 |
The large Summer Hotel at Oliver Springs was burned to the ground Thursday night about 11:30 p.m. o'clock. Nothing was saved and the magnificent structure which season after season has housed hundreds of guests was quickly a smoldering mass of embers.
A telephone message to this city [Clinton] while the building burned gave the news. The fire originated in the basement of the two hundred room-building and in less than one hour and a half the structure was burned to the ground. The loss is forty thousand dollars with insurance of $10,000. There was absolutely no fire protection in the town and nothing hampered the progress of the flames.
A large number of guests occupied rooms in the resort and the majority of them were asleep. All were aroused and escaped safely.
The hotel was owned by the Richards brothers of this place and was used as a summer resort. Mrs. J. M. Harmon was the manager.
The regular season would have opened May 1st, but there were already a number of guests at the hotel, several having arrived that night.