Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-11-01
" GREAT TIRES:
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A HOUSE OF CRIME DESTROYED,

A HOUSE OF CRIME DESTROYED
At hal-7ass eleven o'clock, Slok, was OBJ
served issuing from 5He basement Of rhe furni-
lure establishment, on Main street, eass SIDE.
between Madison and Cyur. st1oess, occupied by
Ness.5. Churchill & Winston, The stock Of
furniture being owned by N. L. Duncan, a resi-
dent Of Cincinnati, Il had come under the notice
Of slr. Jackson. tas receiver Of the Cou5edarate
States. who had caused the account OF stock to
be taken. A. orca the suspicion was expressed
among -bc crowd, which rapidly collected, that
the owner had caused tae place TO be set on fire
for Lis own ENDS This opinion was strength
e1e5 when positive assertions were made tAat
tho stock was iusnrsd in Cincinnati, and that if
j. passed into The hands Of che Coufederate
srstas the owner would lose everything where
as. = was burned, be would recover IFS value
from the Cincinnati insursrs.
As we proceed SIC Shah how the facts regard
inc this matter as Ear as -L-y ere a- present
kno-su. The suoba continued 20 Increase pour
fnr out Of the grating both in -out end in the
aIev ia the res-. For q considerable time II
appssred that TIE fire could DE kept within lim-
frs. The Hne steamer was pouring FL immense
stream into ths Burning cellar and She hand
cor4pa1ies wFe working well Ii ives impossi-
bic, however, TO enter the cellar on account Of
the thick and su55cating smoke. This prevented
th9 possibility OF directing the water 70 The point
Of dancer. The consequence was that every
- l4lr- uuI-l our at tur
front with grast yigor and tearing their way
am5nr the mass Of conhus..ble material II was
soon raging both in rear and front. It then be-
cs.n. eyiden: that he adioining buildings must
20. The f-smeu worked with almost desperate
enorgv. but there was neither the water nor the
machinery 20 sgbdue the flames that now
r5are5 and leaHed with fearful power.
The wind blew a moderate breeze 4. was
unsteady, and sometimes directed .Le flames
aud AyinE masses of FIRE towards lie C0nfade-
rate SaEes g-uartsrmas.ers premises In the De
soto Block. on Madison, then IN the direction Of
Spschts confectionery and other stores on the
south side ct Madison street. Men were soon
on every roof both on Maiu and Madison
streets, and at the various windows, keeping
shingles and framework from catching fne. Al.
one instant the house n the corner OF the alley
below Madison, on Main, YVES on fire ia tEs roof,
from the lyinE fragments. but a-ucly applies
ton from au engine stream saved Il Tbs Gre
had now spread 70 The large hardware establish
ment Of NcCumJ5 ~ Co., tie corner o.. the
street, and 70 the auction rooms Of Gilbert
Andrews &C, Hez. door north. These three
houses extended c..a- back 90 he alley, and
though much effort had been made ia getting
our goods. ..r some $500 Of stock remained
in the Aa-leara s.a-c. while The Suction store. Ia
which were many sewing machines, was So Ear
cleared as 20 redace the Iozs to probably $1,000
Above these stores were Norman, Wilson a
Co ohice, a d~sgue1eat7pa establishment AMI
other roo1as aud Offices. TIE whole was one
mess Of building. owned by Mr. Brnkley, and
uninsured. These were the very first large bust
ness houses ever erected IN Main street. and
thei- erection was regarded as an Improvement
ola very eHterprising character The whole
corner Of Main and Madison streets was now q
mass Of towering flame, 90 no. that it was iu-
possible to stand opposite 70 it in 5Eain street
aDd the windows Of the Q-uar.ermas.a-s room
snd the rooms above, in TIC DeS9t3 Block, were
81 on FIRE. The fate Of the latter building. @
very handsome che and finished only very re-
Gently, now appeared crr:aiu, buf Cbiof Eugs
neer Kebos. with great Judgment, sc. the men
with the fire steamer stream 20 keep guard
upon them, which they did. and occasionally
threw a stream ON The house on .La south side
Of Madison street To the horrors Of tie fire
we're now added, at every few minutes, the
shock of falling walls intlo interior. Then the
outside walls began 20 fl by sections and the
position Of the men C~uanling the Windows Of ;b5
DeSot0 Block became oucof imminent danger.
The walls near them were leaning over toward
the street. aud the alley portions fell from time
10 time. san the brave msu held or. Their
perseverance, and che magnificent stream thrown
by the fire steamef alone saved The ba-lding, a-
one or another window frame was every moment
in flames. Allsngth q prolonged CRY from tie
crowd told them that the moment Of danger was
cone. Quickly. but in good order, and keeping
the nozzle IN thet- hands, they with5r-, When
whole mssses Of wall fen, shaking the ground
and casting up q dust that for miaugos covered
The buIlancv Of The flames 15u sight Thi.
fall made the DeSoto Block safe, shsaaues being
ugr confined 70 au area near the ground
Another fall Of the north wall lad complc,el
crushed down the low tenement occupied II
Poolsy's tailor store. The wind blowing aou
ibs direction prevented the FIRE spreading at thi
place in the direction o. Court Square. TIL
next tenement. 20 Pooley'g, occupied below br
Fay'5 tailor store, also suffered some injury iron
the falling walls. So dangerous, however, 7p
peared the situation Of the hole Of the Com
Square and all that portion Of Main Stree
corner that every article Of furniture and bus.
nezs was moved from the following places o.
Main street, Brown & Frazer's law office d.
Cavanagh's oAiee: GzzoIlo & Brchetto's con
fectiouery store; ]. SallaT q CO.. tobacco sl
cigar store. 81 The corner. Fronting Cont
square the Offices OF DR.. Woodward, Of Youu,
& Brown, B. 7. Blackburn, ". y. Western
lawyers; John MurgatoTd's gas-fttus shop
Nm G. Thompson, lawyer Or. {. l. Wilson
Or. c. L. Wilcox; Curiu q Jackson, law
Dr. Peyton; VIM II. stoyal, law DR. Mitch
ell; Peyton d Powell, law; Lanier. chancer
clerk; ". K. Postou. J.. Calvin Jones. I. J
Fiuuie, Luke ". Finley and I'd Pickett. j.
law; o. Le5srle, Hthographer; DR.. 4. p. Tlc
and Dr.. a X Taylor. In the alley, in tho rel
Of Dr.. Taylor. the offices Of Dr.. J. Pitman au
Or. \. Il. Hopzo1. Across tire alsr Is ID
Methodist book establishment: @ large porto.
Of their stock vas taken Our, and below Thea
various doctors and lawyers made cu.ar or pa.
tisl removals.
These all escaped the FIRE. however, ezc I'd
handsome building at the corner Of the alley
known IS the Turkey Block. from tue name.
rs owners. When tho wa. at .He uyr.hsas. en-
Of the block Of buildings Ill which .bs E-e Br1l
o., Eel, il smashed ia q portion Of roof oftd
Tu.sy block which was eoou IL blaze. 3
this tue ths adjoining csterus uar- empty G
water, and al effort 20 save his block vas mad
by tearing down doors. shutters and other WOO
wgrk. and having as ls-- IS possible for Die Is.
TO consume. Finding that there was a ester
beneath tLs binding, The frenen backed IN e-
CINE within 1t, cut a hole through the foor en-
subdued he flames. At dusk, however. The fl
burst out again in this building, burning out d
interior, leaving only the walls standing. q
Madison street the stores ia the quartermsss.
Once. the effects I'm o. c. Boone cotton f.cta.