The Windsor Fire. Over $7,000 Lost.
Last Wednesday at 2 o'clock a.m. a fire originated on Granville street in a small shop occupied by Sam Hoggard
as a restaurant. The alarm of fire was soon started and in a short while all the citizens had arrived.
In spite of the herculean efforts of the people nearly the whole of one side of the street was in ashes.
The loseres were Mrs. Bell Pugh, a house she used as dwelling and restaurant and her cooking utensils.
A small store owned by Joseph Outlaw and occupied by Mr. W. D. Hoggard as a store. Mr H. lost about three hundred
dollars, consisting of bar fixtures, cigars, liquors, etc.
A small house owned by Joseph Outlaw and occupied by S. S. Hoggard as a restaurant. A small house owned by Joseph Outlaw
and occupied by Adaline White and used by her as a dwelling and restaurant. One vacant house owned by Joseph Outlaw
and occupied by W. D. Leath. A large store owned by W. T. King and occupied by the Messrs. Lipsitz, who saved their
merchandise, but lost their household furniture. A large store owned by W. H. Leigh and occupied by Joe James as a bar and
by W. G. L. Carter as a barber shop. The ice house owned by W. D. Hoggard full of ice was burned down and two large
houses burned down within twenty feet of it and strange to relate not any of the ice melted. We are glad to state that most
all of the sufferers were able to save most of their movable property.
Mr. King's store was the only one among them that was insured and that only for $700. Among those to whom the pople are
mostly indebted for saving theor property, and, we may say, the business portion of the town, for if work, and much of it,
had not been done the whole town would have been in ashes and not a house would have been standing to mark what once was the
business portion of one of the prettiest little towns in the State, were Newell Kenney, T. P. Gurley, Thomas Nicholls,
James Saunders, T. P. Smallwood, Thos. Todd, Elisha Todd, L. E. Stoke, W. L. Williams, D. J. Heffron, F. D. Winston,
A. J. Pritchard, J. J. Jacocks, J. M. Broughton, Chas Sedgewick, J. L. and J. P. Spivey[,] B. H. Swain, Dr. E. W. Pugh
and many others, and Augustus Robbins, Mad. Watford, Emanuel Tayloe, Oscar Watson and many others among the color[e]d
whom we cannot at present recall. The old Roulhac house which was long used by Madison Outlaw as a hotel caught on fire
several times and was put out by the efforts of the citizens above named with the help of many more. Had the flames reached
that house no earthly hand could have stopped the fire in its mad career until there was nothing else for it to feed upon.
Freeman & Mizell's large white hotel which is situated at the West of the business part of the street looks like some
mediaeval castle situated in a plain. In the midst of the fire the water in all of the wells gave out and water had to be
brought from ditches and springs three or 400 yeards from the scene of congflagration. The houses on the opposite side of
the steet were only saved by covering them over with blankets and pouring water on them all the time. Paint was burned off
of several, and most all of the plank on the front part of them were drawn by the fire.
The scarcity of water at the recent fire should teach our people the necessity of having more wells -the wells are small and
afford but little water. At least four more wells should be dug on each business block in the town. A small sum of money
used now may save thousands in the future. Our town fathers should give early attention to this matter.
Ver. Sap.
[the Local section contained the following comments]
All honor to Miss Tabitha Sheppard, who during the recent fire bravely and in the dark, climbed into the belfry and
rang the Baptist church bell to arouse the slumbering inhabitants.
"Windsor Public Ledger", Benj. H. Swain, ed., Windsor, [Bertie County] N.C.
Wednesday, August 8, 1888
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