The Watchman And Southron

BIG BLAZE FRIDAY MORNING

SUMTER TRANSFER COMPANY STABLES AND TWO STORES BURNED.

Stiff Wind Fans Blaze, but Fire Department by Hard Work Prevents Spread of Fire--Loss Estimated to Be About $2,000--Property Owned by A. D. Harby and J. K. Crosswell.

The building occupied by the Sumter Transfer Company, and two small frame stores were destroyed by a fire which originated shortly after 10 o'clock Friday morning in the loft of the Transfer Company stables and practically wiped away this and all adjacent buildings before it could be extinguished.

The fire department did some quick and effective work in preventing the fire from spreading, as at the time the blaze broke out a stiff wind was blowing from the west and there was a chance of the fire catching buildings across the street. As it was only these three buildings, two of which belonged to Mr. J. K. Crosswell and one to Mr. A. D. Harby, this one being occupied by the Sumter Transfer Company.

The fire was first discovered in the loft of the transfer building, where it had caught in the hay which was stored in that place. How it caught is not known, although it is thought that it might have originated from a spark from the stove pipe from this or an adjacent building. With the wind blowing almost a gale the fire spread rapidly and all of the transfer company building and the two adjacent stores caught in a few minutes. The fire department reached the scene about the time that the three buildings caught and quickly stretched out several lines of hose, but all the water they could pour on was not sufficient to extinguish the blaze before the buildings were practically destroyed.

Across the street just in front of the blazing buildings is the newly erected and yet uncompleted building of the Claremont Hotel. Here the men at work in the building were called out to fight fire. The four lines of hose in the building were run out and streams of water were kept on the woodwork, bricks and windows of the building until the fire across the street had been partially extinguished and there was no longer danger of the hotel building catching. As a result of this precautionary work, the hotel building did not suffer any damage from the fire save being somewhat blackened by the dense smoke which the wind blew from across the street.

It was shown that there is plenty of fire fighting apparatus at the hotel which may be brought into service in case that building catches on fire at any time in the future.

An accident happened to the steamer while that machine was at the fire. In turning the single tree was snapped off and a new one had to be provided before it could be taken back to fire department quarters.

The loss by the fire to the property owners was estimated at about $2,000 on the three buildings. Mr. Crosswell stated that he had some insurance on the two buildings which he owned, but that it did not amount to more than $100. Those two buildings were occupied by Mr. W. C. Ivey, a grocer, and by L. W. Harrison, a colored barber. Mr. Harby, who owned the Sumter Transfer Company, stated that his loss not covered by insurance amounted to around $500. This amount covered both the building, feed and tools which were burned.