Williamston had a big blaze Saturday night about 7 o’clock when everything was covered with snow and sleet. The fire was located in the colored hotel on Washington Street, which was in roaring flames before it could be reached by the fire fighters.
The fire department found they did not have enough hose to reach the fire without using some that was too old to stand full pressure and had much difficulty in reaching the fire with water.
The hotel building was totally destroyed and also the Ormond building, used as an office building and store, which adjoined the hotel. Ormond occupied the offices and Joe Mike’s Economy Store the store room.
The hotel was a two-story wooden structure, worth something like $3,000, with $1,150 insurance, and belonged to A.J. Britt, but was being run by Walter Simmons.
The other building belonged to W.V. Ormond and was worth $2,000, with $1,000 insurance and $250 insurance on furniture and fixtures. The amount of loss to furniture and fixtures in the hotel could not be ascertained.
The fire originated from a defective flue.
Biggs & Stalls Warehouse Fire
Monday afternoon about 2:30 a fire alarm was sent in from Biggs & Stalls Warehouse, near the A.C.L. station. The fire was making great headway when the fire engines reached the building, but by quick action on the part of the fire company with both the water and chemical apparatus, the flames were soon put out, although it took quite a while to stop the smoldering fire in the contents of the building, consisting of 75 tons of fertilizer, 11,000 bags of peanuts, several hundred bushels of ear corn, and a large quantity of ashe shovel handles. The total value of the contents was between $45,000 and $50,000. The contents were insured for $25,000, with the exception of the 75 tons of guano, on which no insurance was covered.
The building was valued at 45,000, with $2,000 insurance. Damage to the building is estimated as high as from $1,500 to $2,000.
The furniture and fixtures were totally destroyed and the damage to the fertilizer and peanuts can not possibly be ascertained, as they were flooded with water as well as badly burned. The loss is variously estimated at between $15,000 and $20,000.
The firemen found it difficult to fight the fire, as the smoke from the burning fertilizer caused so much gas it almost stifled them. Mr. F.L. Edwards was overcome and had to be taken out.
The origin of the fire is not known, but was supposed to be from an oil stove or from smoking.
From the front page of The Enterprise, Williamston, N.C., Tuesday, March 16, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073995/1926-03-16/ed-1/seq-1/
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