The explosion blew a stable filled with hay into the middle of the
flooded street and this carried the flames to the opposite side.

The next house to burn was Harry Lindsay's. Then Mary Kreidler's and
then the home of Theodore C. Lindsay and other houses that had been
carried away from their foundations floated into the flames and soon
were on fire.

The floating fires burned without restraint and communicated flames to
many other buildings where families awaited help.

The Beckel House was threatened and Jefferson Street was on fire on its
east side from Third Street as far down as the Western Union office.
Refugees driven from their places where they had sought safety from the
floods were leaping from roof to roof to escape the new terror. The fire
was rapidly approaching the Home Telephone plant.

HUNDREDS IMPERILED BY FLAMES

Another fire which started from an explosion in the Meyers Ice Cream
Company place, near Wyoming Street, spread and burned the block on South
Park, a block from Wyoming.

Flames, starting at Vine and Main Streets, jumped Main Street and the
houses on the other side were soon aflame. In the middle of the street
were a few frame houses that had been washed from their foundations.
These were swirled about for a time, and, as though to aid in the
passing of the section by fire, they were cast into the path of the
flames. Persons hurried from their roof tops, where they had been driven
by the flood, to the roof tops of adjoining houses.

A fire that appeared to threaten the entire business section was
confined to the block bounded by Second and Third Streets and Jefferson
and St. Clair Streets. In the block were the Fourth National Bank,
Lattiman Drug Company, Evans' Wholesale Drug Company and several
commission houses. This fire subsided somewhat by evening.

Fire broke out in the buildings on Broad Street and many who had taken
refuge in the upper floors were threatened with death in the smoke and
flames.

Sixteen persons were housed in the Home Telephone Building with a block
and tackle rigged as a means of egress if the fire pressed them.

GOVERNOR COX AIDS

It was reported to Governor Cox that some had leaped from the buildings
into the flood. The Governor received word via Springfield that 10,000
to 12,000 persons were in the burning buildings, fighting the fire by
water lifted in buckets from the flood.

Governor Cox asked the Associated Press to notify its West Virginia