PARK HOTEL DAMAGED BY FIRE
RECORD WRITTEN BY : TINA EASLEY
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/
RESEARCHED FROM THE DAILY SOLIPHONE
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TUESDAY , APRIL 27, 1909 - Front Page
( HIGHLIGHTS)
FLAMES GUTTED UPPER STORY AT 1:59 THIS MORNING
LOSS OF ABOUT $1,500
FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE PARK HOTEL EARLY ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 27, 1909. SHORTLEY AFTER THE MIDNIGHT HOUR AND DONE GREAT DAMAGE.
THE BLAZE WAS CONFINED MOSTLY TO THE SECOND FLOOR , THE FIRST FLOOR ESCAPED DAMAGER OTHER THAN DONE BY WATER.
ROY TURNER , NIGHT MAN ON WATCH AT THE CAFE IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL , WAS THE FIRST TO DISCOVER THE FIRE AND IT WAS THEN UNDER GOOD HEADWAY. THE NIGHT MAN IMMEDIATELY SOUNDED THE ALARM THE HOUR BEING 1:50 A.M. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED PROMPTLY AND BATTLED THE FLAMES , WHICH WERE FINALLY SUBDUED AFTER TWO HOURS OF HARD WORK.
BEING CONFINED MOSTLY TO THE SECOND STORY WITH NO OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE FIRE LADDIES COULD WORK THE RAGING FLAMES . FOR TWO SOLID HOURS THREE STREAMS WERE PLAYED UPON THE FIRE AND GREAT DAMAGE WAS DONE.
THE FIRE STARTED IN A SMALL ROOM AT THE REAR OF THE POOL ROOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR. THE COURSE OF THE FIRE WAS SPREAD THROUGH THE STAIRWAY THAT LEAD FROM THE SMALL ROOM TO THE SECOND FLOOR AND THIS OPENING SERVED AS A DRAFT TO DRAW THE FIRE UPWARDS. THE ORGIN OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN BUT IT IS SUPOSED TO HAVE STARTED IN A LOT OF TRASH AND JUNK THAT WAS STOWED AWAY IN THE ANTE ROOM.
THERE WERE ELEVEN ROOMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FRONT ROOM ON THE RIGHT ALL ARE A TOTAL WRECK. THE FIXTURES AND FURNISHINGS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE AND WATER . THE POOL ROOM WAS NOT DAMAGED TO ANY GREAT EXTENT , BUT THERE IS SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE POOL TABLES BY WATER . THE CAFE , CONDUCTED BY JIM YOUNG , ALSO ESCAPED THE RAVAGES OF THE DESTRUCTIVE FIRE .
THE BUILDING IS THE PROPERTY OF MRS. W.J. McDONALD . HER LOSS IS ESTIMATED ABOUT $1,500 WHICH IS FULLY COVERED BY INSURANCE. THE FURNITURE AND POL TABLES WERE THE PROPERTY OF HENRY LANGLEY , WHO PLACES HIS LOSSES AT ABOUT $1,200 WITH $800 COVERED BY INSURANCE.
THERE WERE NO ROOMERS AT THE PARK LAST NIGHT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE FURTHER THAN PROPERTY LOSS. MRS. McDONALD IS ALREADY PLANNING TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AND WORK WILL BE STARTED AT ONCE.