Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-17
TIE THIRD ALARM

AT Twenty HluUIeS OI 6lCNcU r M, anu
Immediately succeeding tie alarm from
the Central station, the bells rUng cut No.
Al, which proved TO be q fire in the building
on Third street, between Main and Water,
owned by Herbert & Wright, one half Of ii
being occupied by them with their mill
furnishing establishment and the other half
by the Climax tobacco factory, owned by j.
z. Wthers & Go. The fire originated in
the third story of the tobacco factory, and
in the back part. Tie cause as yet is a
mystery. The Only ugiole theory pre-
sentad was that it had been struck by light
ming. There had been no FIRE of any kind
in this building for week past, and the
engine had not been running for eight days
lncendiarism seems to be out Of the ques-
ton, as the building was securely locked.
befire spread along he third story floor,
and leaping to the roof it ran along it to
Herbert & Wright's, and before water could
be obtained the entire upper story Of the
two buildings we're blazing.
In the tobacco factory were stored about
500 bales of cut tobacco, and 10000 th3 Of
fine cut in bulk was in the third story.
There was also tobacco Of ether descrip-
tons in the building.
IdE tOUhiH AIAkhs
At quarter to twelve, while the whole
Fire Department was still engaged on the
Third-street fire, fourth alarm was sound
ed from box ~. Almost in moment the
building was all in flames, and the fire had
eaten into the next store of the block in the
second story, which was occupied b. an in
surance agent. The fremen fought this
with all their power, but The supply Of en-
gines was not sufficient, and they fought
against heavy odds. The whole Of this
block, which belonged to Bambergcr,
Bloom & Co., was doomed, and the fire
steadily worked ur to The top the build
ing and downward to the vacant first store.
Meanwhile the next store south, occupied
by E. H. Vernon & Co., grocers, who had
carried their stock out early, W. invaded
b. the flames, which were an almost in
credibly short time in destroying everything
iDfamabIe ia the building. The fir burst
out Of The Windows of each story in rapid
succession, and poured through the small,
round ventilators in the attic, from each Of
which poured a tongue of smoke and gas
which turned into roaring flame.
The fire soon rolled up from the roof of
Vernon's building against the Public Lii
bfary building, exciting the liyeliest appre-
hension in the crowd. But a heavy fire
wall, rising sixteen feet above the roof Of
the Library building, afforded ample pro-
lection, and the wall was not even warmed
by the fierce confagration which poured
against it., .....
The cornice of the Library building
eau bit on fire two or three times, and once
it seemed that:the flames would catch the
Mansard roof, when the fragile nature Of
that structure would have rendered the
case almost hopeless. But, hsppily, the
wind changing, carried the flames away and
the building was safe.
While this was occurring on tie southern
limit of this fire, on the north it was rapid
" cutting the buildings it attacked. The
roof and interior walls fell in, carrying vita
them a section of the rear wall. As the
frame of the roof fell in, the tin covering
wrapping itself upon the front wall. The
ascending blast within caused the inner end
OF the half floating roof to rise, when it all
came down upon the sidewalk with crash,
waving as it fell, and laid in front of the
fro rolled up in compact mass. This
was soon followed by the other roof.
The fire was ascending from the base,
ment upward in one fierce blast of flame,
ending in smoke and stream of sparks
some consisting Of whole shingles, which
fell in a tn ok shower Of starry fire, as far
from the fire as Jefferson street, between
Second and Third streets. The front wall
of the Quilted building seemed to be waver-
ing, and the crowd was moving beyond the
reach Of flying bricks, when shouting an
nounced the coming of hose carriages, one
from either way, which rushed through the
hot and dangerous pass, laying their hose as
they went.
At one time it seemed that the lire would
be soon under control, when it burst out
through the roof of Pargny's restaurant,
the young flames showing all the vigor OF
those which were ascending at their side.
The fame was hard to eXtinguish, and the
flood of water poured upon il was very
great, running through from one floor to
another as through sieve, running every
thing perishable in each story. But the
f;emen bent their energsI to this fresh task,
and the conquered flames gave way, not
before they had done great damage.
THE FIFTH ALARM.
While the Fourth street fire was raging III
its greatest fury, a fifth alarm was sounded
from box No. 6. One engine and hook
wagon started for the place des-
ignated, but were turned back on informa-
ton that the alarm was false.
Regarding the losses and insurance, the
dispatch gives the particulars:
CINCINNATI, July 16.-The Times
Louisville special states that the fire last
night was not so disastrous as at first
thought. The loss will not exceed eighty
thousand dollars with about seventy or sew
enty-tiVe thousand insurance as follows
4Etna, fourteen thousand; London and
Liverpool and Globe, ten thousand; Com
mercial, New York, six thousand; Ameri-
can Central, st. Louis, five thousand; Phoe-