$140,000 in Property Lost in Louisburg Fire, Dec. 7, 1921

$140,000 Fire in Louisburg. . . McKinne Brothers Co. Store and Stables Burned. . . Top Farmers Union Warehouse Crushed by Falling Wall—W.E. White Furniture Co. And Town Electric Plant Suffer Damages

Fire originating in the store of McKinne Bros. Co., about 2 o’clock Wednesday morning, disturbed the slumbers of Louisburg’s citizens. Those early on the scene report that the fire had been moldering so long that the house was filled with gas and smoke to such an extent that it was considered dangerous to attempt an entrance for the purpose of saving any sort of stock. The blaze soon bursted through and a short wile the entire building including the Stables adjoining together with their mammoth stock of hardware, groceries and feed stuffs was a total loss. Quite a little excitement was caused by the explosion of some powder and a lot of gun shells. At one time it looked as if the entire business part of town was doomed but the heroic work of Louisburg’s splendid fire department and the efficiency of the water plant combined to confine the flames within the walls of the building owned by Messrs. McKinne. The front wall fell in before the fire died away and about 8 o’clock Wednesday morning the side wall next to the Union Warehouse fell on the top of the Farmers Union Warehouse crushing in a good portion of the top.

The stock of furniture of W.E. White Furniture co. Was moved to the Court Square and suffered much damage in the handling and from water.

The total losses as best as could be estimated were as follows:

McKinne Bros., Co., stock, $65,000, insurance $30,000; store $30,000, insurance $10,000.

Town of Lousiburg, damage to electric light plant, $300, no insurance.

Farmers Union Warehouse, damage to top from falling wall, $2,000.

U-Tote-Em, damage from water, $200.

G.W. Ford, slight water damage.

C.T. Stokes, water damage to building, slight.

Mrs. S.P. Burt, glass broken in windows, $100, insured.

C.C. Hudson Co., damage by smoke and heat, $100.

The store of W.E. White Furniture Company caught fire on the inside form the hot wall, and an explosion broke a hole through the lower portion of the wall.

McKinne Bros. Co. Announced early in the day that they had arranged to occupy the store room belonging to Mr. W.E. White and formerly occupied by The Hardware Co., and would take care of their trade.

There is no theory advanced as to the origin of the fire unless it was from rats.

From The Franklin Times, Louisburg, N.C., Friday, Dec. 9, 1921