Vol. XVIII No. 30
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 1921
5c Copy $2.00 Year
NEARLY $100,000. FIRE
A Large Portion of Main Business Section of Southern
Pines Burned to Ground.
PERKINS HOTEL, TARBELL BLOCK AND LOCEY BLOCK
WIPED OUT.
Residents of Southern Pines were aroused at two forty-five o’clock
Wednesday morning by the sound of the fire bell and upon looking
toward town saw a great blaze well under way around the corner of
Broad street and Pennsylvania avenue.
It is the general conclusion that the fire started in the rear of Mr.
Windham’s office, and from this point caught the Perkins Hotel and
spread back to the Locey building on Pennsylvania Avenue, occupied
by E. C. Eddy as a photograph studio, Thomas W. Cameron as a
clothing store, and P. P. Peltou’s Law Office and containing rooms up
stairs used for the overflow of The Perkins. It then took the building
next door containing a barber shop, dressmaking rooms and also
some smaller buildings in the rear of the Hotel.
The fire boys gathered quickly and the chemical was brought to
the scene but there was some delay in starting the engine and these few
minutes delay allowed the flames, which were barely licking the posts
supporting the porch of the Perkins Hotel to gain a good headway and
the hotel which was an old landmark and a real home to many a
travelling man, burned rapidly from the rear and side, the fat pine
crackling and snapping and the coal in the rear lending body to the
conflagration.
Mrs. Perkins, who having suffered heavy loss from fire in the past
is always on the watch ready to investigate any unusual light at night,
saw the flames and arroused Mr. Perkins and he hastened to give the
alarm.
“Mother” Perkins warned all her guests and called the help in the
rear of the hotel and then started out to do what she could but has not
been strong for sometime and had to be taken to Mr. H. A. Lewis’
across the street where she could not see the pride of her heart destroyed
before her eyes. In this connection it should be said that but for this
characteristic thoughtfulness for all around her, some of those in and
about the hotel might have lost their lives.
Most of the furniture including the silver, table linen and piano
from the lower floor of the hotel were saved but the up stairs furnishings,
including a large number of new beds and an accumulation of ten years
of fine furnishings that were to be placed in the Patrick building just
bought, were totally destroyed.
After the Perkins Hotel was wiped out the Tarbell Block, recently
bought by Mr. H. A. Lewis, occupied by Harry Howe as a jewelry store
Harry A. Lewis’ Market and Grocery Store and the Home Furniture
Store was the next to start. The flames ate rapidly and very little
was saved. Mr. Howe’s safe contained money and a large number of
watches and articles of value to him in his trade. The safe is in the
ruins but cannot be opened for a few days until it cools when it is hoped
the articles it contains will be found intact.
Mr. Lewis had closed out his store and market on the east side of the
railioad track last Saturday night and had moved all of his stock across
to the store in the building that was burned. Mr. Lewis runs a large
market and grocery business and had goods to the amount of between
$10,000 and $15,000 in addition to the loss of the entire building which
he owned.
A great deal of praise is due the fire boys whose careful planning
and hard work saved the rest of the town from going wholly or in part.
The Pinehurst Fire Co. boys were a fine example of good training and
it was through their efforts that the Congregational Church and the
Jefferson Inn were saved. The Aberdeen and Carthage boys also aided
in the good work.
Sparks flew in all directions, and several roofs at some distance
from the conflagration caught. Why Mr. Mills’ feed store did not go
was a wonder to most people, but those who were on the spot say that it
was the hard work of the Southern Pines Boys that helped to save this
building. All those who lost through the fire have the sympathy of
everyone. Some were insured and others were not. But owing to the
high value of insurance no one was able to carry enough to cover any
where near his entire loss.
The loss was more than enough to all butmost everyone thinks
first of Mr. and Mrs. Perkin’s whose loss was the heaviest and who are
not as young and strong as the othe'rs. They lost a popular business
and the work of years but with cheerful faces and an ever present
thought for the welfare of the town say “it is our loss but the towns
gain” and set out to plan better things in the future or all concerned.
For, as one man said, “Mother Perkins is not the one to sit down and
cry but the one to stand up andfight,” and another said “Mother Perkins
sure is one * ‘dead game sport, ’ ’ which fact makes us hope and believe
that a new and finer building will soon arise where the old one stood,
and will be a real beauty and pride to the town and its occupants.
The building occupied by C. L. Hayes, Stationery Store was badly
damaged and a considerable amount of the stock in the store was more
or less damaged. However, the store was open for’ business on Wed
nesday morning at the usual hour with the stock slightly disarranged
but the daily papers etc were moving over the counter just the same as
if there had not been a fire. All the contents of Mrs. Hayes store were
carried out during the fire, but were safely back in the store again in
time to open at the usual hour.
The Jefferson Inn lost the building back of the hotel which housed
the heating plant, and contained rooms for several of the employees.
J. N. Mills lost the barn back of his feed store which was stocked
full of hay and various commodities in connection with his feed busi
ness. Mr. Pelton saved the greater part of his office furnishings and
his valuable law library. Mr. Windham saved about half of his office
equipment but unfortunately lost his correspondence files and some
valuable papers. There was very little salvage from the Eddy Studio.
Mr. Cameron’s store and the Home Furnishing store.
The firemen had a hard fight to save the telephone exchange build
ing as the rear of the buildiug was badly damaged. The operator, Mrs.
Paine, struck to her post until she was forcibly taken from the build
ing.
There were three principal elements that enabled the fire fighters to
hold the fire to the half block that burned. First, and most important*
The town water supply stood the test and did not give out, second.
The efficient help that came from Pinehurst, Aberdeen and Carthage
furnished a sufficient number of trained men and additional hose etc,
third, there was very little wind at the time of the fire for which the
entire northern end of the town can render thanks as it would have
been impossible to save the Jefferson Inn if a strong south wind had
been blowing.
THE FIRE LOSS
It is a very difficult matter to make an
accurate estimate of the loss sustained
by the property owners who bad their
buildings and goods destroyed. The loss
is particularly heavy owing to the fact
that tfery few people carried more than
33 per cent of their insurapce value dup
to excessive high rate. The following list
however will give some idea of the losses
sustained.
L. W. Perkins, total loss $20,000, insur
ance carried $5,700.
H. A. Lewis, total loss $18,500, insur
ance carried $7,000.
R. E. Wiley to tal loss $2,000. insurance
carried $600.
J. S. Reynolds total loss $5,500, insur
a nee carried $1500.
Thomas W. Cameron, total loss $4,500
partly covered by insurance.
E C. Eddy total kps $3.500,.very small
amount of insurance carried.
The Telephone Co., total loss $2,500*
small amount of insurance carried.
The following persons carried no insur.
ance:
A. Shepherdson loss $800; P. P. Pelton
loss $500; J. M. Windham Iqm $600; H. F.
Howe loss $1000; J. N. Mills loss $600.