Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-11-14

night, we learn the following particulars of the
destructive confagation which occurred IN that
| city on Sunday morning, which resulted IN the
DESTRUCTION OF TWENTY-FIVE HOUSES.
The fire broke out in the jewelry store of w.
! f. Fischer g. Bro, on Market street, corner of
| Eighth, and rapidly extended in southern di-
| recton until its progress was stayed by the walls
| of a new building, belonging to Mr. T. D. Clip
! penger, add consuming six business houses.
At the corner of Eighth and Marke streets,
the course of
THE FIRE CHANGED
Northward, and pursued its devouring
course, nor ceased until twenty-five buildings
were in ashes. when the hungry flames were
stayed for want of fuel
We find the following account in the Chatta-
nooga Times, of Sunday morning:
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE-NEARLY TWO BUsI-
NESS BLOCKS BURNED.
about O'Clock this morning an alarm Of
fire was sounded, and we rushed to the point
indicated We assisted in bursting open the
front door of w. f. Fischer s. Bro, when a
small blaze was discovered issuing from the
ceiling of the wall, having apparently just
caught. But, on attempting to extinguish it,
| the whole inside between the ceiling and wealth
erboarding WAS discovered to be on fire. The
parties present went to work in earnest, but it
was soon discovered, there being no water ac-
| cessible that the building being wooden one
was doomed, the flames having bursted through
the root. The only thing to be done now was
| to save as much of the stock watches, iewelry
and silverware) as possible. The goods were
pretty much all taken out, but, of course, some
| what damaged.
The fire spread rapidly in southern direc-
| ton, consuming the business houses of w. o.
merchant tailor; Mrs. E. K. Fischer, fancy
goods and millinery; L. Silbermaun watches
! and jewelry; J. Bach Sc Son, dry goods and
clothing; II. N. Snyder & Co., family groceries
and provisions. .te.-s .-s
Here the devourng element was checked by
the solid brick wall of T. d. ClppingerS new
| building.
The window castings of the old post office
building caught fire, but by judicious fighting
the building was saved. ---sEzs .~.ss re-R
northward the following business houses were
burned: rEEs7.rFF-7 ~
NJ Schnee, boot maker D kirkpatrick & Co.,
liquor dealers; Ruble Sc Hight agricultural i'm
plements; Calhoun, timer; Nisbet & Nc
Glohon, boots and shoes Nesy & Ransom,
Howe sewing machine; l Piper, family gro
ceries II Schneider & Co., dry goods +
Vaughn & Co., dry goods; Nassaur q Lowen-
thai, dry goods Hurt and Holan, commission
merchants and family supplies Water Works
Co.. III Deutsch, watch maker Miotke, mer-
chant tailor; j Long, furniture dealer ! Mrs
German, dry goods and millinery; w NJ Jack
son, Singer sewing mpchine DIR Prothro den
fist DR. Osmen physician. -ttglR1
The FIRE stopped here, for the want of materi-
al to feed on. ~ go
The total value of buildings destroyed is about
$50, 600, with not more than 5000 insurance.
The total ahi5ant of insurance., by agents in
this city is about twenty thousand dol
lars ...-,..4-rrr
As man of the insured stocks were saved, the
above amount will be considerably reduced
In conclusion, we would like to inquire what
the Common Council has done with the petit
ton presented last December, asking that fire
ri, ho r,lo hcfro oroh
or 5000 feet of hose be provided by the city for
use in case of fire." rg
THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED
Has been variously estimated. One account
hints it at $4,000 but it seems that amoun-
would not more than cover the buildings cont
sumed, although we arc informed that with
three or four exceptions, they were wood
The Chattanooga Advertiser extra of Sunday
says: lob ta ST. ts q"
Practical men who are posted consider the
total loss at least 100000.
We give below the estimates as to their re-
spectiye losses of all the victims we have been
able to find in the confusion LstsEf
The insurance foots up to $32 600. One or two
sufferers lad allowed their insurance to expire
but few days since, and had neglected to re-
new. The partial list of losses, already given, |
is $5S, $50. In our opinion they will run rather
over than under the figures.
AN INCESDIART.
"Some dammable scoundrel poured coal oil
on pile of shingles in the rear of Nee s. Mills |
store, and set in on FIRE. Luckily it was extin- |
guished before doing any serious damage. We
think that if that man could be found to-day |
short shrift and long rope would be his por-
ton" ..r-
g On Saturday the number.of strangers in the |
city was the subject of remark, and when the |
fire broke out it was the opinion of a large num-
Der of citizens that among them were the seoun- |
drels who had fired the city, the fire having |
originated, it is supposed,.in the loft of the jew
elry store. |
So strong was the opinion that ::incendiarism |
was at the bottom of the disaster that at the re-
quest of numerous citizens, the following pro- |
clamation WAS issued, which we find in the ex- |
ira before mentioned. -.-, .-.r. |
s- ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD fr
In accordance with the request of a large and |
respectable portion of our citizens and tax-pay;;
ers hereby offer a reward of one thousand |
dollars for the arrest and apprehension of the |
person or persons guilty of setting fire to our |
city on the night of the 18th inst,
(Signed) w. p. RATHBURN, Mayor.
Chattanooga Nov. II, 1871.
Messrs. Ruble and Hight are the heaviest
losers, their losses amounting to SIS, 900, and |
from that down to the smallest, which is $50. |
Messrs. Patton & Payne, agents for the CHRoN- |
ICLE, lose about 100 from removal of stock. |
INCIDENTS.
The streets were filed with all kinds of goods |
and merchandise, piled and heaped in wild con |
fusion, and apparently irretreyably mixed and |
commingled.
Whisky flowed freely, and we are told that |
great many persons were Keeling about during |
excitement in all stages of drunkenness. A |
freedman was seen near the river half mile
from the scene of the disaster, rolling a barrel |
of whisky before him, and on being asked |
what he was doing with it, replied that he twas
gwine to keep it from being burnt up"
We are informed that on Sunday morning, |
twenty or thirty extra police were placed on |
duty, enough to prevent any disorder or whole
sale pillaging and in the meantime every effort |
is being made to ferret out the fends who at
tempted to initiate the horrors of the commune
by feeding the flames with petroleum. This is
the most disastrous confagation that has ever
occurred in Chattanooga, but we hope she will
display propol tionately the energy of Chicago |
make their motto 'Tesurgam y
The following was telegraphed from that city
to the Associated Press Agent at Washington