The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-07
-FOUR HOSE LINES
CHECKED THE FIRE
Ocala's New Machine Proved Its
Worth at the Giles Ginhouse Fire
Sunday Morning

Inc Hremen were fuQeiy aroused
from their sleep Sunday morning at
$50 by the continued blowing of the
whistle at the light plant Just as
they realized that something was
wrong the gongs rang out the alarm
and the department hastened to the
old Giles gin building where a hot
blaze was devouring the inside and
leaping over the roof on all sides.
A line of hose was laid from the
plug in front of the laundry and wa
ter poured on the blaze at once from
the Maceo theater corner. The pump
er connected to the next plug on
Third street and two lines of hose
were laid from it to the fire. The city
pressure was not strong enough to
reach the flames because the fire was
so hot that no one could get close to
it. As soon as the pumper began its
work the flames began to subside.
When the fire was about half over one
line of high-pressure hose burst near
the burning building where it was
too hot to get it and take out Sec
tion so the line had to be abandoned
Another line of hose was laid from
the Ford garage corner to replace the
high pressure line and the fire was
soon subdued.
Good work was done by the firemen
in saving the Maceo theater, the ne
gro chapel south of the gin and the
new steam laundry building. But fol
the fact that Mr.. Pasteur had COM
pleted his new brick wall along the
west side it would have been almost
impossible to save his property from
the ravages of the flames. Already
the new American LaFrance pumper
is demonstrating the need that Ocals
has had for such machine i'm the
past. Without the high pressure lines
it would have been impossible te
throw water on the fire and buildings
on all sides that caught and were
saved would likely have also beer
burned.
The, work of Red Rawls at his line
of hose was remarkable. The boy
doesn't seem affected by heat at all
He stayed where no one else could &C
because their faces would blister.
The destruction of this old building
recalls the failure to establish what
once seemed to be a. sure-thing indus
try in Marion county. The finest Of
Sea Island cotton can be grown in thi:
county, and soon after the "big freeze
of '95 several capitalists established
this ginhouse in Ocala with the ides
as much of helping the farmers to re
establish themselves by raising 1
money crop as to make money. Tn,
manager was George Giles, a coloret
man from the West Indies. who die
good work and had the friendship a
well as cooperation of many whit'
business men and farmers. But afte
awhile the price of Sea Island wen
| down, and has never since risen t.
the profit mark. The gin had to shu
down, and Sunday morning it went VI
in flames.
For all that, some plucky souls ha.
hope, and the building had been rent
ed with the intention of starting tn
gins again when cotton picking begal
| this autumn.
4
The origin of the fire is unknown
but it is supposed to have resulte'
from some vagrant sleeping in tn
building and dropping matches. Tn
fire was discovered by Mr.. Franl
Hall, who is acting as watchman il
that vicinity. He saw smoke and fir
bursting out of the upper window
and sent in an alarm, and juts as tn
fire department went into action tn
blaze broke out of the roof.
| 1t was a rather calm morning with
out much wind, and column of fir
flakes went high up into the ail
some falling as far away as the Mar
ion County Hospital.
The building belonged to Mr. N. W
Harrison, who has, we are Informed
about $500 insurance on it. The lum
Der in the building was probabl
worth that much. beside consider
able quantity of valuable machinery
most of which is damaged beyond re
pair.
/ The Star is informed that plans ar
already being made to clear away tn
i structure and rebuild.