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DISASTEROUS CONFLAGRATION VISITS RALEIGH
FIRE DESTROYS OVER $300,000 OF PROPERTY IN RALEIGH SATURDAY
NEWS & OBSERVER COMPELTE WRECK FOR SECOND TIME
Building of Uzzell & Co., Containing State Records, Razed
W. H. BAGLEY AND TWO FIREMEN HURT
Over 50,000 Volumes Supreme Court Records Burned; Worst Fire in Raleigh's History
The worst fire in the history of RALEIGH, carrying with it an estimated loss of over $300,000, broke out in the building of E. M. Uzzell & Co., printers and binders, on West Martin street, at 6 o'clock Saturday morning. The flames soon spread to the News and Observer building, to the east, and to the Wake Shoe Company, then on to the Crystal Theater, where they were finally checked.
The building occupied by the Uzzell establishment was completely destroyed, as was the News and Observer building, all the equipment in each building being a total loss. This is the second time within the past three years the News and Observer has been burned out of commission, the forming having occurred April 24, 1913.
A preliminary estimate of loss follows:
The News and Observer, $100,000 or more.
The Wake Shoe Co., $7,500.
The Crystal Theater, $5,000.
State records in Uzzell's building, $50,000.
Papers and materials belonging to the State, $20,000.
Uzzell's equipment, $60,000.
The Uzzell building, $50,000.
Mr. W. H. Bagley, business manager of the News and Observer, was severely injured while passing through a door of the building with some galleys, while two firemen, H. L. Peebles and D. C. Lloyd, were burned and bruised. The firemen and Mr. Bagley were taken to the hospital.
No time was lost in ordering the necessary supplies and materials for issuing the News and Observer from THE TIMES plant. Within an hour after the disastrous fire started, active preparations for taking care of the morning paper were underway. No doubt both papers will show the great handicap under which they will have to be issued for the next several weeks, but the readers of each have the assurance that normal conditions will be restored just as promptly as possible.
Supposed Origin
The fire is supposed to have started either in the second or third story of the Uzzell building. This occurred at 6 o'clock, and by 7 o'clock this building and that of the News and Observer were completely under the control of the flames and beyond the control of the firemen who rushed to the scene, the alarm having been turned in by Henry Davis, colored, who discovered the flames and sent in the alarm. One report is that the two janitors who were supposed to be at the building at 6 o'clock both reported for duty, one going up to the third floor. In a few seconds he is said to have returned and said to his co-worker, 'Run Bill, the building is on fire.' However, late in the day no positive conclusion as to the fire's origin had been established.
The rainbow that formed in front of the News & Observer building, caused by the streams that were sent up from the hose, had a weird effect. Instead of being a bow of hope, it looked like a mocking ill omen, bespeaking disaster.
Mr. Bagley injured
Business Manager W. H. Bagley, who rushed to the scene of the fire, was severely hurt in his left arm while passing through a door leading to the main lobby. The wound was a bad one. He was taken to the hospital.
The paper saved its mailing list but nothing else. All of the new equipment, installed upon the rebuilding of the plan after the former fire, went down hopeless in the ashes, a mingled mass of melted metal and charred furniture.
The Former Fire
The News and Observer building, one of the few really modern newspaper plants in the south, was first completed and occupied in the spring of 1907.
It contained commodious editor and business rooms, a new type of Hoe press, a complete stereotyping plant, a complete electrical installation, and a battery of six linotypes.
On the evening of April 24, 1913, fire which was supposed to have started in a heap of rubbish in the basement, gutted the building while the fire department made vain efforts to bring it under control from 6 o'clock to 9 in the evening. The antiqued waterworks system then in RALEIGH failed at the crisis and the department attempted to use the old steamer, which worked well until, to add to the troubles, a water main burst. It was largely due to this failure of the water supply that the loss was as great as it was, being estimated at about $35,000 above the insurance of $40,000, making the actual money loss in the neighborhood of $70,000.
In addition to the absolutely destruction or damage to the interior of the building and its plant machinery, the paper sustained irreparable loss in the destruction of historic files and of a gallery of over 5,000 cuts of men prominent in the history of the state for years'many of which it has been impossible to replace.
Despite the utter demoralization of a fire coming just at the moment when the wires were open for the receipt of the night's news, The News and Observer appeared on the morning of April 25, by reason of the quick recovery of the force and the aid which THE TIMES was able to render by turning over its editorial rooms and mechanical plant to its neighbor in distress. After remaining in this office for a few days, the News and Observer arranged separate editor and business offices, and by a display of remarkable energy succeeded in assembling its new linotypes in the basement of the burned building, putting its press in commission, and issued a paper 'on its own' twenty-four days after the fire, on May 18, 1913.
Plans for rebuilding having been made before the ashes were cool, the work was pushed so rapidly that the paper (in a building better than before and subject to destruction by fire only in the event of a blaze of the magnitude of that which happened) was working in all departments under its new roof by October 12 of the same year.
This morning John a. Park, publisher of THE TIMES, again tendered the News and Observer the use of its room and its plant in order that it might not loose on the occasion the continuity of daily appearance that makes the life of a newspaper.
Daniels Arrives Saturday
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels owner of the News and Observer, will arrive in the city from Washington Saturday evening at 5:55 o'clock. He was reached by long distance Saturday morning by Mr. V. C. Moore and told of the fire. His message to the boys was to go ahead and do the best they could. Mr. Daniels to have arrived in the city Sunday, in order to be here to introduce Secretary Lane Monday night. He was going to spend Sunday with his mother in Goldsboro. His trip was hastened by the sad news of his second loss.
'N. and O.' Boys Meet
With the plan still a mess of smoking ruins, the staff of the News & Observer, every man of all departments met in the Chamber of Commerce hall, to plan for temporary issuance of the paper. Under the direction of Mr. W. H. Bagley, manager, who presided with his arms bandaged, the heads of the departments discussed the problem of Sunday morning's paper.
Telegrams poured in from newspapers and individuals over the State expressing sympathy for the paper in its loss and offering every assistance possible. Within thirty minutes after the meeting, telegrams had been rushed off for paper, type and office equipment.
The staff heard with expressions of gratitude the offer of the RALEIGH EVENING TIMES for the use of its plant during the time of rebuilding the burned News and Observer building.
Instructions to the force consisted in the simple statement to proceed with the day's work just as if nothing had occurred. There was never any doubt as to whether the paper would be issued or not.
Firemen Injured
Fireman H. L. Peebles told a wonderful story of his and Fireman Lloyd's escape from death when the wall of the Uzzell building bell. Peebles was injured and bruised about the body and arms by falling bricks, while Lloyd's head was severely bruised and his neck and head burned. His condition was said not to be serious. Both the men were carried to Rex Hospital, but Peebles left and was back at the fire was soon as his injuries were treated.
Pebbles' story is a hair-raising one and his escape from death seems to be a case of rare exception. Peebles said that he and Lloyd were on top of the Wake Shoe Store playing a stream on the Uzzell building when the western wall of the building collapsed, falling over on the shoe store and the Crystal Theater. The two men both were caught in the mass of brick and debris, the heavy mass going through the shoe store and the Crystal Theater, carrying the two firemen with it. Peebles said that in falling he thought that he would be killed, he being knocked unconscious for the minute. He quickly recovered his s3enses, finding himself in a mass of brick and heavy timber on the bottom floor of the Crystal theater, having come through the two floors of the building with the heavy mass. He was able to make his way out of the debris without assistance. Lloyd came down with the roof of the Wake Shoe Store, he also coming through two stories of the building. His escape from death is more miraculous than the escape of Peebles in that the Wake Building was nearing the fall wall and more timber and brick came down with him. The men were not able to explain how they were separated down through the two stories and fell through two different buildings.
Heat Intense
The terrific heat from the burning buildings put the large plate glass windows on the other side of the street in a melting condition, the officers being compelled to knock in the large plat glass windows at the People's Laundry and Uzzell Undertaking Company, all the windows in the second story of the Wright's Hotel being cracked. Ropes were stretched across the streets, the police force holding large crowds which attended the early morning, fire in check and safety from the falling wires and walls.
Sherwood Brockwell was on the scene and assisted in playing the first stream on the Uzzell building. Mr. Brockwell said he and Chief Farmer went to the top of the News and Observer with the idea of playing a double stream on top of the building, but as soon as the top of the building was reached, the men realized they could not stand the heat from the seething mass of flame that was leaping high to the sky. They were forced from there to the second story of the News and Observer building, from where they were forced to retreat a minute later. They went to the top of the Bland building, where they were able to play streams of water upon the catastrophe below. A steady wall of water was kept flowing from the top of the Bland building on the burning buildings, this alone saving the Bland Hotel from destruction.
Audubon Book Destroyed
In the Uzzell building the Audubon book and all the plates, which had been in preparation for a long time, were completely destroyed. However, the records that were burned were all duplicates. There were 40,000 Supreme Court records destroyed.
Entire Neighborhood Threatened
The entire neighborhood was threatened by the fire. Across the street it seemed at times as if the dwelling houses and business houses would go. It is said the Wright's Hotel caught several times. So did the RALEIGH apartments.
State's Insurance
The State had its property in the Uzzell building insured at $19,000, while the building is said to have been fairly well covered by insurance. It belong to the Boylan estate, of which Mrs. Ellsworth Van Patten of Norfolk is the administratrix.
H. S. Storr's Damage
The store of the H. S. Storr Company in the west end of the Bland Annex suffered severe damages on account of water. Mr. Storr stated that he and several of his clerks arrived at 6:30 and the heat was so intense that they gave up all hope of trying to remove any of the stuff. A few office records and the ledge accounts were removed approximately eighty typewriters and twenty or more adding machines were seriously damaged by water. All of the stock of books, office appliances and supplies suffered damaged to a large extent.
It was in the Storr place that the fire was 3echecked on the east, which probably saved the entire Bland building. There is an alleyway between the Storr store and the News and Observer building, which was supposed to have been wide enough to prevent fire from sweeping across. Mr. Storr says that when he first arrived on the scene, the water pressure was not very strong until the two pumping engines started to work. The fire shutters on his window were thrown open by the force of the water streams and some goods caught fire on a platform at the rear of the Storr place immediately joining the rear window. This small blaze was promptly discovered and 3extinguished by Mr. Storr and his men. A large quantity of burning stationery, paper boxes, and other material, was thrown out before the fire gained headway at that point. By throwing great quantities of water on the west Bland wall, the fire was prevented from doing further damage in that direction.
Shoe Store and Crystal Damage
After the Crystal Theater and Wake Shoe Company places were d3estroyed, the flames swept up the east wall of the RALEIGH Apartments building, causing new blazes to start on both the third and fifth floors. Most of the residents of that building moved all or a portion of their belongings to the street. The store of O'Quinn & Company was badly damaged, but not a total loss.
Storehouse Destroyed
A large brick storehouse, owned by the Raleigh Apartments Company was totally destroyed. It contained various kinds of supplies, such as mattresses, chairs and other things with a quantity of lumber. The rear annex in which a number of rooms were in use by roomers was partly destroyed. Mr. Cobb, manager of the apartment, lost new beds and furniture valued at about $5,000, these having been stored above the Wake Shoe Company.
Large plat glass windows were broken in the Wright Annex on the south side of Martin Street. The Model Laundry, the H. M. Uzzel & Company and Dillon Supply Company suffered the loss of broken windows.
Eighty Men Out of Work
Uzzell employed about eighty men. All of these are out of work as the result of the fire. Dr. Charles Lee Smith, of the firm Edwards & Broughton, tendered the services of his plant to Mr. Uzzell and also to the News and Observer force.
Water Pressure
At the beginning of the fire there were sixteen feet of water in the city's reservoir. At 11:30 there were still fourteen feet, and at 11:30 the reservoir had begun to gain on the fire department.
Smoke Intense
The smoke emerging from the ruins of the fire-wrecked buildings was thick, at times enveloping the entire community. Great fragments of burning paper were flying through the air. It was almost impossible for the residents of the opposite side of West Martin street and persons engaged in business there to breathe.
Crowd Immense
The news of the fire spread quickly. By breakfast time the bad tidings had reached the remotest residential sections of the city. Men and wom3en were grouped on the corners discussing it.
A sort of gloom settled over the city. Not only was there a feeling of depression among the sufferers from the fire and their intimate friends, but the public generally experienced it. The Calamity is one of state-wide and nation-wide interest.
By 9 o'clock, even by 7 o'clock, the streets were crowded with persons going in the direction of the disaster. The volumes of smoke, still pouring up from the ruins, beckoned them on. They needed no other guide.
The police handled the crowds well. Fire lines were stretched and as the crowd increased they were adjusted at safe distances. The firemen persistently fought on and on. Lines of hose were stretched through the Elk's building and other approaches to the fire district.
Mr. Bagley's Statement
Mr. W. H. Bagley, Saturday, 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.''
Order Walls Down
Commissioner King Saturday ordered the walls of the demolished buildings torn down, to insure safety against their falling on pedestrians. Only the front wall of the news and Observer was left. The Uzzell building's walls fell with the fire.
Big Fire Eighty Years Ago
The fire in RALEIGH today was the largest in over eight years, says one writer, and caused much more damaged than the one which burned the Fayetteville street face of the blocks between Morgan and Martin streets, on the east side. All the buildings then in that location were of wood. The date was January 7, 1932, and the RALEIGH Register issued an extra. The stores of Matthew Shaw (two), Priscella Shaw (three), William Thompson, John Primrose, William V. Clark, Thomas Price, Lougee & Newton, John Bell, Williams and Haywood, B. B. & R. Smith, Turner & Hughes and Williams Sturges, John S. Robertson, James Cook, Harris & Malone, Richard Smith, Bennett Ragan, Barvillai Betts, Richard Roberts, Joseph Bettes, the Misses Pulliam (in whose store the fire began), Henry Hardie, William Tucker, Caleb Malone, John Marshall, and Mrs. Haylander, the post office. The market house, then in the middle of east Hargett street near the intersection of Fayetteville, was pulled down. Three stores were blown up with powder and this checked the fire. The fire had its origin in nearly the same spot and had nearly the same extinction as the one in November, 1816.
Copyright 2023 by Michael J. Legeros