The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-08-13
DISASTROUS FIRE
SWEEPS PONTOTOC
EARLY MORNING BLAZE CAUSES
Loss ESTIMATED TO BE
oUARTER-MILLIoN
INSURANCE ABOUT $4,000
City Water Works Not Completed Be.
ing Useless, Citizens Form Bucket
5riaade-Heroic Efforts Pre-
vent Fire Spreading.

Pontotoc. Miss.-A quarter of mil
lion dollar fire swept Poatotoe August
4. The town was aroused with the
cry of fire, and it was soon seen that
three blocks were doomed and all that
could be done was to save some of the
contents of the stores and prevent the
fire from spreading. The Pittman
block, Latham block. Masonic Hall
and City Garage, adjoining were soon
complete losses, and very lit was
saved out of any of the buildings
Some goods and a few autos were
saved from the City Garage.
The estimated loss as far as known
follows:
W. G. Pittman. Pittman building
loss $40 600, insurance none: New Al
bany Grocery Co, wholesale grocery.
loss 100000. insurance $4,000: L. A.
Latham building, loss $4,000, insur
ance $4,000; ]. H. Latham Bro
grocery. loss $4,000, insurance $40.
600; J. G. Smith, dry goods, loss $40.
600, insurance none; K. B. Tutor, gro.
Gerry, loss 100000 insurance none;
Jess Bell, City Garage. bui ding I'd
hall loss $10.00O insurance none: Ma.
sonic Lodge building, loss $40 600. in.
surance, none; ]. T. Robertson, furni
ture and warehouse, loss $4,000, Insur-
ance none; Moore-Pitts-Wils Hard
ware Co, machines in warehouse, loss
Sc 600. insurance none; Reuch Produce
Co, stock and building, loss $4,000. in
surance none; Hill Spencer, grocery
loss $4,000. insurance $1,000; Aber-
nathy Bros, jeweiry loss $4,000, insu~-
auce $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 81 O0O,
Insurance $4,000; Sout western Tele-
phone Co, cables and wres loss s.
500, insurance none; city light p at
wires and poles, loss $1,000, insurance
none; r. L. East, Studebaker car loss
1880. insurance none.
In addition there was quite mum
Der Of minor losses not ment: Oned in
he above, which will bring the FIRE
loss to about a GUAR er of a mil io
iolars, with about $40 600 insurance. ,
This is the most disastrous IRE eve,
lad at this place. 1t will he a greaA
} ow to the town as well as the IN /
liv'dual losers.
Fortunately. only ore residence was I
Lee Conley's, but his loss wa
complete, as his family did not save |
wen their clothing. The city watal-
works which is being installed buj
las not been completed. was useless.
'he only water supply was the private
Tells of parties living near the fire.
ut they were soon emptied and wa er
ed to be brought some distance in
ucFets ard tubs to protect other
uildings, which had to be wrapuee
I wet blankets to prevent their catch
lg fire. as the heat from the burning
vi dinGs was intense.
Many of the residences near the fire
ere emptied Of all household furni,
IRE. for it looked at one time as II
lie entire business part of the town
-ould be burned Only the active
ork of the bucket brigade" saved
lie fire from spreading to other
ibid 'ngs. Several big trucks were
rought into use and hauled off fur
iture and goods as fast as brought
1T OF houses in the danger zone.
No accidents occurred. no one bein7
Irt by the falling walls or flying
Irning cinders. The burned district
i'll be rebuilt. but of better and more
re-proof buildings, as the merchants
lrned out cannot get places to open
Isiness until new stores can be butt