The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-02-25
SAY. FIREMEN
BY
ANOTHER fire
Chief Powers Formulates
Theory After Second
Fire at Queen
CALLS KEEPING FIRE
FIGHTERS BUSY

Chief of Police Otis Powers
today expressed the opinion that
the fire last night in the Queen
theatre building was set by some
person.
Chief Powers based his opin-
ion on the fact that person was
seen to leave the vicinity of the
building shortly before the alarm
was turned in and on the fact
that gasoline apparently had
been used to start the fire. Trac.
es of gasoline were plainly found
last night and this morning, much
of the wood in the building was
merely burned on the surface.
Firemen fighting the fire last
night stated that the flames
burned like gasoline flames and
that when water was thrown on
the flames the fire scattered as
if gasoline were Burning.
1t was the opinion of Chief
Powers that the fire on Spring
street was set for the purpose
of drawing the fire department
to that section and causing them
to lay out hose lines so that the
fire in the theatre building might
have a better start.
But for the fact that the
Spring street house was destroy
ed when the department. reached
the scene the plan would have
succeeded. he said, although the
second truck was on the scene
of the theatre fire as soon as
the alarm was turned in.
Mr.. Powers also expressed the
opinion that the fire which de-
stroyed the Toms house on the
night before was set for the
purpose of drawing the depart
ment to that section; and he
thought that persons with the in
tention of burning the theatre
were somehow prevented from
carrying out this scheme.
A second fire in the Queen The
atre building. a blaze at a small
house on Spring street, and two
calls during the day yesterday
gave the Hendersonville fire de-
partment busy "a hours and de-
stroyed valuable property.
In addition, a fire about mid.
night destroyed house owned by
Glover Jones. located on the He
bron road outside the city limits.
Early yesterday morning the
fire department was called to the
old Toms residence, which was de-
stroyed by flames. 1t was ex-
planned in, this connection that
roads leading to the house were
in such condition that fire equip
ment could not reach the scene,
and much time was lost in laying
a line of hose.
Yesterday the department was
called to Dorn's barber shop. on
Seventh avenue east, where fire
caused by a water heater did only
nominal damage.
Yesterday afternoon the de-
partment fought brush fire on
Locust street back Of the st.
James Episcopal church. No dam
age resulted from this blaze.
About 3 o'clock this morning
the department answered q call
on Spring street, where a three
room house belonging to R. p.
Freeze was destroyed. The house
was practically destroyed when
the alarm was given. No insur-
ance was carried on the property.
While fighting this fire, the sec
ond fire this week broke out at
the Queen Theatre building and
additional damage was done to
this structure. - ,r.. I,
Members of the fire department
said this morning that the fire in
the theatre building was burning
in several places, and an explo-
sion during the fire did additional
damage to the building.
The Queen Theatre building is
owned by H. A. Stepp and is COW
cred by insurance.
The Jones house on the Hebron
road was partially covered by In
surance. It was a five-room bun-
galow and had recently been va
Gated. It was located outside the
city limits and the department
-n.I - H. cOnnn >