The Frederick News Post
Published Every Morning in the Week Except Sunday
VOL. 4 — No. 146
FREDERICK, MARYLAND, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE 3, 1914
PRICE ONE CENT
NEARLY HALF CREAGERSTOWN BURNS; LOSS MAY BE $70,000
Lack of Water Power Puts Town of Five Hundred Inhabitants At Mercy of Raging FIre
DANGEROUS WALLS MAY HAVE TO BE DYNAMITED
Strong Wind Sends Flames From Building To Building While People Stand Powerless To Resist March of Fire—Only Sudden Change of Breeze Saves Rest of Village.
Destruction and lack of water power again stalked hand in hand in Frederick county yesterday, when one-half of the town Creagerstown was leveled to ashes by a raging fire which did damage to the extent of between sixty and seventy thousand dollars.
Between ten o'clock in the morning, when Mr. Martin of Creagerstown, while passing the Altenwald Creamery company's building, discovered the roof ablaze, and two o'clock this afternoon when the wind suddenly veered, blowing the flames back over the devestated area, twelve valuable buildings and many out buildings and barns were reduced to heaps of ashes. About twenty houses were untouched by the flames.
A new element of danger entered (illegible text) condition of the village. High brick walls left standing when the interior of buildings were gutted out by the flames are in grave danger of toppling over and seriously injuring people in the streets. It was stated last night that before morning these walls would probably be dynamited. Some of the walls are said to be fifty feet in height.
Many people who lost virtually all of their property in the flames were away from home during the fire, and unless telegrams have reached them, are still unaware of their losses.
True Cause Unknown.
Several theories are advanced for the origin of the fire. The explosion of a gasoline engine was said to have been the cause, but this was later denied, and sparks from a stack in the room of the creamery igniting the dry roof of the building were said to have been responsible.
When the alarm was first sounded, and it was seen that the strong wind would soon spread the flames to adjoining buildings, people of Creagerstown rushed frantically about, some arranging the formation of bucket brigades, some hauling out their household furniture, while others frantically telephoned Frederick for aid.
No water except what could be brought in buckets from wells and pumps was available and the fire soon became so hot that it was impossible for anyone to get near enough to fight it effectively.
Several Men Burned.
Several people were painfully burned in their efforts to quench the flames. B. F. Bell, whose blacksmith shope, house, barn, buggyshed and ice house were completely destroyed, was burned about the arms, and Gordon Troxell had one of his eyes scorched. Robert Donslife of Woodsboro was also painfully burned. All received medical attention.
Following is a list of those who suffered most heavily by the fire.
Allenwald Creamery Company — Building completely destroyed.
Mrs. Mary Kreeps — House.
Town Hall — Owned by County Commissioner Stevens.
B. F. Bell — House, blacksmith shop, ice house, barn and buggy shed.
George Stevens — Wagon shed, house, corn crib and all out buildings.
Valley Hotel — C. L. Valentine, proprietor — Hotel build and all outbuildings burned.
R. L. Ogle — Store, dwelling and all outbuildings. All the store stock was consumed. Loss $10,000. Mr. and Mrs. Ogle are in Baltimore and no word has gotten to or from them.
Mrs. John Grinder — Double house. She occupied one side and Daniel Sherfey the other. Both lost all of their furniture. Loss, $8,000.
Isaac Hankey — Frame house, barn and outbuildings. Loss, $5,000.
Barn Freeze — House and barbership and furnishings. Loss, $1,000.
George W. Hann — Brick house. Mr. Hann's daughter conducted a millinery store in the house and this stock was also consumed. Loss, $5,000.
Louis Miller — House, barn and all outbuildings. Loss $4,500.
Grace Humphrey — Two houses.
Lewis Ogle — Residence.
Stevens Heaviest Loser.
George Stevens, brother of County Commissioner Stevens, was perhaps the heaviest loser. Everything on his place was completely destroyed, even to the chicken houses. None of his family were at home. Mrs. Sevens having left earlier in the morning for a trip out of town. All the household furniture in the house was consumed by the flames. Mr. Stevens was virtually the only resident of the town whose household furniture was completely destroyed. All the others had time to move most valuable articles to places of safety.
Mr. Stevens was on his way to Albany when the fire broke out and does not know yet of the loss of his property. All efforts to communicate with him last night were without result.
Dining room furniture, pianos, bed and heavy bedroom furniture were scattered all through the streets and fields out of the town.
In the frantic efforts by the people to concoct some sort of method of stopping the progress of the flames, dynamiting was talked of. Leonard Barrick, proprietor of the lime plant at Woodsboro offered whatever dynamite would be needed, but the offer came too late. At the stage which the fire had reached at that time dynamiting would have little effect in reducing the damage.
When the flames reached the warehouse of R. L. Ogle a loud sharp crackle, like the fire of artillery startled the fire-fighters. A large quantity of cartridges stored in the warehouse is said to have been the cause.
Gasoline Tank Explodes.
Another heavy explosion occurred when the flames reached a gasoline tank in the Ogle storeroom. A crowd of men tearing down an outbuilding to save it from being burned were sent scurrying when the deep detonation sounded.
All the furniture was saved from the town hall. Commissioner Frank (illegible text) Stevens, the owner, believed until last night, that the building with its entire contents had been lost, but he learned that the citizens of the town saved a lot of tables desks, about 20 chairs, and several cupboards full of dishes. Commissioner Stvens said the hall is insured for about half its value.
Very little insurance is said to have been carried by property owners of the town.
Plans to Rebuild.
Plans for rebuilding are already being considered by plucky Creagerstown people. Commissioner Stevens, who is generally recogonized as representing the settlement of Creagerstown, declared last night that if the losses covered by insurance were filed promptly, building would probably begin within a week. The town hall will be one of the first buildings to be replaced.
Thousands of people from miles around visited the scene of the fire yesterday afternoon. It was estimated that there were 3,000 people in the town between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
Frederick Sends Help.
Frederick responded to a call for help from Creagerstown by sending the steamer of the Independent Hose Company to the scene. Attempts were made by Park W. T. Loy, plant wire chief of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, assisted by the citizens of the town, to dam up the small stream passing through the village so that enough power could be
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