Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-31
FIRE ON WASHINGTON STREET.
Pour Dwellings Destroyed-Loss
$4,000.
Short of Hose-who's to Blame?

About two o'clock this morning fire
was discovered in rear of one story
frame dwelling situated at No l29 Wash
ington street, and soon spread TO similar
dwellings adjoining on the right and left
and TO No. 1875, all four of the buildings
being destroyed before the fire was sub
dued. The inhammable nature of the
material caused the flames to spread with
great rapidity, and the occupants of the
houses saved very little of their furniture,
etc, some of them hardly having time
to hurry on few articles of clothing be-
fore they were driven from their bed
rooms by the entrance of the smoke and
flames. Five minutes after the alarm
was given, the rear of the three dwellings
was mass of flames that advanced to
the front with astonishing rapidly,
driving away those who were endeavor-
ing to save furniture and wearing apparel
from the devouring element
The fire department and the police
were promptly on the ground, and did
the best they could to stop the progress
of the fire and save property. The fire.
men worked at great disadvantage, on
account of the scarcity of hose, not more
than one stream of water being thrown
an tbo G,a AZ anx, aoa t;p,o Tha NJ y
engine threw first water, at distance
of one hundred yards from the burning
dwellings, but a couple of sections Of
hose bursting, soon placed her out of
range. The No. obtained good po-
sition, and threw powerful stream that
did considerable to check the fire. The
Nos and 4 were on hand, but useless
for want of hose. 1t is pity that those
having the matter in charge will not sup
ply our fire steamers with sufficient hose
to be effective. The rotary engine has
neUer had a foot Of hose, and at FIRE
has to borrow from the other steamers,
and yet there has been lot of hose at
house in this city for month, which
we learn was ordered by the insurance
agents here, who, on account of some
misunderstanding, now refuse to pay for
it, and the house still holds the hose
until the difficulty is settled, refusing to
take city scrip in payment. With that
hose, one of the buildings destroyed last
night would have been saved, and that
more property was not lost was not so
much due to the exertions of Chief Wald
raven and his men-who did the best
they could under the circumstances
to the good luck that there was no breeze
to fan the flames
The losses, as near as we could ascer
tain, are as follows: No. l25 Washington
street-house owned and occupied by
Joe Caldwell, colored; loss $4,000; no
insurance. No. l27-owned by M. Rob
inson loss $4,000 no insurance 0ccu-
pied by NJ A. Johl loss $1,000; no insu-
rance. No. l29-owned by E. Levy q
Seelig loss 1880; insurance $25O0.
Occupied by Mr.. Wangerheim; loss
$500; fully insured. No. l3l-owned
and occupied by Jacob Greenwall loss
$1,000; fully insured.
The goods were removed from three
war-built stores east of the destroyed
houses, which were occupied by negro
BARRIERS, doctors, shoemakers, etc., who
lost considerable by breakage and water
The total loss by fire and water will foot
up twenty-five thousand dollars, on which
there is insurance to the amount of ten
dollars in Offices represented
by Mr. Tomlinson.