Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-06
DESTRUCTIVE CONFEDERATION.
sire On ytnsn street.


At near clock yesterday morning the
fire bells lang out with clang and twang, !
and a ding, and dong, upon the sharp,
still and cold morning air, startling the
people from their drowsy slumbers with their
fierce alarms. The location of the fire was /
easily arrived at, for at that hour, when |
the city was wrapped in sleep, as might be |
supposed, the flames had made pretty fair |
headway before they were discovered. |
Dense volumes Of smoke were seen issuing
from the building, No. II Union street,
between College and Market, which red
dened by the flames that created it, rolled
in dark evolvements over that part of the
city. Very soon the steam fire engines
were rafting toward the scene of the fire.
The building was three story brick, be
longing to John NJ. Bass, and occupied by
Messrs. Everett and hurry, prominent and
extensive dry good dealers. As to how the
fire originated, remains a profound mys-
terry 1t caught in the upper part of the
rear of the building, in which there is no
CRATE or fue. 1t is asserted that when the
proprietors and employees left the store
there was no fire about the premises, ex-
| cept a few dying Goals in the stove below.
| Whether groundless or not, the impression
| generally obtains in the vicinity that
II was either the result of incen-
| diaTism or of some one having
burglarious intentions upon the premises.
| Be this as it may, it was one of the most
destructive fires that has occurred for a
twelve month.
By the time the engines reached the
| place the interior Of the building was a
seething hell of flame and smoke. No hu-
man efforts could have saved the building
at that stage of the progress of the fire. The
pent-up smoke, red and black, was burst
ing through every crack and crevice, and
window and aperture, enveloping the adj
jacent buildings As the engines got to
work, the flames burst from the entire
roof, lighting up the city with the bright
ness of day for many squares The free
admission of air accelerated the spreading
of the flames, and soon the roof fell in
with crash, as the interior of the building
was completely Quilted and the entire stock
of goods destroyed. Tapping around the
rear cornice of the adjoining building No.
IL, occupied by S. Lieberman as boot
and shoe store, the flames communicated
to the roof and the interior of that estab-
hshment The rear of the building is al
most a wreck, the roof being burned away
and the interior of the same greatly dam
aged. A considerable portion of the stock
of Mr.. Lieberman was entirely destroyed,
and all of it was more or less damaged.
either by the fire or the water.
| Going eastward the flames cut through
the partition wall, and communicated to
the interior and upper portion of the build
ing No. -, occupied by A. Winter, dry
! goods dealer That building, and indeed
the entire block, was at one time threat
ened with destruction, which was proven
ted by the almost superhuman efforts OF
the Fire Department, each member Of
which worked like Mortier, of Moscow.
This building was saved with but slight
damage, though the stock of Mr. Winter
was badly injured, being drenched and
saturated with water, and part of it singed
with fire. The flames were confined to the
limit indicated, and before daylight, the
fire was extinguished.
ESTIMATED LOSSES.
The losses, so far as an approximate est
mate may be arrived at, are about as fol.
lows: j. NJ. Bass, owner of the buildings
81, 500; covered by insurance. Messrs.
Everett n Murray's loss is estimated al
So, 500; covered by insurance to the
amount of SI2, 800. Mr.. Leiberman loss
is estimated between $1,000 and So, 900,
insured for s., 600. Mr.. Winter puts his
loss at 81, 900, which is entirely covered
by insurance.
Messrs. Everett q Murray had the great
misfortune to lose all their books and
papers. They had Just finished making
out their accounts for the past year, and
the same being destroyed, they have to
rely on their memory for what is indebted
10 the firm.
Yesterday parties were engaged in re
moving the wreck and debris, and we sin
cerely trust that it may be long before we
viii have to record another such disastrous
FIRE.
We are requested by Everett q Murray
to return their sincere thanks to Capt
Stockell, the Fire Department and the po-
| lice for their efforts to save the stock