The following news article is from the Harrisburg Evening News, April 21, 1926, via Newspapers.com.
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FIREMEN FROM FIVE TOWNS HELP FIGHT BIG FIRE AT PILLOW
PILLOW, April 21 [1926] — Fire today swept through this Dauphin County village destroying twenty barns, private garages, a slaughter house and other out buildings, damaging the United Brethren Church and four houses and for two hours threatening the entire community with destruction.
Carried by a high wind, the flames razed all of the buildings in the alley between South Union and Pine Streets in the very heart of the town and rained sparks and burning embers over a large area.
Two automobiles, hundreds of chickens and live stock and other property were saved from the burning buildings by volunteer fire fighters.
Bucket brigades held the flames in check until the arrival of fire apparatus summoned from nearby towns.
Fire trucks were sent from Elizabethville, Gratz, Herndon, Wiconisco, and Millersburg.
Church Roof Ablaze
The houses of Clinton Kemble, J. A. Schaeffer, Isaac Miller and George B. Snyder were damaged. Their walls were scorched and their roofs caught fire in several places.
A flying ember, falling on the roof of the United Brethren Church burned its ways into the building, causing slight damage before the fire was discovered and extinguished.
The fire originated from a brush fire on the property of Walter Rowe. It is believed Rowe’s barn was ignited from the brush fire.
From Rowe’s barn the flames spread to the slaughter house and other outbuildings of George Snyder, the carpenter shop and sheds of Isaac Miller, the barns of Mrs. Brosious and Elias Kobel and the outbuildings on the property of Clinton Kemble.
This town, which is known as Pillow and Uniontown, has a population of 310 people and comprises eighty-five houses and business establishments. It is on the Elizabethville-Shamokin State highway and is just south of the Dauphin-Nothumberland County line at the entrance to Uniontown Gap.
Raged Two Hours
The fire was discovered at 7 o’clock this morning and raged for two hours before it was placed under control.
It is estimated that the loss will exceed $10,000, much of which is covered by insurance.
The disastrous fire caught the town without any fire protection, except that provided by volunteer bucket brigades and nearby towns.
Business men and property owners within an hour after the fire was under control pledged $2000 for the purchase of a fire truck, and steps were being taken toward the organization of a volunteer fire company.
Included in the buildings destroyed were chicken houses, private garages, stables, tool sheds, and other small outbuildings.
The Elizabethville fire truck was the first to answer the call for help. Seven miles separate the two towns. The Gratz apparatus was the second to arrive and the Herndon truck was third in reaching the fire. The Wiconisco fire truck came ten miles and Millersburg sent a truck from fourteen miles away.
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