Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-04-01
Shepherdstown Jefferson Virginia. Thursday April
Mr.. Blackford's Home DESTROYED.

The dwelling house occupied nv
VIM. F. Blackford and his family al
the east end of Sharpsburg, Md, was
completely destroyed by FIRE Tuesday,
together with most of its contents
The hrc was discovered shortly before
9 o'clock, and when first noticed the
attic was all ablaze and the flames had
broken through the roof. The alarm
was given, but the high wind that pre-
vailed famed the flames until they
were entirely beyond control and the
bucket ,bSigade availed but little,
Willing hands helped to carry out the
furniture and kept at the work as long
as II was possible to enter the burn
ing structure. Most of the furniture
on the lower floor, including some Rnt
old mahogany pieces and a new piano,
was safely carried out, but the con-
tents OF the upper rooms and a num-
Der OF articles on the first floor were
. burned, with interesting papers and
portraits and family relics.
when the lire broke out il was fear
cd that the high wind might cause it to
spread TO adjoining property, and the
lire departments of Shepherdstown and
1HageTSiown were appealed to for aid
The Shepherdstown fremen got out
their engine, and the National High
way Garage hooked it to one of their
Ford tractors, which walked away
with If in good order, while C. w.
Freeman's truck carried the hose.
Our apparatus reached Sharpsbure
about the same time that the Western
Enterprise fire engine from Hagers-
town rolled in. The fire was a long
way from the water supply, but the
;wo companies joined their lines of
hose and played upon what was left
of the building until the flames were
quenched. The water was pumped
from the big spring, near the public
square, which yielded an inexhaustible
supply. Our Shepherdstown engine
cid remarkably good work and was
much admired. The way the little
Ford tractor hauled the heavy engine
up the long and sleeps hills on each
side of the river was remarkable. II
did what big truck was unable TO do,
| FOR when the engine was brought bacl;
Tuesday evening the truck couldn't
pull il up the hills and the tractor had
10 he sent for again.
The building destroyed was one Of
the Oldest in Sharpsburg, being con-
sirerably more than a hundred years
years old. 1t was two stories high,
built substantially of logs and plas-
tered on the outside. 1t was owned
and occupied for many years by the
late DR.. Kennedy, famous physician
of Sharpsburg in days gone by. Mr.
Blackford and his family had lived
there for a long time. II was owned
by the Mayer estate, and it is not
known definitely that it was insured
Mr.. Blackford had no insurance on the
I hnIi SahnlH unn1c rJ hie -
siderable. He and his family have
the full sympathy of their friends in
the calamity that has deprived them
of their comfortable home.
A small building to the east OF
the Blackford home, occupied by Miss
Mary Grove, an aged woman, caught
fire and was partly destroyed Miss
Grove was unwilling to leave her
home, and had to be carried out. The
residence of Houston Carnahan, to the
west, was in danger, but was saved bv
the bucket brigade. The furniture
was carried out of the house as a pre-
caution. Mr and Mrs. Carnahan were
both made i'll by their experiences.
While men were carrying furniture
from the burning building bricks from
a chimney fell upon Edward Line and
Paul Delauney, cutting the head OF
each of them pretty badly. DR.
Gardner gave them surgical attention
putting four stitches in the scalp OF
Mr.. Line and three in Mr.. Delauney's
! We learn that Mrs. Mamie Beck
enhaugh, of Ferry Hill Farm, lost
some old family silver and other
articles that she priced very highly
and which had been stored in the
| BIZ 1kford home.