The progress-itemizer., 1920-08-13
DISASTROUS FIRE
SWEEPS PONT0T0C
EARLY MORNING BLAZE CAUSES
LOSS ESTIMATED TO BE
TER-MILLlON.
INSURANCE ABOUT $4,000
City Water Works Not Completed BE"
ing Useless, Citizens Form Bucket
BriQade-Heroic Efforts Pre-
vent Fire Spreading.

Pontotoc Miss.-A quarter of mill
lion dollar fire swept Pontotoc August
T. The town was aroused with tne
cry of fire, and it was soon seen that
three blocks were doomed and all that
could be done was to save some or the
contents of the stores and prevent the
fire from spreading. The Plttman
block. Latham block. Masonic HAN
and City Garage, adjoining were soon
complete losses, and very litte was
saved out of any of the buildings.
Some goods and a few autos vera
saved from the City Garage.
The estimated loss as far as known
follows:
w. C. Pittman. Pittman building,
loss s45 900, insurance none; New Al
bany Grocery Co, wholesale grocery
loss $4,000, insurance $4,000 L. A.
Latham building, loss $4,000, insur.
ance $4,000; ]. H. Latham Bro
grocery. loss $4,000, insurance sl0,'
600; ]. G. Smith dry goods. loss $1O,'
600. insurance none; X. B. Tutor, gro'
Jess Bell, City Garage, bui ding ano
hall loss $4,000, insurance none; Ma
sonic Lodge building, loss $4,000, in
surance, none; ]. T. Robertson, furnf~
ture and warehouse, loss $4,000 fnsur@
ance none; Moore-P Pitts-Wilson Hard
ware Co, machines in warehouse, loss
S6 000 insurance none; Rauch Produce
Co. stock and building, loss $4,000, in
surance none; Hill Spencer, grocery
loss $4,000, insurance $1,009; Aber~
nathy Bros, jewelry. loss $4,000, insur-
ance $4,000; Lee NJ. Conley, residence
and furniture, loss $4,000; insurance,
none; R. P. King, Kings Cafe, loss
$4,000 insurance none; Ear Miller
meat market and grocery loss $4,000
insurance $4,000; Sout western Tele-
phone Co, cables and wires, loss ST.
600, insurance none; city light pant
wires and poles, loss $1,000, insurance.
none; r. L. East, Studebaker car, loss
$1500 insurance none.
In addition there was quite num-
Der of minor losses not mentioned In
the above, which will bring the fire
loss to about quarter of million
dollars, with about $40 900 insurance
This is the most disastrous fire ever
had at this place. 1t will be great
bow to the town as well as the In
dividual losers.
Fortunately, only one res dence was
burned, Lee Coaleyys--a,aT h7ssst.. -
iy 70 iIv
even their clothing. The city water
works which is being installed but
has not been completed was useless.
The only water supply was the private.
wells of parties living near the fire,
but they were soon emptied and water
had to be brought some distance in
buckets and tubs to protect other
buildings, which had to be wrapped
in wet blankets to prevent their catch
ing fire, as the heat from the burning
bui' dings was intense.
Many of the residences near the fire
we.e empted Of all household furni-,
ture, for it looked at one time as if
the entire business part Of the town
would be burned. Only the active
work OF the bucket bIigu de" saved
the fire from spreading to other
build dngs. Several big trucks were
brought into use and hauled off fur
niture and goods as fast as brought
out of houses in the danger zone
No accidents occurred. no one being
hurt by the falling walls or flying
burning cinders. The burned district
will be rebuilt, hut of better and more
'ire-proof buildings, as the merchants.
burned out cannot get places to open
business until new stores can be built