Other Articles Clipping from Athens Messenger and Herald, Thu, Aug 13, 1896.
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Monday Morning’s Fires Started by!Incendiaries Cause a Lossof About $7000.rI »irlt;r* SHloon on Main Strett, two House* : d /!1 \,.r„sN the Klver anti the Dwelling„f ,1. K. Osmond Destroyed —Other Damage.bvtbti\ tire unqestionably of incendiary ori-broke out in Athens about three ! t o'clock Monday morning, completely de- | b s'oving the interior of K. M. Laird's sa- j l„on on Main street, and burning to the j a .-round three dwelling houses just across j g the Hocking river near the south bridge, j or\V(, „f these houses also were owned by ; eLaird, and one by J. K. Osmond.It was probably a few minutes before three o'clock when some person ran j '1 thrc'uab the streets of Athens arousing pthe citizens by crying “Fire! lire? hn- 1*metliatlelv after the alarm bells rang out. : iiand perhaps ten minutes later the tire's1 department was on its way to the burn- i c in? building on Main street. The lire j o rvas found to be in the Laird building j C nearlv at the corner of Main and Union clt;tislit*it was seen at once that the lire j cm ■aIt W c*. v ''live uiv. titvwas a dangerous one, and that prompt ; tlan-I vigorous work would be required to w s;*ve the block from total destruction, j *■ Fortunately, however, not a breath of it air was .tirring, and this fact aided ma- c teria 1 v in bringing- the tire under control air! preventing the dames from spreading to other buildings. The Laird building I e was .i two story brick structure, the j st lower storv being used for a saloon and ; s’lt; restaurant and the upper for a pool and . M billiard hall. Adjoining the Laird build- j nIn? on the south and separated only by a V* brick .vail, was the two story brick build- I t! kg owned bv the Blackstone heirs, the | upper story being occupied by Mrs. Black- -i st^ne and the lower one by Mrs. Llliott as ; blt; a millinery store. On the north and separated bv walls was the two storv struct- U *» ^are owned bv A. L. Roach and Sons, and j **jused for a grocery, provision and feed j ai store. The rooms of the Roach building ^ .butting those of Laird’s were used for |'v storage, and from these rooms it was nec- ' alt * 1 messary to keep the flames, or the whole of J nlt; the west side of the •street would he in j danger of destruction. The dames in the Laird building’ were at last gotten under control, but not until the interior, the ! hii •contents, the fixtures, the roof and the I walls were almost entirely ruined. The j w upper story of Mrs. Blaekstone's house j caught tire, but the flames were extin- j guistied. Her house was damaged consid- j s* erablv, thereof was partly destroyed, and j ti the walls of the interior were blackened \ ^{ and torched. The windows were broken and the plastering was torn from the ceiling and the wails. On account of the j w dense smoke and intense heat, it was impossible to remove the furniture and contents from the second storv. The furniture. beds, bureaus and pictures were all greatly damaged by the water, while several beds which were stored in the attic were burned. The lower part of the Blackstone building which was occupied by Mrs. Ellitt’s millinery store wasconsiderably damaged by the water, but fortunately nearly all of the millinerystock was saved.Mrs. KUiott was in Cincinnati at thebiIvxVtht t frt L.. At)ptbeluthhtPiterem
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