Lloyd Reed

LLOYD REED WAS KILLED

At the Fire Last Night Was the Horrible News Upon the Lips of Every Citizen Wednesday Morning and Sadness Prevailed.

CRUSHED BY FALLING WALL

Body Terribly Mangled Taken From the Debris by R. T. Lowndes, Sr., and Others

He Was one of Clarksburg’s Best Citizens

The Clarksburg Telegram., November 15, 1901

The burning of the Clarksburg Woolen Mills resulted in the death of Lloyd Reed. The announcement of his death and the tragic manner in which occurred have brought sadness into every heart and home and the city generally mourns the demise of a good and noble man.

Mr. Reed was manager and financial secretary of the mills and was one of the most earnest and untiring workers at the fire. He and others remained upon the scene after the blaze had been subdued and relieved from time to time the men who kept playing the hose on the fire throughout the night.

Mr. Lowndes was also upon the grounds up to the time of the sad accident.

About 2:30 o’clock Mr. Reed and Harry Jeffers were acting as relief and had hold of the hose in front of the front brick wall, directing the water upon a box of woolen goods.

Others were standing across the street looking on. They saw a few brick fall from the top of the wall to the inside and the wall itself began to wave backward and forward. The alarm was given that the wall was falling and one shouted “run for your lives.” Reed and Jeffers turned and started to run, but the massive brick works crushed them to the ground with a loud crash.

Mr. Lowndes and his men rushed upon the scene and labored quickly and hard to rescue the unfortunate men. Jeffers was easily gotten out, not so much debris having fallen upon him. He was more dead than alive. He was lying on his face down an incline and was rescued just in time to save his life. More difficulty was experienced in getting at Reed, a great amount of brick having fallen upon him. It was probably ten minutes before they got him out of the deadly pile. He was dead! Death must have been instantaneous. His skull was horribly crushed. Both arms were broken and his chest and body were terribly mangled. They found him lying on his face with his back toward the burnt building. The remains were removed to the Stealey-Osborn undertaking house and at 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon they were taken to the home of his mother, Mrs. Sarah Reed, West Pike Street.

Swept By Flames headline about the fire that Lloyd Reed died at

Funeral services were conducted in Christ Church at 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon by Revs. T. W. Cooke and C. P. Marshall in the presence of a large concourse of sorrowing and sympathetic people and Hermon Lodge No. 6, A. F. and A. M., and were concluded by the Masons at the grave in the I. O. O. F. Cemetery.

Summary of Lloyd’s life

Lloyd Reed was the son of James Reed, deceased, and Mrs. Reed. He was born here December 12, 1858, and was nearly 43 years of age. He entered the employ of R. T. Lowndes in early youth and from the first was one of his most trustworthy employees. He grew in the confidence of Mr. Lowndes to such an extent that much of his extensive and important business was entrusted to Mr. Reed’s sole charge and supervision. So and sagacious was he, and he performed his duties with such admirable integrity that Mr. Lowndes valued him greatly as an adviser and took him into his councils. In fact, he loved him as if he were his own son and the blow is a sad one to him.

Mr. Reed was postmaster during Cleveland’s first term and the last two years of his second administration. He discharged his duties of the office with eminent ability and was one of the best postmasters Clarksburg ever had. He was a Democrat in politics and stood high in the councils of his party.

1886 Image of assumed location of the Clarksburg Woolen Mills, site of the death of Lloyd Reed

The people of Clarksburg generally were his friends and admired his many manly qualities. His superiors as a man were few. His demise is keenly felt by all and every one’s heart goes out in deepest sympathy for the bereft family and his business associates.

The surviving members of his family are his mother, two sisters, Miss Ida and Mrs. Mary Huggins, of Youngstown, Ohio, and brother, George J. He was never married.

In Memory of Lloyd Reed.

The Clarksburg Telegram., December 06, 1901, page 2

Whereas, The Supreme Ruler of the Universe has, in His own appointed way, deprived us of further companionship, on earth, of our esteemed brother Lloyd Reed, an honored member of Herman Lodge No. 6, A. F. & A. M., a man of unsullied character whose life and ideals most splendidly typify that which is best in Masonic teachings and noblest in the manhood of our Nation., therefore be it

Resolved, That while we stand appalled at the threshold of that home, wherein grief so deep hath entered: we realize that it’s God’s way, and, granting the virtues of our deceased brother, we bow reverently to the decree of our Great Creator.

Resolved, That we tender our sincere sympathy to the bereaved mother and friends and as a further token of respect, direct the draping of our Charter and the wearing of the usual badge of mourning for thirty days.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be communicated to the family of the deceased, and that copies of the same be furnished the local press.

[Signed] C. P. MARSHALL,
STUART F. REED,
R. T. LOWNDES, JR.,
JNO. W. DAVIS,
W. H. FREEMAN,
Committee