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Fire in Newberry Does Great
Damage – Twenty-two houses, ten stores and two churches burned
Newberry, March 29 – Newberry had a fire today hat wiped out 10 stores, 22 residences and two churches. An accident
to the pumps at the power house, which delayed the water for a short time, was the cause of the disastrous conflagration,
the worst in the history of any town in this section, although in actual figures the loss will not appear so heavy.
It is estimated that property worth between $125,000 and $150,000 was destroyed, with insurance of about $85,000.
The blaze started in the three-story frame building on Main street occupied by the furniture store of R. C. Williams,
who lived in the upper stories. The alarm went in at 11:45 and the hose wagon owned by the town of Newberry responded
promptly. There is a large stand pipe holding 180-600 gallons which does away with the necessity of a steamer
and the firemen got ready to flood the building and save the adjoining property. The water had been turned on
but a few minutes when the pressure suddenly went down and the flames enveloped the whole structure. Even then
the people of Newberry were not alarmed. They had no idea the fire would be so serious and it attracted only the
attention of the usual number of idlers.
A strong east wind came up, however, while the firemen waited for the water and Superintendent Boyd raced fro the
pumps at the waterworks. The sparks and flames were carried from house to house and from store to store and the
property owners realized that they faced destruction. Pressure was turned on as soon as possible and the firemen
were reinforced by hundreds of others who aided in carrying out goods and saving household effects.
There is a dispute about the time when there was no water. Assistant Chief Ehrhardt and Superintendent Boyd say
it was about 15 minutes while others say it was about a half hour. Anyhow it was a valuable time and gave the flames
the start they needed.]
It was only a minute or so after the Williams building was enveloped that the fire licked up everything from Friend
to Main street and passed on up the squares between the two, taking in everything in the way for a distance of
about four blocks. Then one of the curious freaks of the blaze was shown. Leaping Main street at Adams it skipped
the Episcopal church and beyond burned up the parsonage and the church of the Aveleigh Presbyterian congregation
and the church of the Associate Reformed Presbyterians. When it was finally stopped it had scarred a huge S-shaped
blot in the town and left over 100 people homeless and put a dozen merchants out of business.
Tonight the hospitable people of Newberry opened their houses to those who suffered by the fire, and while it is
almost impossible to give any accurate insurance figures, there are very few who are excited and fowncast.
Where there were small cottages and negro cabins there will be a modern residences and on the whole the blaze may
be a blessing in disguise.
The firemen fought hard. On Poos row, which is a collection of negro huts, the department decided to dynamite
three of the buildings. This arrested the flames temporally but in the meantime they had crossed to the other
side of Friend street toward Johnstone and the sparks from the smoldering ruins on Main street had already set
fire to the residences in the rear of the Episcopal church. The fire near Pool row burned quickly and a brick
residence on Johnstone street owned by Mr. T. O. Stewart was saved. To the west of this, however, Dr. Van Smith's
brick residence, his stables in the rear and Mr. G. F. Long's residence went up in smoke.
Surrounded on all sides by the flames was the residence of Mrs. J. B. Humbert, widow of a former Methodist minister,
which was not touched. Although the heat from the flames scorched the side several times.
It is related that Mrs. Humbert during the entire conflagration prayed that her home might be spared and the way
that her prayer was answered is pointed out by the people of Newberry tonight.
The electric currents were cut off to prevent death from charged wires and the buildings were in most instances
too low to cause danger by falling walls.
Policeman T. G. Williams carried out two old ladies on Main street, where they had been almost overcome by the
heat, and himself came near getting caught in the structure.
The fire has also its political side. Tuesday there will be an election to decide whether or not the sewerage,
waterworks and electric light plants shall be still under the control of the commission compassed of Dr. James
McIntosh, C. E. Summer and W. F. Ewart and Superintendent F. M. Boyd or whether it shall be under the control of
council. The Observer, edited by the able Mr. Wallace, this morning pointed out that there would never by any
danger in a fire like that recently in the Spartanburg mill village and but for the accident to the machinery there
would not have been. This may or may not have its effect on the election Tuesday.
The waterworks plant and the electric light plant are valued at about $65,000 and the sewerage system at about
$25,000.
The range of the fire was from Adams street to Calhoun east and west and from Friend to Main or Pratt streets,
north and south, on one side and about one block on the other side of Main street.
The only other fire in the history of the town anything like the present one was in 1883, when the Molohon block
was burned. The fire was very much smaller but the value was almost as great. Tonight the city council of Newberry
appropriated $100 for immediate relief and as much more as many be necessary for the fire sufferers.
Here are the losses as compiled so far by agents of Newberry;
- John Scott, agent German-American Fire Insurance company-J. L. Boozer,
stock, $250; S. H. Paysinger, stock, $500; Mrs. F. T. Simpson, dwelling, $1,500; Mrs. M. C. Schumpert, household
goods, $1,500
- North British and Mercantile – Sheeley & Summer, stock, $1,00; A.
C. Thomasson, stock, $500; steam laundry company, machinery, $950,
- Phoenix of Brooklyn – Mrs. E. F. Blease, household goods, $600; M. L.
Gauntt, building, $400.
- Northeran-Shelley & Summer, stock $1,000; E. H. Leslie, household
goods, $500; Mrs. A. S. Eidson, household goods, $1,000.
- Liverpool, London and Globe – E. H. Leslie, dwelling, $1,000; S. H. Crotwell,
hotel, partial, $1,500.
- Phoenix of Hartford – J. R. Eison, household goods, $100; B. B. Hiller,
household goods, $300; Miss J. L. Jones, household goods, $600.
- Norwood & Tyre, agents for Continental Fire Insurance company of
New York – Kinard & Smith, dwelling, $1,500; O. L. Schumpert, dwelling, $4,000; J. E. Norwood, dwelling, $1,000;
J. A. Burton, dwelling, $1,500.
- Virginia State Fre Insurance company of Richmond – J. E. Norwood, household
goods, $500.
- R. L. Tarrant, agent Fire Association of Philadelphia – R. C. Williams,
dwelling, $1,000; E. S. Werts, household goods, $300; Cromer & McCraw, stock, $300; S. J. Wooten, household
goods, $700; J. C. Brown, A. R. P. Church, $11,000; T. O. Stewart, dwelling, $2,100.
- Glens Falls Fire Insurance company of New York – Shelley & Summer,
stock, $1,000; Livingston-Lomanick company, stock, $2,000; O. & T. E. Salter, stock, $1,000.
- New Hampshire Fire Insurance company – W. H. Day, dwelling, $2,650.
- F. Z. Wilson, agent Home Insurance company of New York – Hayes &
Co., stock, $500; J. F. Todd, dwelling and household goods, $1,400.
- Springfield Fire and Marine of Massachusetts – H. McCullough, store and
stock, $1,500; Paul Johnstone, stock $400; Miss S. L. Holland, household goods, $300.
- Holmes & McFall, agents, Insurance Company of North America – Cromer
& McGraw, stock, $1,000; Boozer Brothers, store, $600; Alex Singleton, dwelling and household goods, $850.
- Citizen's Insurance company of St. Louis – Hayes & co., stock, $500.
- The statement of S. P. Boozer's agency is not available tonight. It
is abut $15,000. Mr. Boozer's home was destroyed.
The Burned Buildings
The buildings burned were as follows: Three-story wooden building occupied
by R. C. Williams,owned by R. H. Wright, furniture and wagons. The top floor was occupied by Mr. Williamson.
Two-story brick building occupied by Shelley & Summer, owned by R. C. Williams, furniture.
Buildings at corner of Pratt and Coates streets, residence occupied by B. B. Miller and owned by R. C. Williamson
Residence occupied by Henry Hayes and owned by R. C. Williamson Vacant store room owned by R. C. Williamson Store
room of Hayes, Cromer & McGraw, groceries.
Paul Johnson, groceries.
Copeland Bros., dry goods.
Three building store owned by Copeland brothers, one story brick and frame.
On Adams street there were several small shops and restaurants which were owned by Copeland brothers. These buildings
are in the rear of their brick buildings.
The fire then crossed Friend street on the block between Adams and Coates streets and on this block the residence
of Jas. F. Todd, owned by himself, and several small outbuildings belonging to Mr. Geo. W. Summer were destroyed,
but the other main buildings on this block, being those of Mrs. Fannie Cook and the L. C. Boland property, occupied
by Mrs. Eidson, were not injured.
The fire then crossed over Pratt street, which is the principal business street, to the row of wooden stores on
the north side of the street and wiped out the store rooms of Dr. J. H. McCollough, drug store, owned by himself;
the two story wooden building owned by M. L. Gantt and occupied by Mrs. A. C. Thomason, in the grocery business.
The next building to go down was that of Boozer Brothers, green grocers, who owned the buildings. On the second
floor of this building was a barber shop occupied by W. W. Farrow. This building was owned by Boozer Brothers,
Next to this was the bakery of E. C. Sonnenberg, which was destroyed. He owns this, the only bakery in Newberry.
In the rear of the bakery are his oven and outbuildings also destroyed. Further back in the block is the Newberry
Steam laundry building which is temporarily closed. This was also destroyed. It is the property of Mr. Geo. S.
Mower.
On the corner of Adams and Pratt streets is the brick building of Mr. Geo. S. Mower, which was considerably damaged
and the stock of goods in the three stores was seriously injured. These stores were occupied by the Ray Watts 10-cent
store and Livingston-Lomanick company.
Adjoining this property was the Frederick hotel which was in imminent
danger of being destroyed but escaped with but little damage. Considerable of the hotel furniture was taken out
but uninjured. On the far corner of Pratt and Thompson streets was the small building owned by Mr. Geo. S. Mower
and occupied by Thos. Teague, a negro. This was destroyed.
Going on east the fire burned the Associate Reformed Presbyterian church. This building has recently been sold
to Mr. J. F. Brown and until the new building was erected the congregation used this building. Next to the church
is a large structure known as the Blease hotel with the stables in the rear. This property is owned by Mrs. E.
F. Blease and is one of the oldest properties in Newberry. In the rear of the A.R.P. Church was a stock of lumber
owned by S. H. Paysinger, which was destroyed. There were also several out houses on this block burned.
The next block to go up in smoke was that bounded by Coases, friend, Wilson and Pratt streets. Everything on this
block was consumed and included the two story dwelling house, occupied by Mr. J. A. West and used as a boarding
house and owned by Mr. J. F. Todd. On the corner of this block is a large wooden structure used as a photography
gallery and variety store occupied by Mr. Ottaway Salter, owned by H. E. Todd of Anderson. In the rear of this
block there are also several outbuildings destroyed. Fronting on friend street were the residences of Alex Singleton
and J. A. Burton, frame buildings, both of which were destroyed. Across Friend street were two dwellings owned
by Capt. W. H. Day of Columbia, both of which were burned. One of these buildings was occupied by J. P. Sheeley,
the Southern railway agent, and the other house was vacant. Next to this was the large dwelling house of E. H.
Leslie, the contractor, which was destroyed, together with several servants houses in the rear.
One of the largest losses was that of the boarding house owned by Mr. Henry Kinard. The house was occupied by
Miss S. L. Holland, who lost considerable by the fire herself. In the rear of the boarding house were three negro
cottages owned by Mr. Henry Kinard and occupied by Doc Caldwell, N. Clark and Butler Morgan, the latter white and
the others negroes. Above this was where the fire made its widest sweep and destroyed a number of handsome homes,
including that of Mr. O. L. Schumpert. His home fronted on Main street and was owned by himself. Next to his
was another frame building owned by Mr. Schumpert and occupied by Mr. S. P. Boozer, who is one of the largest insurance
agents in the city. Gong up Main street was the two story frame building of Mr. B. F. Goggans and in the rear
of it a small cottage, which were destroyed. These were owned by Col. Schumpert.
Across Calhoun street there were three houses burned, one on the corner of Main street, owned and occupied by Mr.
s. J. Wooten, another owned by B. M. Dennis and occupied, by J. S. Anderson and the third vacant. Mr. Dennis also
owns this one. In the rear of these buildings was the home of Mr. J. G. Brown, which was very badly scorched.
Across Main street from the Goggans house is the Episcopal church, which was practically uninjured, but in the
rear of it was the parsonage of the Presbyterian church, which was completely destroyed and adjacent to it was
the Aveleigh Presbyterian church building, itself also burned. Across an alley adjoining the church is the home
of Mr. A. C. Jones, The home itself was uninjured, but his barns and stables were burned. Following down this
alley and in the rear of Dr. J. M. Kibler's residence. Which was not touched, was his barn, which was burned, and
several cottages occupied by Lizzie Reed, John Morgan and Nettie Caldwell, all colored, also burned.
The residence of Mr. F. M. Martin, which was saved, was in the immediate fire district, but his barn and stables
were burned. Between the Blease hotel and Calhoun street the residence of Messes. Martin and Kibler and the Episcopal
church were saved, but everything else was burned. Across Calhoun street from the Presbyterian church the residence
of Mr. J. A. Norwood was completely destroyed. Adjoining this is the house of Mr. S. B. All, which was in danger
several times and in fact it caught twice, but was saved.
The house which was in most imminent danger from all sides was that of Mrs. J. W. Humbert, facing Main street and
adjoining the large boarding house of Mr. Henry Kinard. This was uninjured. Facing on Johnstone street was a
residence owned by Mr. F. P. Simpson of Prosperity and occupied by Mr. b. L. Jones, which was burned. Adjoining
this the brick residence of Dr. Van Smith was also destroyed. The brick residence occupied by Mr. G. Fred Long
burned and the flames leaped across the street and around the house of Mr. A. J. Gibson, which was unharmed, and
burned the stables of Mr. L. W. Floyd. The latter's handsome residence was also in danger, but was unharmed.
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