Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-22
DIsAsTRouS FIRE. 81
Destruction of the KOssuth House
Partial Turning OF the Old JefEer-
son KEOuse-I.Oss OF Life-AccidentS,

Destruction of the EKOssuth House
Partial Burning OF the Old Jeffer-
son TEOuse-I4Oss Of LiFe-AccidentS, |
etc.
As briefly announced in our Issue of Sun
day morning the Kossuth House is in ru-
ms. the fire which broke out in that build
ing at o'clock on that morning, having
resulted In its total destruction, and also in
the partial burning of the adjoining
buildinc known as the jefferson House.
Earnestly do we wish we could say this Is
all-that beyond the destruction of houses,
and goods, and other property, the fire.
fiend dared not, did not go. But we can
not. The blackered and mutilated body
of a little boy, now cofined and awaiting
Christian sepulture, says that a sacrifice
greater than the worth of dollars and cents
was made in that awful conhagration. The
mudlated person of young man, now
writhing in pain, says that greater sacri-
flee than property was made. bruised
and bleeding old man now at st. Vincent
Hospital, says that the loss of worldly goods
did not alone satiate the craving of
the fire monster that held high
carnival in Market street Sunday morning.
From Mr. G gorge Waterman, proprietor of
of the Kossuth House, we learn that short
ly before o'clock himself and family were
wakenedby the roar of the flames in the din
ing-room, where the fire originated. The
flames spread with such great rapidity,
that they we're compelled to
escape from the house with
nothing more than their night clothes.
Mr.. Waterman seems firmly impressed with
the belief that the fire was the work of an
incendiary, and thinks the fapidity with
which the flames spread through the first
and second stories was attributed to the
fact that coal oil or some other
| combustible material had been
poured along the stairs and floors of that
portion Of the building. In no other way
can he or others, who witnessed the early
part of the confagration, account for the
| terrible suddenness and rapidity of the
| fire. He says that in the dining
| hall, where the work of destruction Ger.
tainly commenced, there had been no fire
| since supper-time, or after eight
| o'clock the evening previous. Some
| three months since an attempt was
made to burn the Kossuth House,
| the incendiary on that occasion hav.
| ing applied his torch to some cOmbustible
material under a stairway. A timely dis
| covery of the fact alone saved the house
| from destruction on that occasion, and the
| presence of coal oil then was Enthusiastically
| plain. Who he suspects as the author O
this murderoJs deed, we do not know, Oh
what his reasons for the sus
picion. Mr.. Waterman estimates
his loss at about 000-insured fol
$4,000. Very few articles were thrown
from the burning house, only such, we be
Geve, as were tossed out of the windows
The Kossuth and Jefferson Houses be
longed to the estate of the late John NJ
Hill, and were insured in Home offices {,
something like their full value. The rea
portion Of the jefferson House was de
stroyed and the front portion badl,
| damaged. No. 80, corner store ant
| rooms Of the jefferson House were
occupied by Jones, Murray & Co.
as tinware mandatory and store. Thei
stock is considerably damage by water.
The splendid new brick block, north 0
the Kossuth, with only a narrow alley be
tween the two, narrowly escaped destruc
ton The alley windows of the new build
ing were several times in flames, and tn,
upper stories'of the corner house deluget
with water.
Several persons, whose names We hav
not learned, boarders at the Kossuth
leaped from the second story window
without receiving any material injury. Al
old gentleman, named Scheuton, compare
lively a stranger in the city, and a younl
man, named L. Huffman, were occupying
a room in the third story, with window
towards the alley. Before they wer
awakened by The fire and consequent alarm
all means of escape, except by the win
dows, had been cut off. Hosting
window, the two endangered mel
appealed to the people below t.
save them. But they were powerless t
help. The hook and ladder truck had no
arrived, and there was at hand no mean
of reaching the beleagued window. Here
terrible suspense ensued and sth NOR
terrible scene was to be enacted. A 10
Of bedding was thrown in the alley beneatl
| the window whers the threatened mel
stood, and they were toId to leap for life
| At last thew took the desperate chances
Young Huffman leaped first, and struck tn
rough. ice-coYered stones beneath. Tn
Ola man swung himself from
the sill of the window, fell upon the bedd
ing, but nevertheless sustained some seri
Gus internal injury. The young MAJ
Huffman broke his leg and was other
wise painfully hurt But the saddles
occurrence Of all was the death o
little Italian boy, a fiddler, VIII
had been seen in company with hi
brothe for several weeks past, playing thei
fdIles about the saloons and hotels Of tn
city. lie was first observed by q police
man running to and fro on a second
story rear porch, screaming 70
help. The policeman implore,
him to leap and he would catch him
Once the poor boy started to jump, bu
the cruel flames drove him back, and h
was seen no more alive. Search was mad
Sunday and yesterday for his body. 1t wa
found late last evening and taken to tn
store of Il. II. Groomes & Co. to be pre-
pared for burial. His father is said to b,
with the other brother at Evansville o
! Memphis