Gulfport, MS Harrison County Courthouse Fire, Jan 1916 - Goes Down in Flames

Harrison County Courthouse Goes Down In Flames

Heroic Work By County Officials And Others All Records of Permanent Value Are Brought Out to Places of Safety Origin of Fire Regarded With Suspicion

Gulfport, January 18. The Harrison county courthouse was destroyed by fire during the early hours of morning.

Through efforts of the county officials and various attaches of the courthouse, all important records and papers were saved.

“No permanent records pertaining to land of chancery matter was destroyed.” said Chancery Clerk John J. Murphy, when seen this morning.

“We have saved every paper in the sheriff’s office and will be ready to resume the business of our office during the day,” said Sheriff Clark.

“All records and papers save these pertaining to the immediate business of the criminal term of the circuit court are intact,” said Circuit Clerk A. J. Ramsay Jr.

“The township plats of my office were not burnt in the least” said Assessor C.P. Huggins.

“It is remarkable,” said Judge Neville, “how heroically the county officials and attaches worked to save the records in the courthouse. They deserve the thanks of the entire county. But for their unselfish efforts important records that could not have been duplicated would certainly have been destroyed.”

Praiseworthy Action.

While the fire was burning away at three o’clock this morning, Deputy Sheriff George P. Hewes rang up the Hardy residence and arranged to rent a part of the Hardy building, corner 24th avenue and 14th street, to be used temporarily as the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Clark put a force at work early in the morning moving the effects of his office in the new quarters with the result that at one hour before noon the force was issuing tax receipts.

Books, papers, files and other things were piled on the sidewalk this morning and guarded by an armed officer. No attempt, however, was made to disturb a single document.

The Fire

The fire in the courthouse was discovered about 1:35 o’clock this morning by Night City officer Byrd, who immediately gave the alarm. The department responded with its usual promptness and coupled up four different lines of hose, but discovered that the pressure was insufficient to make any impression on the growing flames.

The indicator at the city hall shows that between the discovery of the fire at approximately 1:35 o’clock and an hour later the pressure remained at about 60 pounds, when it should have been not less than 100. The firemen were on the ground ready to do all within their power to bring the flames under control, but were powerless under the lack of pressure.

“I rang up the power house, stated Chief Hardtner, “to inquire after the cause of the trouble and the information was given that the pressure exceeded ninety pounds. “I knew, however, that this could not be so, because our four streams were totally inadequate.

“Our city electrician was then called up and at the hour of 2:35 o’clock full pressure was put on and we had worlds of water, but it was too late for the building was then practically destroyed.

It would appear that the lack of water pressure is responsible for the destruction of the courthouse, for it is believed by some of those who appeared on the scene first that the fire could have been extinguished without much difficulty.

Among those early at the scene was Chancery Clerk John Murphy, and it is the opinion of this official that the fire could have easily been brought under control with any reasonable water supply at all.

Electric Pumps Turned On

When called, Watts Ranklin, city electrician, hastened to the central fire station and turned on the electric pump, the pressure at once responding in varying degree, registering at the indicator from 100 to 100 pounds. As stated, this was ample but it came too late for the courthouse was already in a mass of ruins.

Brick But Burned Fast

Though brick, the building burned with the rapidity of frame and its………………….

Flames thrown into the skies was a weird spectacle to the crowds which had gathered to look on. The dome rose to a height of more than 50 feet and looked like a huge crown amidst the flames, but its glory was shortlived for it came down with a crash as the supporting roof gave way.

At 3 o’clock nothing remained of the original building save the walls, but the annexes which have been added on from time to time, including a vault, the sheriff’s office and that of the circuit clerk, which remain intact, though covered with water.

Vault Proves Worth.

According to Chancery Clerk Murphy the vault, which the Board of Supervisors some years ago wisely decided to add to the courthouse, last night proved its worth for but the protection it afforded to invaluable records the loss should have been impossible to save them from the main building all that this vault contained. Mr. Murphy does not believe that the contents of the vault have been injured in the slightest.

This vault was erected about six or eight years ago at a cost of $4,000 and was long ago recognized as one of the most valuable portions of the courthouse. In fact, it has always been a matter of conjecture as to how so important a feature was omitted when the courthouse was originally built.

Continued below - in "Origin of the Fire"