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$300,000 FIRE SWEEPS 4 BUILDINGS
News and Observer Plant Totally Destroyed For Second Time
3 MEN HURT IN SPECTACULAR BLAZE
FIREMEN CHECK FLAMES THREATENING CITY BLOCK FOLLOWING HARD FIGHT
Largest Fire in History of Raleigh Attracts Great Crowds When Newspaper Office, Printing House, Theatre, and Shoe Store are Burned in Early Morning West Martin Street Blaze
2 FIREMEN ARE BURNED AND BRUISED BY FALLING WALLS; NEWSPAPER MAN INJURED
Side of Uzzell & Company's Building Crashes Into Roof of Newspaper Office Carrying Destruction With it; State Records Worth $20,000 Are Lost; News and Observer To Be Issued Temporarily From Plant of The Raleigh Times
Completely laying waste the printing plants of E.M. Uzzell & Co., and the News and Observer, flames, discovered at six o'clock yesterday morning, wrought havoc to the amount of $300,000 property loss on the black of West Martin street between Salisbury and McDowell. With the ruin of the flames to these two buildings came additional destruction: fire and crumbling walls to the Wake Shoe Company, the Crystal Theatre, H. S. Storr Company, Raleigh Apartments, Baptist Book Store, J. L. O'Quinn, Wright's Hotel, and the Shepherd Building. Falling walls injured firemen H. L. Peebles and D. C. Lloyd, who dropped three stories through the roof of the Crystal Theatre, and then came out unaided from the debris. They were sent to the hospital where Lloyd, more seriously injured, remains. Peebles, with his injuries attended to, came back to the scene of the fire. The only other injury of the day was that to Mr. W. H. Bagley, business manager of the News and Observer, who had his arm badly cut by glass when he was rescuing important records from the burning building.
Forty minutes after the fire was discovered blazing on the third floor of the Uzzell building, it was communicated to the News and Observer. A stiff breeze fanned the flames. In less than two hours the damage was complete and for the second time two and a half years the News and Observer became a complete wreck of smouldering ruins of brick and warped metal. The fire left little standing save the front walls of the Uzzell and the News and Observer buildings. Those, for public safety, were pulled down to a safe degree by the department. Answer the alarm when called, the Raleigh Fire Department with Chief Charles Farmer in the lead, remained on the work until six o'clock last night, when two menu with sufficient equipment were left to guard the smoking remains. The heroic work of the Raleigh firemen, daring toppling masonry, braving heat and smoke and flame, saved the entire block from complete destruction. Had it not been for the collapse of the walls of the Uzzell building, according to firemen, the other buildings of the block could have been saved from very material loss.
FIREMEN FIGHT FLAMES
Raleigh's firemen, old and new, turned out yesterday for the fight. At nozzles at different parts of the conflagration were former chiefs of the department Sherwood Brockwell, Lonnie Lumsden, Walter Wollcott, and former firemen Capus White, aided the regulars in their desperate efforts.
Insurance played a large part yesterday in preventing complete loss. All buildings and stock damage save that of J. L. O'Quinn was insured to some extent. He allowed the policy to run out recently and neglected to renew. While there is little way of knowing the exact figure of losses and insurance, estimates have been made unofficial as follows:
E. M. Uzzell & Co., $170,000, including damages to building, equipment and State property stored there, partially insured; News and Observer, $100,000, partially insured; Wake Shoe Co., $8,000 with $5,500 insurance; Crystal Theatre, $5,000 with $2,000 insurance; H. S. Storr Co., $2,000 full insurance; Raleigh Apartments, $10,000, fully insured,; Wright's Hotel, $500 fully insured; J. L. O'Quinn, $50, no insurance; Baptist Bookstore, $3,500, partially insured.
SECRETARY DANIELS ARRIVES
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, owner and publisher of the News and Observer, was reached by long distance telephone yesterday morning as soon as the fire reached the plant. He had intended being in Raleigh on Sunday, spending the day before in Goldsboro with his mother. Instead, he came straight to Raleigh. He met a staff which fully recognized the responsibilities and which had already under capable heads of the departments gone into the work of reorganization. Hardly had the flames ceased to dart about the ruins of the old plant wen the staff met in the offices of the Chamber of Commerce and there determined upon the course to pursue.
Accepting the invitation of the Raleigh Evening Times for the use of its plant and equipment, the paper established headquarters temporarily, part of the work of the editorial department being carried on the Times' office and the local and business offices being located for the time being in the Chamber of Commerce hall.
HOW IT STARTED
No satisfactory explanation had been offered for the fire last night. According to Mr. E M Uzzell two employees of his buildings, Negroes had been there early and one of them was seen in front of the building a few minutes before six o'clock. It was five minutes after six when the alarm was turned in.
Ex-Chief Sherwood Brockwell and Chief Charles Farmer state that when they arrived on the scene, flames bursting out of the third story window of the Uzzell Printing House. The second floor was in darkness while the fourth floor through its windows indicated the flames had penetrated the flooring.
Chief Farmer, accompanied by a fireman, went into the building immediately. They had reached the second floor and ascended to the third when the trembling walls warned them to retreat. In the meantime, ex-Chief Sherwood Brockwell had arrived and had volunteered his service. He took his position on the News and Observer roof with Fireman Barker of the No. 3 Company. But the flames, leaping out of the third story windows of the Uzzell building, swept the roof of the News and Observer structure. The two firemen were driven to the far corner. The rope was dropped and they were cut off from retreat through the trap door to the roof. A ladder was gotten to them and they came down to the second floor windows, entering the building there. Waiting forth hose, Fireman Barker attempted to close the fire shutter on the east side of the News and Observer building annex to the Bland Hotel. At this time the fire had burned through the roof and a tongue of flame coming in from the ventilator set fire to the pain on the metal ceiling and swept through the big composing room in a sheet of fire.
Two lines had been stretched in front of the Bland hotel and were carried up by ropes to the top of the building. Captain Brockwell, Captain Parrish, and several firemen took charge of these two lines and kept them playing on the News and Observer building until the Bland building was practically out of danger.
The roof of the News and Observer building was bout burned up and these two lines had been playing into the building for some time when the Uzzell walls collapsed. This, by ventilating the building from floor to roof, gave impetus to the flames.
Cobb Warehouse Catches
The Bland Hotel relived of immediate danger, another peril threatened when the Cobb warehouse, full of umber and furniture blazed. This in turn created grave fears for the Elk's Club and Brockwell's repair shop on Salisbury street.
The last line of hose available was laid from the hydrant in front of the Elk's Club, but it was sufficient to relieve danger of further spread of the conflagration.
In the meantime Chief Farmer with his men had been playing streams on the Uzzell building in the front and in the rear. There was never any chance of saving this building. The collapse of the walls very soon turned the attention of the firemen to neighboring buildings.
Firemen Injured
When the walls of the Uzzell structure crumbled, Firemen Peebles and Lloyd were on the Crystal Theatre roof with a line of hose. The falling bricks crumbled the roof under their feet and they slid down through the two stories to the floor in the midst of the cinders, mortar and brick. Lloyd was injured about the head and shoulders, bricks having fallen on him. Peebles was less hurt. Both of them emerged from the theatre without aid. But they were immediately carried to the hospital.
Efforts to Save Equipment
Desperate efforts were made to remove equipment from the News and Observer building. As soon as the plant of Mr. Uzzell was found in flames, Mr. W. C. Carson, former member of the business force, with reckless courage dashed into the building and the closed the fire-shutters on the west side of the building. Other members of the staff of the paper dragged out several files of the paper, the subscription and advertising ledgers, the card index files, and mailing and advertising records.
One of the last men to leave the building was Theodore King, chief of the mailing department, who labored with courage and faithfulness to save valuable belongings of paper.
Danger with Collapse
The only real danger to the Raleigh Apartments came with the collapse of the west wall of the Uzzell building which swept the firemen and streams from the roof of the intervening buildings, giving the flames room to spread. This necessitated rapid work in rendering relief to the injured firemen and placing new lines of hose between the fire and the Raleigh Apartments by Fireman Perry, who dared intense heat to play a stream on the outside of the building. A brother of Mr. Perry rapidly made use of the fire pails that we was able to find quickly and added to his record by hurling a blazing mattress from a top [story?] window.
Court Records Lost
In the Uzzell building, much of the loss was incurred by the State in Supreme Court reports, records, books, and stock for State printing. According to statements by State officials the loss to the State will amount to $60,000 and of this only $19,000 is covered by insurance. The amount was limited on account of the apportionment of funds of the State for the purpose of insuring State property.
None of the loss is regard as entirely irreparable.
Crowds Present Problem.
The crowds that flocked to the scene of the burning buildings yesterday morning presented a grave problem to the firemen and the police. Active efforts by both departments succeed in establishing a fire line about the danger zone. With this prevention, the work of tearing down weakened walls was begun, operating until late to the day.
Loose wires or fallen wires were taken down or made safe by the linemen of the Carolina Power and Light Company. During the day the cars relayed passengers form the corner of Salisbury to the corner of McDowell streets.
Sparks from the burning buildings seriously threatened other buildings and residences in the neighborhood. Gill's Foundry blazed up at one time, but was extinguished by buckets of water. Other residence property, including beds and furniture in the Raleigh apartments, caught fire several times, but these small blazes were in every instance extinguished before they assumed dangerous portions.
Water Damage to Hotel
The heat from fire damaged practically all the window lights in the front of Wright's hotel and annex and also cracked a large plate glass window. Water also did considerable damage to the carpets and furnishings. The house hose was brought into play and was used with good effect on the roof and front of the building. The timbers under the water tower on the building caught at one time but was extinguished. Mr. Wright had his hand blistered by the heat from the across the street while he was using the nozzle to the hose. He had charge of the apparatus in the annex while Mr. W. E. Hockett, the manager, had charge of the hose in the main building.
Every room in the house was occupied when the fire broke out and the guests believing that the building would be burned packed their baggage and got out of the building.
The plate glass fronts of the stores in the Wright Hotel annex suffered damage. In the Model Laundry one window and the door glass were broken out by the heat; every glass in the H. M. Uzzle Undertaking establishing was broken and Mr. Uzzle was of the opinion that some of his stock had been damaged to some extent by smoke; two glasses were broken out of the front of the Dillon Supply Company.
Rush From Raleigh Apartments
The glare of the blaze through the rear window so the Raleigh apartments created great excitement among the occupants of the building and many rushed of the building thinly clad. Much furniture was moved from the building to Nash square. After the danger was over the furniture was restored to the building.
The rear windows of the building were all cracked or burned out. The apartments are equipped with fire extinguishers and these were brought into play and used effective at the windows. A good deal of furniture which was stored in the room over the Wake Shoe Company was burned.
Stores and Theatre Complete Loss
The Wake Shoe Company, at the Crystal Theatre building and the store occupied jointed by J. L. O'Quinn Co. and the Baptist Book Store were part of the Raleigh apartment property owned by Mr. Howell Cobb. The Wake Shoe Company and the crystal Theatre buildings were practically destroyed. The roofs were burned off and much of the side walls were burned down. The O'Quinn place was not so badly damaged as the other two.
The equipment and furnishings of the Crystal Theatre, owned by L. B. and T. E. Davis, were completed destroyed. Nothing was saved. The stock of the Wake Shoe Company, also owned by the same gentlemen, was completed destroyed.
Mr. O'Quinn's stock of flowers and plants was a complete loss. This was due to water and the falling in of the walls. The stock of books and stationery of the Baptist Book Store was practically ruined by water.
Storr Company Damage
The store occupied by the H. S. Storr Company is next east of the news and Observer property. The damage to stock was due to water. The many typewriters and adding machines were flooded and so was much of the stationery. The story had a narrow escape from destruction. Flames broke through the windows on the side towards the News and Observer and burned the 0065celsoir off of chairs and also burned as tack of stationary near the window. The metal ceiling showed the efforts of the heat. The store was closed for the adjustment of the fire loss.
MR. NO STRANGER IN HOLLOMAN BUILDING
He Got Out a Paper There Twenty-Three Years Ago
An unusual coincidence attaches to the circumstances that the quarters of the Chamber of Commerce were selected as the temporary home of the business and local news staffs of the News and Observer.
Josephus Daniels, when what is now the assembly hall of the Chamber of Commerce in August, 1892, commenced the publication of the North Carolinian, a weekly newspaper. Thus, twenty-three years afterward in the same room where he was then a publisher, finds himself again a publisher'on the second floor of the Holleman building, on Fayetteville street, in Raleigh.
Nor was that the only interesting side to the confidence. There was a Washington end to the matter then just as there is now. For Mr. Daniels gave up the publication of the North Carolinian to go to Washington to become chief clerk in the Department of the Interior.
Mr. Bagley Painfully Injured
Mr. W. H. Bagley, managing direction of the News and Observer, was painfully injured while going out of the News and Observer building with an armful of filing cases. Just as he reached the editorial room, at the entrance of the building, someone ran against him violently. To avoid striking his head against the glass door of the editorial room, he threw out his left arm. It crashed through the glass and a badly lacerated cut was sustained on the forearm.
Mr. Bagley was taken to Rex Hospital where Dr.s J. R. Rogers and E. C. Judd attended to his injuries. It was found that one of the large arteries was severed and there had been a great loss of blood. The cut was a three-cornered one and of such size that a great many stitches were required to close it. The physicians said that I was would probably be three months before Mr. Bagley would have the use of his arm again.
Mr. C. B. Edwards' statement
Mr. C. B. Edwards, who lives across the street from the burned building, was awakened by the fire engine in front of his house. 'When I looked out,' he said, 'the second floor of Mr. Uzzell's place was in flames.' The fire had not spread beyond that floor. It was the worst fire in the history of the city. I have been there fifty-years and no one has approached it in extent. One of the worst fires in the history of the city was in 1865 when the old market house'a brick building'and a group of small frame buildings standing where the Citizens National Bank building, the Wake County savings Bank, and Galloway's drug store stand now. There was also a bad fire once about where Dobbin and Ferrell's store stands now, but that was before I came to Raleigh.
Mr. Bagley's Statement
Mr. W. H. Bagley yesterday gave out the following statement:
'The flames from the Uzzell building which spread to the roof of the News and Observer, quickly resulted in the complete destruction of the property. The loss is partly covered by insurance. It will be some days before the definite loss can be determined. Only the circulation lists and advertising records were recovered. Mr. John A. Park, publisher of THE TIMES, has tendered his plant with his usual courtesy and thoughtfulness. The building will be rebuilt as soon as possible and the most modern equipment installed but further than this no statement can be made until after a conference with Secretary of Navy Daniels, who arrives from Washington tonight. The News and Observer family deeply appreciates the expressions of sympathy and offers of aid received from newspapers and friends throughout the country, and as a young woman of the staff said this morning at the confeer3ence of the employees at the Chamber of Commerce, to make temporary arrangements, 'We go about our work with brave hearts, because we know through experience that no newspapers ever had a more loyal constituency than the News and Observer.''
Firemen on Watch
Chief Farmer made adequate arrangements last night for the protection no f the property on the street from further danger. Two firemen, with hoses, were left to maintain watch. This precaution will be maintained until all danger is removed.
60 Out of Employment
A particularly unfortunate feature in connection with the fire is that about 60 persons were thrown out of employment by the burning of the Uzzell plant. Mr. Uzzell was not in position last night to say anything about the prospect for rebuilding.
Copyright 2023 by Michael J. Legeros