Dixie Building in Greensboro Damaged by Fire, April 19, 1926

Dixie Building in Greensboro Scene of Damaging Fire. . . Five Stories of Insurance Company Building Were Ruined by Fire Discovered Early Today. . . Firemen Fought Several Hours. . . Fire from Building Ran on Gas Pipe to Another Structure But It Was Quickly Handled There

Greensboro, April 19 (AP)—Flames originating in the basement almost completely gutted the first five floors of the Dixie Fire Insurance Co. building this morning, destroying more than a score of offices and causing a property damage estimated at more than $150,000.

All but the sixth floor and a recent addition to the building were gutted these being protected by concrete fire walls. The fire is thought to have found its origin in a leaking gas main in the Crystal Café, which was quartered in the basement.

The alarm was given shortly before 3 o’clock and the city’s entire fire fighting equipment was called to the scene. A short while later it was discovered that the McAdoo building, a five-story structure, 100 yards away, had caught fire, apparently from a gas main connecting the two buildings.

This fire was immediately extinguished, but the larger building proved a harder task. Flames shot out on the East Sycamore street side, with such vehemence that firemen warned several hundred residents of the Benbow Arcade to vacate. The Arcade was only a short distance away and it is constructed of inflammable material.

At 11 a.m. today firemen were still at their posts, but the flames had spent their force. Harry R. Rush, president of the Dixie Fire Insurance Co., announced today that the damage was fully covered by insurance. The offices of the A. & Y. Railroad were completely wiped out, as was the Western Union office on the first floor.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Monday, April 19, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-04-19/ed-1/seq-1/