Source: North Manchester Journal, February 8, 1883

ANOTHER CONFLAGRATION

The Old "Bee-Hive" burned to the ground, Sunday morning
BY THE HANDS OF AN INCENDIARY

This is our Third Fire within the last Four Weeks!

Shortly after the silent hour of midnight, last Saturday night, the cry of "Fire" was sounded through the slumbering town. Those who were awakened by the cry, started from their beds in alarm, and hastened to the scene of the conflagration. The fire was in the old "Bee-Hive," which an attempt was made to fire on the night after the American House burned. It was a very clear case of incendiarism. The building had been set on fire in the upper story at the south-east corner, and had, to all appearances, been burning some time when the alarm was given. The old house was almost as dry as tinder on the inside, and burned rapidly. Little attempt was made toward saving it. The bulletin board adjoining the west end, and connecting it with Leonard's lime house, was torn down. The wind being from the west precluded any danger to the old buildings west of it. It appeared as though the incendiary had fired it in such a way and time as to favor all neighboring buildings. A better time for a fire (if we are allowed the expression), could not have been chosen. The surrounding houses, trees and everything was wet and covered with sleet from the storm the day before. The roof of the old house was so covered with ice that the fire hardly broke through. Its supports burned away, letting it fall in without much appearance of having burned any at all. The fire being started in the south end of the east wing allowed that portion of the building to burn away first, lessening the danger to Dr. Shaffer's house, a few steps south. The fire also had to burn against the wind, which was another point in the favor of neighboring houses, as it did not burn so fast or get so hot as it would had the wind been from the other direction. The light from the burning building illuminated a large portion of the city, and was seen many miles in the country. A large crowd gathered to witness the scene, and it is described as one of majestic grandeur. A large cedar tree stands in Frank Shilt's yard, across the street on the east. This tree was loaded down with sleet and its boughs hung full of long icicles. Large pieces of burning shingles lit in the top of this tree, lighting it up and making it an imposing spectacle. The ice sparkled in the firelight like a large cluster of magnificent diamonds. The pieces of burning shingles in the boughs lighted it up until it looked like a magnificent Christmas tree, decked by fairy hands. The fire burned several hours before the building was consumed. As nearly as we can learn the fire was discovered shortly after twelve o'clock, and about four o'clock the last post fell in. By morning nothing was left of the old structure but a few pieces of burning sills. It is not known who fired the building, but it was done for no other motive than pure cussedness. The crowd began to disperse about 4 o'clock when the building had all been burned. Several men remained the whole night and watched it.

NOTES

Newt VanCamp says the fire started from a defective flue.

A few bundles of old lath and an old door frame or two was carried out.

The frame of the building was good and strong, almost as the day it was put up.

A good watch was kept on the barns in course of the wind until the last of the fire.

The north side being partly town down tended to destroy the force of the fire in some degree.

Many jokes and ludicrous remarks passed around from mouth to mouth, while the house was burning.

Droves of English sparrows were driven from the burning building and circled around high over the fire.

The fire as seen from different parts of the city, seemed to be in as many different places as it was viewed from.

The ice on a platform around the pump, about 20 feet from the south side of the building, was not melted.

Hardly any excitement was manifested over the fire. After the first alarm was given everything subsided into quiet.

Several persons came in from three miles in the country. They saw the fire and thought the whole town was burning up.

The boys tell a good joke on Dave Frame. They say that upon his arrival at the fire he discovered that he had a bucket without a bottom in it.

No body seemed to fear any danger from the burning house. Everything was so covered with ice that it would have been a hard matter for a spark to get sufficient start to fire a house.

This town has been most severely scourged by fires so far this winter. The work of an incendiary in some instances, but in most is the result of carelessness. People can not be too careful in watching the workings of their flues, chimneys, &c. An inspection of every flue in town, or those in the principal streets, at least, should be instituted at once, and all that are unsafe should be condemned. The owner of an unsafe flue can better afford to rebuild it than to lose his whole house, and endanger the property of his adjoining neighbors. Will the board act in this matter?