Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Fire

February 23, 1880

Considerable of a Fire

FOUR STORES BURNED LAST SATURDAY NIGHT

A few minutes past twelve o’clock last Saturday night Mr. M. M. Sears, who slept over his restaurant on Main street in this village, was aroused by a peculiar roaring noise in the block of which his building formed a part. Getting up hastily, he soon discovered that the block was on fire. It was evident that the flames had started from a chimney between Mr. Sears’s building and the one occupied by Mr. Robert G. Austin.

The alarm was at once given, and the fire-companies were promptly on hand, the Alert Hose boys reaching the field of action first then the Engine Company, and finally the Hook and Ladder Company. The engine took suction at the cistern in front of Hart’s store, and two streams were thrown upon the fire as soon as possible. The firemen worked with a will, and did good execution in confining the flames to the burning block. The Hook and Ladder boys were mainly occupied in tearing down out-houses and sheds in the rear of the burning building.

It was evident from the start that the whole wooden block from Crafton street to Wright & Bailey’s new brick store was doomed to destruction, and those citizens who arrived first upon the ground turned their attention to the removal of the goods and furniture in the burning buildings. The lower floors of all the stores were pretty well cleaned out, but some of the property on the upper floors was burned and considerable of it was damaged by rough handling.

The heat from the large pine building on the corner was quite intense, add the new bank building on the opposite corner was considerably scorched, but no very serious damage was done in that direction. As there was a brisk breeze blowing from the southwest directly down the street, some fears were felt for the new brick building just below the burning block. But that store had been erected with a view to meeting this very test and the solid brick firewall stood the order admirably. The fire burned rapidly, and within an hour and a quarter from the time the alarm was sounded the block was almost level with the ground. During the progress of the fire the cistern on Main Street was exhausted and the engine was moved across Water Street, to the creek in the rear of Dr. W. W. Webb’s residence. A second move was afterward made to the cistern behind Bowen block. All these changes were made without any unnecessary loss of time.

The building on the corner of Crafton and Main streets belonged to J.C. Wheeler, and was occupied on the lower floor by George W. Sears, boat and shoe dealer, and C. H. Harding, tinner, and upstairs by the office of W. W. Webb and Son, physicians and surgeons, and Benji, Seely and L. A. Sears, shoemakers. Henry Sears also had a bedroom in the building, and lost about all his furniture. The next store was occupied by Mr. M. M. Sears as a restaurant and dwelling, and was owned by him. Then came Wright and Bailey’s store, occupied on the ground floor by R. G. Austin, tobacconist and confectioner, and by R. Pagan, jeweler. In the second story Mr. Norwal Kimball had a harness shop. The next store also belonged to Wright and Bailey, and was occupied on the ground floor by E. H. Hastings, grocer, and M. Warriner, jeweler.

The following is a list of the insurances on the property, burned or damaged:

J.C. Wheeler, building, $1,000 in the Etna: $1,000 in the Home—E.B. Young’s agency.

Geo. W. Sears, stock, 4600 in the London Assurance—I.M. Bodine’s agency.

C.H. Harding, stock, $400 in the Germania of New York—Mitchell and Cameron’s agency.

M. M. Sears, building, $2,000 in the Lycoming Mutual, $400 in the North British and Mercantile; stock, $900 in the German American, $600 in the Fire Association; furniture, etc., $600 in the North British—E. B. Young’s agency.

Wright and Bailey, two stores, $1,000 in the Etna, $800 in the Fire Association—E. B. Young’s agency.

R.G. Austin, stock and fixtures, $200 in Fire Association—E. B. Young’s agency.

E.H. Hastings, stock, $1,000 in London Assurance, watches, etc., 4200 in Howard of New York—I.M. Bodine’s agency.

The damage to the bank was fully covered by a policy in the Lycoming Mutual—E. B. Young’s agency.

The total losses without insurance are estimated as follows: W. W. Webb & Son, $50; Benj. Seely, $25; L. A. Sears, $25; Henry Sears, $75; N. Kimball, $200.

The large building on the corner was erected, we understand, forty-three years ago. It was a good structure of the kind, but it has finally gone the way of all wooden business places. The Wright and Bailey block was built in 1869.

The building belonging to Mr. George Wagner, standing near the burnt district, on Crafton street was saved with little damage.

It is needless to say that the fireman all worked well, for they always do that. Many of our citizens, who belong to no organization, are also entitled to credit for their willing assistance.

Mr. B. F. Milliken did a good thing in supplying the workers with hot coffee during the progress of the fire.

Of the business men turned out doors, Geo. W. Sears and C. H. Harding have moved to Thomas Hardens lower store, M. M. Sears to Judge William’s store, R. G. Austin to the Parkhurst House block, and E. H. Hastings to M. M. Converse’s store.

The Wellsboro Agitator, Wellsboro, PA 24 Feb 1880

Transcribed by Trish.  Thank you, Trish!

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