Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-07-16

mented fire force was concentrated oil
Fourth avenue, half way between Tay
Tor and Twelfth streets, where the,
worked with terrible energy TO stay tn
( progress of the advancing enemy. Il
twenty miuutes after tine first alarm thl
roofs Of buildings on Fourth avenu,
were all stire for a width of dozeI
buildings north Of No. 2S5. Atfifty-on,
minutes past four O'Clock, clever
minutes af,er the second alarm, tn,
general alarm was turned on by Assist
ant Marshal Pebere. This last warming
brought 10 the spot the entire fire force
1 Ofthe city. At the time the alarm wal
struck seven OF the West side engine,
were at a small fire on the corner O
! Ashland avenue and Tweuty-seconC
/ street, and they were thus retarded near.
! ~ half sn hour. In less than half al
/ hour the engines that were posted on
Fourth avenue, directly in the path o
! the fire were
/ COMPELLED TO BEAT A RETREAT.
I All succeeded in beating a retreat except
! engine company No. 2l, the cOlored
company Of the force, who DELAYED q
minute too long, aud the flames burst
ing upon them before they had attached
compelled TO abandon il, and the hand
some steamer was warped and twisted
into a mass of iron and steel, half melted
in the fiery furnace that girdlad it. The
fire had swept disgOnaliy across the
block 70 the corner OF Taylor street and
Fourth avenue, and was rapidly eating
its way through the remainder of the
block fronting on Clark and Taylor
streets. The marshal strained a number
Of engines on Clark street, and every
effort was made TO stay the northern
progress Of the flames along that thor
Oughfare, tut the shanties, nom which
poured
A SWARM OF FALLEN WOMEN,
laden with wardrobes and furniture,
We're ripe for destruction, aud no sooner
had the torrents OF water eXtingnished
the fire ia one building thRl the roof of
finder boxes still further TO the north
would burst into flames, but the most of
the ma.shal's attention was directed TO
the front Of the fire, and every energy
was eXerted 10 stay It's eastern march.
At the corner Of Taylor street and Fourth
avenue large amount Of hose was COLI
centrated, and every effort was made to
keep the FIRE on the west side of the
avenue, but the driving wind was laden
with burning brands, which lit on the
roofs beyond, and kindled them in an
instant. The Olive Street Baptist
church was the first building to go on
the east side Of the avenue. Inlittle over
an hour after the first alarm the fire had
swept over The space between Clark
street and Third avenue, and had
reached Polk on the north.
rrFTE cnr-.rzrrp,5 II g1or,,-r,.uxy
of the burnt district extende I east in al
most a straight line, running parallel
with Twelfth street, and about three
hundred feet north OF il. The aim of
the marshal was still to fight the fire
from the front, and to contest as ably as
possible its onward march toward the
bstter-built portion OF the city. The
front line Of the fire was Dobly battled
with by the fire boys, who were doing
their best and bravest when the gale, b
which was due most of the mischief.
carried destruction over their heads and
enclosed them on either side with wall
Of fire. They pulled up stakes and went
to the front again, where the unequal
battle was renewed, but their efforts
were IN vain, and they were powerless
to save the acres Of dry pine-TOOfs to the
WAAAA " 1lAss AIb NA1C Aaa e 1N { ~ bAA - IL
pleased, hardly turned from its course
an inch by the efforts Of the department
until it reached State street which il
now attacked. Having reached State
street,
THE FIRE WAS IN ITS GLORY.
Two-stOry frames was the rule and a
substantial structure the exception. The
flames leaped gladly from building to
building, now and then skipping struc-
ture or two TO facilitate its progress, but
never neglecting TO bring up the rear
and make clean work Of il. The fire.
men fought valiantly among these sham
ties. The most that could be done was
to prevent il spreading southwest, and
this was accomplished. A steamer was
stationed at Harrison court, which forms
nearly the southern limit on State street.
and the boys connected there, and did
valiant service. They fought the fire
into its very teeth; and to enable them
to do so, they reared a barricade out of
theatrical signbOard, which was held in
front of the pipemen, and thus the fire
was approached so closely that the sIgn-
board took IRE.
THE WIND INCREASING IN FURY,
it broke through the alley, dividing
State street from Wabash avenue. Now
for the first time, about six O'Clock, the !
tire began to feed upon the aTis6OcTacy.
Lt began putting on airs, so to speak. 1t |
struck up high TO bring down fancy Gu
DOlas and Observatories. Thousands of /
dollars were consumed every minute /
The anger of utter destruction became /
more imminent every moment. More |
help was wanted, and accordingly, tel /
agrams were sped over the wires TO Mil I
Racine, Joliet and other places. |
They read:
"a great fire is ra2ing. Chicago is /
threatened with destruction. Seld US I
your fire department.
In the course of the night came re.
sponses in the shape Of stalwart men
and apparatus, and they did valiant ser
vice in fighting the flames to a smaller
and smaller limit Having reached
Wabash avenue, with a wind blowing
from the southwest, Michigan avenue
seemed doomed to destruction, in fact
the thought Of saving any portion Of 1t
from Eldridge court TO a point at least
as far north as HsrrisOn street, was
and yet, contrary to all ex-
every house ia that limit
stands intact, while every house on
Wabash avenue, parallel TO this, was
destroyed. But the narrow alley be-
tween the two avenues stood a barrier As
If it had been
AN INTERVENING MOUNTAIN.
Every house on Michigan avenue was
I 4 Il