Cortland Contrarian: Suspicious Fire in Wallace Building, May 24, 1884

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Suspicious Fire in Wallace Building, May 24, 1884

(left click image to enlarge)

The Cortland News, Friday, May 30, 1884.

ANOTHER [FIRE].

INCENDIARY.

A Jury Investigates.

Cortland a Good Place to [illegible—CC editor].

Soon after 12 o’clock [in the] morning Mr. Darrow, resident [on the] second floor in the west end of the [two?] story building adjoining Taylor block on the south, owned by D. F. Wallace, was awakened by the smell of burning kerosene oil, and finding that it was not in his rooms, he went down stairs leading to Court street when a man quickly passed him and ran around the corner and up the alley on the west side. Flames were then bursting through the sidewalk on Court street, and in the rear. Seeing that the building was on fire he gave the alarm to some gentleman passing and went back to save his family.

The fire-bell was at once rung and the steamer and hose and hand engine were promptly in position, but the former did not get to work in twenty minutes or more, and the fire had then gained such headway that it was found impossible to enter the front of the building.

C. W. Barney, jeweler, occupied the first store on Main street, next to the Hall, and W. H. Tuttle, shoe dealer, the south store on the corner. Over the former was Mrs. F. Porter, milliner, and Miss Ida Webster, dressmaker, and over the shoe store were Drs. Hyatt & Smith, dentists. The only goods saved were a desk from the shoe store and the contents of Mr. Barney's safe. In the rear of Mr. Tuttle's was D. L. Bliss, tobacconist, who saved nearly everything, the fire being kept in the eastern part of the building. Adjoining Mr. Bliss on the west was E. M. Hulbert's butter store, whose furniture was mostly saved.

The wind blew from the southwest, and to this fact as well as the exertions of the firemen is owing the escape of the Democrat office, which was only scorched. Taylor Hall caught fire at the wooden cornice and spread into the interior a little way, burning a hole through the corner, but the firemen carried ladders into the Hall; pushed one of them through a ventilator and taking hose up into the attic had the flames quenched in a few minutes, no damage being done sufficient to weaken the timbers in the least.

The window on the south side of the Hall opening into Mr. Wallace's bookbindery was burnt through and water damaged the goods therein and running down to W. B. Johnson's drugstore also damaged his goods. F. W. Collins removed his stock of clothing to stores across Main street, as also did the lawyers on the second floor their books and furniture.

Soon after 1 o'clock the Homer steamer, having been sent for, was in position, but the flames were then under control and its use was therefore unnecessary.

The fire was so clearly of incendiary origin that a jury was impaneled and investigation begun, a report of which and of further facts in regard to the fire, and losses thereby, we are compelled, by the great length of the Normal case [controversial discharge of Dr. Hoose, who was employed as Principal—CC editor], to deter until next week.