The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1867-01-04
SNUMBER 33
Fonftoen pors0ns Burned . pealIa
in Memphis.

AA
%'One Of the most frlghtfnI and ap.
palling disasters from FIRE which it
has been our fortune to witness, oc-
eurrred last nightin tho burning Of
Spechts Restaurant. The building
occupied for this purpose. stands on
the so1th side Of Madison street.
1t is four stories high and nearly two
hundred feet deep. The front is Of
stone On the second story is . bal
cOny extending nearly the width Of
the building. Above the third story
is similar balcony which, however,
is but five or six feet long. The Arst
floor front was occupied as a confec-
tiopery store In rear of this was D
Kitchen, baking and confectionery es-
tablishment. The ovens and machiu-
cry were in theirear cellar fifsA r
The second Aoof was occupied aaa
restaurant 1t was tberesort of the
elite Of the city. Mr.. Specht slept in
the front room on the third floor, and
Mr.. William Jehle, wife and babe in
the room adjoining. Others of Mr..
Spechts family and employees oceu-
pied the remaining rooms on tho
third and fourth floors. ssa 'tA'
Last night Mr.. Specht and family
did not retire till about O'Clock. Mrs.
Specht was out. Of town, At about
$40 This morning. he heard a cry OF
fire, but not at first thinking ait Sc
rious, did not rise, Again, he heard
the cry and scented q strange gas in
the room. He rose, and, looking out
0f the window on the alley side of
the house, saw the flame bursting from
the rear and lower window. Fearful
screams were heard from every win
dow. The fire:bells successivsly wa
kened the different portions Of tho
slumbering city. The engines were
ina moment Numbering through the
streets. ~a aa9t rlEt'sa'i'1 ',a
Mr.. Specht shouted and beat at the
door of the room occupied BY Mr.
and Mrs. Jehle lie could secure no
response He tore down his curtains,
tied them together and to tie iron
balustrade on the third story. and
climbed down the balcony on the se-
cond story. The tiremanvtwere all
ready there The ladders were put
up and manned with speed worthy
Of those brave fellows, q Mr.. Speeht's
children--Joseph, a lad of thirteen,
and Stella, a miss of ten--Mrs. YapbFa,
his mother.in- law, end Sarah Lac, a
niece, who were in the front rooms,
were rescued, Mr.. Swanburry, the
book-keeper, and Mr.. Korrell, a clerk,
we're brought down the LADDERS from
the fourth story.
We Believe all who were then alive
and uhiniureds were saved. Ufieer
Brown'bfoko into Mr. Jehle's room
He was lying in one corner, and his
wife on the floor near the bed. Tho
only signs Of life with the Former Nsas
tho beating of the heart and the
pulse.,i He died in few moments afs
ter reaching the ground Mrsl Jehle
could not speak. She motiouedlagonr
izingly toward the bed, in which lay
her infant but a month old. She was
brought down. but, survived only a
few moments, Her babe was saved
by being covered with the bed
clothes, 81. .,.tys,, nsirst stas
In Che meaptimo, several Of the
inmates had attempted 70 save them
selves by leaping from the fourth
story windows. Mr., Joseph BArthol,
nephew Of Mr., Spect, jumped from
that story into the alley, and striking
q mud.hole, saved his life. Not q.
bone was broken. @
Of all who attempted thus TO es-
cape and REACHED the ground, he is
tho only survivor. Mr.. Walter, a
clerk, leaped from the Same story,
and was fortunate enough to catch a
blind on tho third story TO which he
clung till rescued byuthe ,fremau.a
These had llleaPed before the 6re-
men gained access. to- their rooms,
lying on tho floors or at the windows
suffocated. al .si1s.t,,afs,s al i,so, e.
J In the Office lay Mr.. Nm. Jehle, in,
real grave clothes. He, was only ~,
years of age, and formerly from 81,
Louis. In bedroom near by lay
| Mrs. Jehle. In small room beyond
the Office, on the floor, lay seven la
dies q colored woman, named Luein-
da RingwaId, with her two little chill
dren beside her beyond that, Of Jno.
o. Hank, member Of No. ] Grove OF
Druids, who leaped out ofthe window
and whose head had been smashed 10
| a Jelly; that Of "Uncle Johnny, ,"who
wore thewhite cap about the shop
and had served Mr. Specht flfteen
years rs baker; and that of white
waiter and aeolored man, whose name
we could not learn. f.a hsf rtii trsaii
In the ballbeyOnd, lay the body Of
IRlienne Fred, q French cook Fur
ther on, in a back room was the body
of Reudet HUBER a German balsor,
who leaves q wife and child and
brother in this city that Of Ger,