A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE

SHIELD, NIECE, GATES, CUSHING, CRAIG, MERWIN, CROSS, LAYTON, HARRIS, MOAD, JENREE, AVERY, WARNER, HORNER, PENNIWELL, FARQUHAR

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 12/28/2001 at 15:13:15

Leon Reporter
August 9, l894

Yesterday morning a few minutes after one
o'clock, MRS. F.B. NIECE
discovered fire in SHIELD BROS. Livery Stable
in the old Methodist
Church. She gave the alarm and our citizens
responded quickly, but
everything was like tinder and in an
incredible short time the whole
building was a mass of flames and had
attacked the NIECE residence which
quickly burned. MR. NIECE and little HORATIO
were at Kellerton and MRS.
NIECE and the baby were alone in the house,
but willing hands quickly
removed all their household effects. The
fire was so quick that the
contents of the barn could not be saved.
SHIELD BROS. had taken their
horses to pasture that evening but a team,
buggy and harness owned by
J.N. GATES and a fine horse and cart owned by
TOM CUSHING were burned,
as was a carriage belonging to SHIELD BROS.

The flames swept across the street to the bus
barn, and it became
evident that rat row was doomed again. The
engine was quickly on the
scene and throwing water, but the flames were
sweeping everything before
them. CRAIG's Blacksmith Shop, MERWIN's
Shop, CROSS' Building, HARRIS'
Store, LAYTON's Shoe Store, MOAD's Candy
Stand, JENREE's building,
AVERY's Restaurant and two buildings owned by
MRS. M.J. WARNER were
destroyed, and only after a fierce struggle
was the fire stopped at the
brick building occupied by the REPORTER
Office and HORNER's Drug Store
but not until it was badly scorched.

During the hottest part of the fire on Main
Street the wind varied and
swept across the street and in a minute the
front of the brick blocks on
the east side of the street were all ablaze.
Here was where the little
engine showed what it could do, and it was
subdued. But the worst
battle was at the rear of the REPORTER Office
among the many coal
houses, sheds and other small frame
buildings. PENNIWELL's Shop,
FARQUHAR's Oil and Gasoline Warehouse and the
coal houses were
destroyed, but the fire boys were the victors
and at four o'clock the
fire was under control. In most of the
buildings the contents were
saved, though in a damaged condition and the
total loss will be between
$9,000 and $l0,000.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
December 27, 200l