The Southern Democrat, 14 Nov 1907 Oneonta Has Serious Fire. Starts in Guthrie Hotel-Ten Buildings Destroyed. Loss Will Reach $15,000.00-No Insurance. The Democrat Office Has Narrow Escape. The most destructive fire in the history of Oneonta broke out in the Guthrie Hotel about noon on last Thursday and was not subdued until ten buildings had been destroyed. The fire caught from a defective flue over the office of the hotel and soon spread over the entire building. Despite efforts to confine the fire to the hotel it soon caught the Reid building which was owned by L.H. Brown and swept everything in its path until it reached G.W. Darden's law office which was torn down to save the other building on that side of the avenue. Crossing first avenue the Guthrie Livery Stable was soon consumed, as was also all the buildings up the avenue until the flames were finally extinguished in the Russell building. S.W. Guthrie, owner of the Guthrie hotel and livery stable, was the heaviest loser, his loss amounting to about $5,000. Other losses were L.H. Brown, loss of building and damage to goods $1,000; Mrs. J.F. Kelton, loss of building and damage to goods $1,000; Peter Clements, two buildings, $1,000; G.W. Darden, office $500; W.L. Mccorkle, building and damage to goods $500; W.T. Buckner loss of building and damage to building $400; O.A. Steele's and J.B. Sloan's law offices were badly damaged. F.G. Stephens sustained the loss of a stable, shed and coal house and damage to The Democrat office. Other losses amounting to $200 and less by damage of goods in handling were sustained by Geo. T. Mote, J.S. DeLache, J.H. Lowery, J.A. Brice, McPherson Grocery and Grain Co., B.C. Bynum Millinery Co., J.E. Bynum, J.R. Wooten, Bynum Bros., O.A. Steele, T.B. Russell and G.W. Darden. S.H. Brown who occupied the upper story of the Reid building lost part of his household effects, and Dr. J.T. Stone who occupied part of the same building lost his drugs. Some of the boarders of the hotel lost pretty heavily. Most of the goods were removed from all the stores. Nothwithstanding the fact that no insurance was carried by any of the parties burned out they will probably rebuild with more substantial material. Sam Hendricks, on the Democrat force seems to feel his lost more keenly than any one-he missed Ringling's big circus. Rev. W.L. Hendricks was very painfully but not seriously burned while removing his effects from the Guthrie hotel last Thursday. J.T. Argo, of Rosa, was pretty badly hurt in the fire last Thursday. He was thrown against a glass door which cut one of his arms so severely that he will likely lose the use of it. S.W. Guthrie, whose hotel was destroyed by fire last week, has rented the Darden hotel and his old boarders are "at home" with him again. The fire which destroyed a portion of our town, broke out before we had finished mailing last week's issue of The Democrat, and it reached some of our subscribers a day or two late. Owing to the torn up condition of our office the paper will be a little late again this week and some local items have doubtless been omitted. For all of which we ask the indulgence of our readers. The thanks of the town of Oneonta are due Engineer Buckpitt, of Anniston, for the valuable assistance he rendered in extinguishing the fire which was so rapidly destroying the town when his train reached the station. He is an experienced fire fighter, and taking in the situation at a glance he left his train, secured possession of the fire fighting apparatus and in a short time had the fire under control. It is the unanimous opinion that his work saved the town from further destruction. We have sufficient water but have no one that knows how to fight a fire. We must have some one trained for that purpose.