups home loss is esti
mated at about $1,000 or more Boil
were partially covered by insurance
The status of the injunction agains
the fire truck is that the case vii
come up for hearing at the October
term Of Chancery court on its merit!
if not sooner at special hearing
The injunction will either be sustain
ed or dissolved at that time.