The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-03-14
The Fire Monday Might.

From the Jefferson Denocrat.I
We have been called upon 50 often,
within the last two years, to chronicle
running confagrations here that we
would evade the dreaded duty if we
could. 1t would be better to pass it by
IN silence, for the harm it does lis
abroad. What a fire record Jefferson
has The maddened, infuriated flames
of Il dozen destructive fires have con-
verified thousands of dollars worth Of
property to debris here i'll the last
eighteen months. Other places es-
cape visitation of such calamitics,
but the scourge it seems sticks to JET
fersOn, determined to destroy the pro-
perry, and with it, the energy, enter
prise and hopes of those who own it.
The fires that have destroyed SO many
costly and beautiful blocks of buildin gs
here, since 1862 have caused ruinous
loss to many, for while insurance COM
panies have been taxed heavily, the
losses upon real capital invested have
been fearful.
Buildings thus destroyed have
rarely been halfcovercd by insurance.
Stocks of merchandise only, where
comparatively small, in many in
stances, have reaped a rich hal vest
from conflagration. This truth con-
WINGED us long ago that the red hand
of arson was at work in our midst.
Where is the man who thinks that
even half the fires we have witnessed
here were accidental? And yet man
has never been convicted. Of arson!
These things are injurious to us, al
though we endeavOr to guard against
fire as strenuously and vigilantly us
any other people.
Monday night, when the alarm pealed
out upon the silence of night, and We
started half awake from bed to see
what its boding sound told, we saw the
lurid flames tapping high above one of
the most beautiful and substantial
buildings in the city. The hope that it
might only be false alarm died within
us, and as we turned to follow the eX-
cited throngs of men to the scene, Il
sullenness of almost despair came
over us, to think that the curse of awful
conflagration was still holding JefIer-
son in its coils of ruin to the place.
On reaching the scene we saw Mrs.
Ward, FER three daughters and two
little sons, all weeping. They had
narrowly escaped the flames, while
over the way was their home, all in
flames. Mrs. Ward secured her mon
ey and papers, at great peril, but they |
lost everything else This sad scene |
was enough to excite the tenderest |
emotions Of sympathy, yet it was whis-
pered around in almost breathless fear |
that little boy had persisted in the |
burning building! The minutes speed,
and still no tidings of him. His uncle,
now convinced that he must have per- |
ished, was almost frantic in his grief. |
The engines roared and tie busy fire
men turned the water steadily upon
the flames. AT length, when the muir
XIV morning dawned and the rubbish |
began to cool, search was made and |
a shapeless mass of charred humanity |
was found. 1t was all that remained
of poor little Jake Nausbaum! He had
persisted i'm the fire, having been
aroused from his boyish dreams only |
to face death in its most dreadful form.
After the inquest, which was Weld on
the spot by Justice Haughn, the re-
mains were tenderly gathered up and
carried to his grief stricken relatives,
and from thence to the cemetery yes
terday evening.
This fire may have been accidental.
It has not yet been determined, by
hose investigating the cause, whether
Il started in the room where little Jake
might have left light burning, and
lropped OFF to sleep, or whether it aas
Sindled by some fiend i'm vacant bed
-oom adjoining If the latter, we hope
{ may be traced, and the double GRIM
nails whoever he may be, punished as
ne deserves.
The Ward building was erected three
Tears ago, by Colonel w. III. Ward, de-
,eased, at cost of $4,000. When CO.
onel Ward died his estate was in
lebted to Colonel w. NJ. Harrison for
bout 5000 and to J. III. Bemis for
g 900. Subsequently suit was brought
.gainst the heirs, and up to date the
S1ilding was thereby mitigation. Mr..
Iarrison's claim upon the property was
lot secured against fire; Mr.. Bemis, |
We understand, had 5000 insurance.
frs. Wards loss of household furni-
ure amounted to 5000, insured for
I, 900: e. Duncan, photograph. who
occupied rooms up stairs, lost 500 in ,
no insurance. Messrs. III.
yelch d Co, merchants, loss $4,000
N stock; insurance. 5000. VI. Stein
sm, dry goods, loss, $50, 900; insurance,
10000. The. Nichols, dry goods, S2O,-
%: insurance, $1,000. A. S. Hoffman