Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1874-01-08
THE PRETEND.
IT'S FEARFUL RAVAGES IN
JONESBOROUGM.
A Stere and TinyShop and Two
Large Dwelling Houses En-
tireby Consumed i'm the Yer
tex OF the Flames.

uTeSy Cehsuihed IN the YER
tex OF the Flames.
Eighteen hundred and seventy threI
will bs a memorable year in the histor,
Jonesborough, for the dreadful scourging
OF pestilcnce and extensive losses by fire
Our long immunity from such direful Wis
itations renders these calamities the more
grevious, and tho harder to be borne will
that complaccnt philosophy which regard
whatever is as right.
The last day Of the old year was one Of
peculiar and almost irreparable nisfor.
tune to a few of our citizens, and theil
great losses cause universal sympathy and
regret in the community. The eye of the
day and year closed amidst the
CHASTITY HORRORS AND FIERCE WRATH
ofa disastrous confagratiou. A huge pile oil
ruins, heaps Of scoria and rubbish and rent
and blackened walls the destruction oftwo
of the largest and best private dwellings in
the placc-were the sad and grim greet
ings of the New Year.
At 5 o'clock P. NJ. tho town was star.
tied by loud cries of fire and the rapid
strokes of the Court House bell. The
citizens rushed forth from their stores,
residences, Offices and places of business,
to the scene Of ruin, and the street was
soon filled with crowds of men and bows,
who, with a few exceptions, were SO be-
wilcered by excitement that they could
not, for q while, summon the GOODNESS anG
judgement necessary to wage a methodi-
cal warfare against the constantly ~incrsas>
ing heat and volume of the rapacious
flames. When the FIRE was first discovered ,
the roof of the Gallaher house was all
ablaae, and the structure being entirely of
wood, burned with awful rapidity.-
When the roof fell in the burning mass
shot
SOLID COLUMN OF FIRE
at least fifty feet high, and then
all idea of saving the adjoining
property was abandoned, though the
brave and noble men who we're bat.
Ting against all odds with the devouring
elements did not cease their heroic but
hopeless exertions. Before this time the
west gable of the Blair residence had been
attacked by the fire, and the intense heat
caused the wall to warp and crack and a
portion o. it as large as a common window
fell out. Through this aperture the
flames swept with demon fury, igniting
the roof and filling the garnet with such
an intense heat and suffocating smoke as
to drive below the brave workers from
this post. Some one had the foresight
aad prccaution to close the blinds of the
windows, which were Of solid wood, and
for some time the fire was confined in the
closed building. AS soon as the blinds
were destroyed. the flames shot forth their
burning tongues through tho doors and
windows and The splendid mansion was
melting like a structure of wax, in the
GLARING COILS OF THE DESTROYING
FIEND.
During this time, the fire had reached
the heavy %cornice and was eating its way
into the roof o fDr. Bovell's residence. A
large hole was cut into the roof, but no
water could be procured at the time. As
soon as a bucket line could be formed,
water was thrown on the burning timbers,
but a quantity sufficient to arrest the
progress of the fire could net 10 obtained.
Though all was done that human power
was capable of, it was soon conceded that
the building could not be saved. The
roof fell in with a tremendous crash, and
the entire upper story, in an instant, was
A FURNACE OF HEAT AND FLAME.
1t was but the work of a mo-
ment for the fire to work its way
to the lower story by the stairway,
and the .agipg sheets cracked, writhed
and danced in defiance and derision of the
helpless crowds
WHO WITNESSED THEIR RIOT AND
When tho main building was aban>
doned, the 6re>fghters directed their
efforts to the dining>room and kiteh.
en- which stand in the rear, a separate
brisk building, and by tearing of the roof
and throwing water succeeded in saving
it, though somewhat damaged. The little
frame office west of the house, was torn
down to save the NJ. F. Church.
During the burning of the buildings,
columns of the donsest, blacklist smoke,
pinnacled
UPON THE TOPS OF FLAMING PILLARS,
rose high into the mourning heavens, and
i tha 6vino >snorLs c,.nol III