The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-12-28
Brunson Furniture Go.
Stock And Building
Practically Destroyed
Midnight Blaze Seriously
Threatens Plaza Hotel
Property Adjoining
ONE FIREMAN HURT;
ORIGIN NOT KNOWN

Fire discovered about II o'clock
last night practically destroyed the
stock of the Brunson Furniture
Co., owned by J. N. Brunson, and
the building it occupied on North
Main street. The origin has not
been determined.
Damage to the Plaza hotel
building and hotel furnishings and
to the Central Cafe and Florida
Market, in the hotel building adj
joining the furniture store,
brought the total property loss
end damage to between $35, 200
to $4,000. it was estimated to-
day.
One volunteer fireman, Grayson
Stepp, son of J. M. Stepp, was in
jured while helping to combat the
fire. Mr.. Stepp was one of a party
manning hose line from Plaza
hotel window when his left hand
was badly cut by broken glass. He
was taken to Patton Memorial
hospital where three stitches were
taken in the little finger of his
left hand and two in the thumb
of the same hand. After the
stitches were taken Mr.. Stepp re-
turned to the scene of the fire and
resumed his work. Chief of Police
Otis V. Powers and all regular and
volunteer firemen suffered con-
siderably from exposure in the
cold weather.
Damage to the Plaza hotel. Gen.
trail Cafe and Florida Market was
caused by water and smoke, the
flames at times threatening seri-
ously to destroy the hotel build
ing and thus wipe out that end Of
the block. At one time, the hotel
building caught fire in the rear
but the blaze was checked there.
At the time it was discovered,
the fire was burning at the rear
of the furniture store, which oc-
cupied two floors and basement Of
the principal building and one
floor of the building adjoining on
the south. The flames moved rap
idly to cover the entire second
flood of the furniture store, and
about 1890 a. m. it appeared they
would spread to the building oc-
cupied by the hotel, cafe and gro
Gerry store.
Fixtures and effects which could
be moved were carried out Of the
cafe, which is the building adjoin-
ing the furniture store. and from
the market, which is at the corner
at Third avenue. Ten or twelve
guests at the hotel moved out
shortly after the fire was discey-
cred.
1t was due to the efforts of the
fire department that the flames did
not spread to adjoining buildings
and destroy half or more of the
block. Lines o. hose were run to
the third floor in the hotel from
which point water was played upon
the roof of the furniture store.
Lines were also played on the fire
from the front of the building,
four hose lines being brought into
use, one from directly in front Of
the building, one from the corner
of Second avenue and Main street
and two from the corner of Third
avenue and Church street. Fire
men remained at the scene all
night.
Fire fighters were handicapped
by the metal roof of the building,
which collapsed shortly after the
alarm was given, covering the
blaze and making it difficult to
get water on the fire.
Flames seemed to have been
confined to the second floor Of
/ the furniture store. The roof
|. caved in, but the floor between
the ground and second floors held
up. Practically all the stock on
the first floor was burned or bad
ly damaged by heat and water.
Continued on page three)