Fire at Hardscrabble

Grant County. Hardscrabble, Sept. 15. -A terrible fire broke out at Greenwood last Saturday night about 9 o’clock in Wm. Bedinger’s grocery.  Will and Tom Stephens were scuffling and upset a coal-oil lamp.  The oil ran out on the floor, the blaze following it.  Charlie Stephens started to get a quilt which was in the grocery to smother out the flames, but before he could get back the fire had reached a ten-pound keg of powder.  The powder went off, and so did Charlie and Tom Stephens.  It blew them clear across the pike.  Both ends of the grocery were blown out, and the roof fell in on Will Bedinger.  He succeeded in getting out, but his clothes were all ablaze.  Charlie and Tom pulled his clothes off, and will run home and got in bed.  He is burned pretty badly about the face and body, but not dangerously.  Charlie Stephen’s face and hands were burned, and Tom’s eyebrows were singed off.  All the parties are doing well at this date.  The fire extended to Menzer’s wagon and blacksmith shop.  All the wagons were saved.  Loss about $1,500; no insurance.    

from Covington’s Daily Commonwealth, September 17, 1879