The story of the great fire of 1910 at Fisherville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is told in news articles from Harrisburg, Elizabethville and Lykens newspapers. The fire destroyed a shirt factory and general store.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, April 2, 1910:
INCENDIARY FIRE AT FISHERVILLE
SHIRT FACTORY AND GENERAL STORE DESTROYED BY FLAMES
HALIFAX SENDS AID
LACK OF APPARATUS MAKES FIRE-FIGHTING TASK A HARD ONE
Special to the Telegraph
Halifax, Pennsylvania, April 2 [1910] — Fire supposed to be of incendiary origin, destroyed the shirt factory owned by Loudermilch and Keiter and the general store conducted by Bixler and Company at Fisherville at 1 o’clock this morning.
There is no fire company at Fisherville and a party of about fifteen Halifax men went to the place in automobiles and rendered much assistance in extinguished the flames. The firefighters succeeded in preventing the blaze from spreading to other buildings, a task of some consequence considering the lack of apparatus. Both buildings were two-story frame structures and the contents of each was totally destroyed.
The loss on the store is estimated at $8,000, on which there is about $2,500 insurance. The shirt factory gave employment to about thirty-five people, mostly girls. It was in the latter building that the fire originated.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, April 7, 1910:
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
When most of the inhabitants of our town were sleeping soundly last Friday night, April 1st, the cry of fire was heard by a few who were awake on account of sickness or other reasons. The fire broke out about 12 o’clock in the engine house of the shirt factory, the engine house being built against the main factory building. Mrs. E. Bowman who lives nearby first discovered the fire, and her sister aroused the nearest neighbors. The entire town was soon aroused, and had there been ladders and water sufficient before the flames reached the roof the fire would have been quenched before doing so much damage. It soon became evident that the factory was doomed, and all the efforts were then turned toward saving the store house of Laird and Company managed by Mr. Bixler. Only an alley separated the store from the burning factory and though men worked heroically trying to keep the roof and side of the store wet, the heat became too great, and it too, was left to the flames ravages. By this time many more men from Enders, Halifax, and the country had arrived on the scene and by hard work the dwelling of Peter F. Keiter was saved, and it seems almost a miracle that it was not burned, because all the water had to be pumped and handled by a bucket brigade. The cornice had caught several times from the heat but was always put out again. Some of the wells were pretty well lowered before the fire was under control, which lasted over two hours.
The citizens of Fisherville greatly appreciated the prompt response from men who came from Halifax, Enders and Spannuth’s Mill in response to telephone calls.
Some goods were saved from the factory and store building and it seemed providential that there was no wind. Had it not been calm the whole town might have been laid in ashes in a short time.
The blow is severe to our town. It is not known how the fire started. The factory was owned by Lewis Yeager of near Halifax and operated by Ferdinand Loudermilch. Both buildings and the contents were insured; the exact amount is not known to the writer.
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From the Lykens Standard, April 8, 1910:
INCENDIARY FIRE AT FISHERVILLE
Fire, supposed to be of incendiary origin, destroyed the shirt factory owned by Loudermilch and Keiter and the general store conducted by Bixler and Company at Fisherville between 1 and 2 o’clock last Friday morning. The fire broke out and in a short time the entire building was in flames. The church bell was rang to sound the alarm and in a short time a bucket brigade was formed to combat the flames. Word was also sent to Halifax and in a short time assistance came from all directions. There is no fire company in Fisherville, but the fire fighters succeeded in confining the flames to the factory and store,which were entirely destroyed with their contents except a few shirts saved from the factory. Both buildings were two-story frame structures. The loss of the store is estimated at $8,000, of which there is about $2,500 insurance. The shirt factory gave employment to about 35 people, mostly girls. The factory was run with a gasoline engine but this had nothing to do with the fire. Peter Keiter‘s house was badly damaged on the west side.
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News stories from Newspapers.com.
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