Newhanover County NcArchives News.....Distillery Burned. June 19, 1880
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Bill Gibson bgibson@uncfsu.edu October 24, 2006, 6:40 pm

Brunswick Advertiser  Vol. 5, No. 50 June 19, 1880
   The distillery of J. Wilder & Co., in the upper portion of this city, was 
burned on Monday last.  We have endeavored to find some one who could give us 
the origin of the fire, but so far have failed.  The conflagration was 
fearful, the dense smoke arising from the flames casting a shadow for several 
blocks, giving a peculiarly weird look similar to that of an eclipse of the 
sun.  The wind being due west, only the still and office, together with a 
small lot of naval stores, were burned.  The buildings near the water were not 
injured.  Two houses owned by Mrs. B. Golden, on an adjoining lot, were 
burned, being in close proximity to the office of Messrs. Wilder & Co., which, 
by the way, was itself so near the still, and the fire spread so rapidly, that 
not even the books of the firm were saved.  There was no insurance on any of 
the property, hence it is all total loss.  But phoenix-like, the firm are 
rising out of the ashes and re-building at once.  The smoke had hardly cleared 
away before the work of re-building began.  We should estimate the entire loss 
of still and houses, naval stores, etc., at about $2,500.  The sufferers have 
the sympathy of our whole people.

Additional Comments:
The Brunswick Advertiser was a weekly newspaper delivered each Saturday to the 
Brunswick, GA public.  Jesse Wilder's turpentine distillery was only a few 
months old when this incident occurred.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/newhanover/newspapers/distille58gnw.txt

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