HOTEL FIRE IN SOLON, NEW YORK

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, January 25, 1895.

FIRE IN SOLON.

THE HOTEL AND STORE REDUCED TO ASHES.

Nothing Saved Prom Hotel, Little From Store—Caught From Wood Stove in Hotel Kitchen.

   Solon was last night visited by a very bad fire which in the short space of an hour and a half reduced to ashes the only hotel and only store in the place, and the hotel barn, and seriously endangered a dwelling home which stood near but which by tremendous exertions was finally saved.

   The three-story hotel block at Solon was 40 by 130 feet in size. It was owned by Miss Elizabeth Hathaway. The hotel was leased and occupied by D. R. Thornton. The block also contained the general store of Win. J. Corcoran. Last night it chanced that there were no guests at the hotel and the only persons in the building were Mr. and Mrs. Thornton and their two children, who slept in front rooms upon the second floor.

   At 1:30 o'clock they were awakened by a dense suffocating smoke which filled the entire second floor. They leaped from their beds and made their escape from the building, saving nothing from the second floor but part of their clothing which they had removed on retiring and which was close at hand. The fire was in the kitchen and when discovered that room was one mass of flames, which were burning fiercest in the corner where the range stood. There had been two fires in the house, a wood fire in the kitchen and a coal fire in the sittingroom, the pipes from both stoves going into the same chimney from opposite sides of the partition. It is supposed that the fire caught from the kitchen stove.

   A cry of "fire" was raised and the neighbors responded, but there is no fire department in Solon and it was evident to all that the entire building was doomed.

   One of the first persons to arrive was Mr. Corcoran, proprietor of the store, who lives just across the street. He saw that nothing could save the building and began at once to carry out the stock from his store. All hands turned to his assistance. A few things were saved from the lower floor of the hotel, including an organ, but they were all set down in the street close to the building and while attention was given to saving the things from the store those which had been rescued from the hotel caught fire and burned up, organ and all.

   Mr. Corcoran is the postmaster and the postoffice was in his store. His first move was to get all of the mail out and everything relating to the property of the government. Willing hands made rapid work and in the course of the half hour or more that they had to work before the fire drove them out they saved what proved to be four large sleigh loads of goods. Things were put right out into the street and when the men could no longer get into the building they began to load up and draw away the property saved. No attempt could be made to get anything out of the second floor of the store, which was used as a store room, or out of the cellar.

   The hotel barn also caught fire and burned up, but all of the horses, carriage, sleighs, harnesses and movable property were saved. Several tons of hay and quite a quantity of grain was destroyed. The hotel icehouse was also burned.

   About ten feet away from the building stood a dwelling house owned by Henry Hickey of Cortland and occupied by George Edwards. This caught fire several times, but by hard work the flames were extinguished. The side of the house adjacent to the fire was badly scorched though.

   Miss Hathaway had an insurance of $1,300 upon the building and $200 upon the barns, placed with G. J. Maycumber.

   Mr. Thornton estimates his loss on the hotel furnishings and personal property as exceeding $1,000. He has an insurance for $1,000 placed with Davis, Jenkins & Hakes.

    Mr. Corcoran's stock at the last inventory was valued at about $3,000, and it had been, added to so that it was worth more at the time of the fire than when the inventory was taken. He has not been able yet to look over the rescued stock enough to place an estimate on his stock, but he is confident that not a third of it was saved. He has an insurance for $1,500, placed with Davis, Jenkins & Hakes.

Man peers into Edison's Kinetoscope.

The Kinetoscope.

   Edison's latest and most marvelous invention, the Kinetoscope, will be on exhibition at the store, 97 Main-st., [Cortland], lately vacated by Nelson & Call, for one week beginning Tuesday, Jan 29. There will also be shown the London gaiety girls, Annie Oakley, "Little Sure Shot," and other interesting features. Ladies are specially invited. Price for four views 20 cents. The proprietors are Dagwell & Ralston.

TROLLEY CAR SMASHED.

A Train Without a Headlight Runs it Down in Syracuse.

   At 11:35 o'clock last night a trolley car on West Genesee-st. in Syracuse was struck by a train on the R., W. & O. R. R. The trolley car contained seven passengers besides the conductor and motor man. The conductor ran ahead of the car at the crossing to watch out for trains. He saw none and gave the signal to the motorman to come on. It was very dark there. Suddenly a freight car was seen coming pushed by an engine. There was no light on the car. Just as the trolley car struck the track the motorman saw the train coming and tried to back. He succeeded in starting his car back when it was struck and thrown to one side. The front platform was smashed in and the motorman had a narrow escape. All the passengers were thrown from their seats. One man had his back severely wrenched. The others were not seriously hurt.

BREVITIES.

   —A Buffalo tramp secured a night's lodging last evening in the cooler.

   —The McKee & Webb Mfg. Co. were to-day connected with the telephone exchange.

   —The Chautauqua circle meets with Mrs. Geer, Madison-ave,, to-morrow night at 7:30 o'clock.

   —The Alpha C. L. S. C. will meet with Miss Mary Oday on Railroad-st., Monday evening, Jan. 28.

   —To-day is New Year's in China. It is unnecessary to state that it is not a happy one. Too many Japs are approaching Pekin.

   —The annual meeting of the Cortland County Sportsmen's club will be held in Fireman's hall Tuesday evening, February 5, at 8 P. M.

   —Among the bills introduced in the senate yesterday in Albany was one by Senator O'Connor appropriating $100,000 for a state Normal and Training School to be located in Binghamton, the site for the same to be conveyed free to the state.

   —It is estimated that there are now in storage in Western New York 152,000 barrels of apples, divided as follows: Albion, 15,000 ; Carlton, 1,500; Waterport, 2,500; Kendall, 8,000; Niagara Falls, 16,000; Lockport, 40,500; Spencerport, 12,000; Lyons, 20,000.—Ithaca Journal. Wish some of those apples were in Cortland county.

Japs Closing in on Wei-Hai-Wei.

   LONDON, Jan. 25.—A dispatch to The Times from Shanghai says the Japanese have now surrounded Wei-Hai-Wei. The Japanese troops have been withdrawn from Tengchow, their landing at that place having been effected only for the purpose of creating a diversion. The Chinese declare that Wei-Hai-Wei has a garrison and supplies sufficient to enable the town to withstand a prolonged attack.

STRIKE SITUATION.

THE TROUBLE SLOWLY BUT SURELY REACHING A CLIMAX.

Judge Gaynor Issues a Mandamus Compelling the Brooklyn Heights Railway to Show Cause Why It Does Not Operate Its Lines—Militiamen Ordered Home—Few Scraps Between Police and Strikers.

   BROOKLYN, Jan. 25.—Judging by surface indications, the strike of the electric street railways is near its end. The peace of the city is not fully restored, and it will not be so long as the late employes of the traction companies have hope of forcing themselves back into the position they held 12 days ago.

   To these men this was a ray of light, in the decision handed down by Justice Gaynor of the supreme court of Queens county in the matter of the application of Joseph Loader, a shopkeeper, for a writ of mandamus to compel the Brooklyn Heights Railway company to operate its lines in a manner to meet the requirements of the public.

   In the opinion of Judge Gaynor the corporation is held to be in default of its obligations to the public, incurred by the acceptance of a franchise for a specific purpose; it is placed under the imputation of having more regard for the profits of shareholders than for the convenience of citizens; and it is declared to be the company's duty to man its cars at whatever expense may be necessary. Today the court will hear counsel upon the question whether the writ shall be permanent or alternative, or, in other words, whether the company shall be required to engage a full complement of operatives forthwith, regardless of the question of wages and hours of labor, or whether it shall be directed to do the best it can under the circumstances.

   To make the writ alternative, it will be seen, will be to leave affairs practically as they are. Should it be made mandatory an appeal will be taken by the defendant company and it is to be expected that some judge would be found who would suspend the writ until the appeal can be heard. With those facts in view it may be said that the victory the strikers have won is Fabian in its character.

Ninth Regiment Sent Home.

   ALBANY, Jan. 25.—Adjutant General McAlpin is so sure that the trouble at Brooklyn is over and that no more troops are needed that he has allowed General Fitzgerald to dismiss the Ninth regiment that has been at its armory, to return to their homes. He said: " Mayor Schieren has notified me that he has sworn in a large number of deputies and that everything is calming down. Thirty-three lines are running and I think that today we will be able to withdraw some of the troops."

Growth of Street Railways.

   The street car interests of the country are important enough to have a magazine of their own, The Street Railway Review. A late number gives a summing up of the progress made by the people's carriage lines in 1894. For one thing, The Review is of opinion that the financial depression has injured street car business very little. People must ride in street cars, even when they have only a nickel left. Indeed in one or two respects the hard times have actually benefited the street railways. The panic and succeeding long dullness have pressed down the booming, kiting, speculative value of the stocks of these roads and held them at something like a normal price. On the other hand, the hard times have also prevented the street car companies from doing what the long line steam railway companies were doing when the crash came and stopped them—lengthening out the roads and building where there was not population enough to make them pay. The street car railroads that have been constructed have therefore opportunity for a healthy, steady growth. Street railway stocks and bonds are safe.

   The feature of all the new lines under construction is that there is not a horse car among them; of the ones already in existence that the horse car lines are taking the animals off as rapidly as possible and substituting electricity. There are now 10,000 miles of electric railroad in the country and 20,000 electric motor cars. It is to be observed, however, that the underground electric cable system for street car propulsion seems really to have made little progress in 1894. Whether it is an accomplished fact is yet to be seen.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

   This is Charles A. Dana's opinion of the newspaper man who pretends to be infallible: "There is a tradition in some newspapers of the old school that you must pretend to a silly infallibility and never admit you have been wrong. That is a silly rule. If a man has not the moral courage to say, Yes, I was wrong, and I don't now believe what I said at some former time; if he has not courage to say that, he had better retire from business and never try to make another newspaper."

   What remuneration is given to the best paid correspondents of great newspapers is well illustrated in the case of Colonel John A. Cockerill, who goes to Japan to remain two years, perhaps longer, for the New York Herald. Colonel Cockerill receives $17,500 a year. He won his first laurels as a war writer during the Turko-Russian struggle in Bulgaria in 1877-8. Colonel Cockerill was then writing for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The best wishes of all newspaper people are with him in his new place. His success shows that there are prizes to be won in the field of pure journalism that are well worth striving for.

IN MEMORIAM.

Impressive Service of the Union Veteran Legion.

   Memorial services were last evening held by the Union Veteran legion in Grand Army hall for the death of Samuel M. Byram. About fifty members of the order and their friends were present. The altar, charter and flag, being the old battle flag of the Seventy-sixth N. Y. Vols., of which deceased was a member, were draped in mourning, as was also the vacant chair of the deceased as lieutenant colonel of the legion.

   The opening exercises were very impressive. The color guard consisted of Charles D. Geer and John Miller of Cortland and M. W. Smith of McGrawville. The music was furnished by Mrs. E. D. Phillips, Mrs. C. W. Stoker, Miss Grace Stoker and Mr. Martin Edgcomb. The ritual address by Comrade G. S. Van Hoesen was very fine and was well delivered. The crowning of the chair of the deceased with the laurel wreath of victory by Lieut. Col. Ashby was impressive. Owing to the pressure of other matter we are unable to publish to-day the address of eulogy by Mr. W. J. Mantanye. It will appear later. This address was a most beautiful tribute to the deceased officer and as they were warm personal friends he spoke very feelingly as he emulated his courage and noble life.

   The closing exercises were even more impressive. The ritual of this great military order to which none are eligible except those who enlisted before July 1, 1863, and who served at least two years, unless wounded, is one of the finest of all of the societies or orders.

   The memorial services are particularly beautiful and impressive.

SAFE LOCKED TIGHT.

The Lock Wouldn't Turn and an Expert is Summoned.

   When LeRoy Aldridge started to unlock the large Marvin safe at the store of F. B. Nourse this morning he turned the knob a few times and then stuck fast. The safe could not be opened and as a consequence all of the cases in Mr. Nourse's store containing the most valuable jewelry, plate and diamonds are empty. Mr. Nourse telegraphed to New York for an expert, but, as there is an extra steel plate between the outside and inside plates which cannot be drilled, it is thought that the expert will have a rather difficult time in opening it.

   The cause is unknown, but it is thought that some emery, with which the inside mechanism of the doors was cleaned a short time ago, got into the combination lock.