The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-02-18
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE!
THE HOUSTON METHODIST OFFICE
IN ASHES!
Valuable Papers and Records
of a Lifetime Destroyed
TIE pRopERrY DESTROYED.


f ing on the north corner of Mair
street and the railroad. BY tht
, time the alarm was sounded and the
citizens assembled, the fire was I'm
der such Roadway as that it was i'm
possible to allay, stop or even battle
the devouring flames until they had
laid in ashes the entire building with
it's valuable contents. Nothing
worthy of mention was secured from
the burning building-alI was lost
The owners of the house were ATessrs.
Brown, Crowell & Co. They used
the front of the first floor as a store
room for stoves, tin-ware. sset.c, the
rear was used as a tin shop, and was
occupied by d. p. Rowe. Near
this, and connected with it, was a
boot and shoe shop, formerly occu-
pied by w. Ii. Fellows; his tools,
some boots and shoes. a considerable
stock of leather, &c, were still in
the room.
The loss to Brown, CrowelI & Co.
is about 81, 500, covered with 81 POO
insurance.
W. H. Fellows loss is estimated at
5000; and d. z. Rowe's, at $3.50
in tools.
TIE HOLSTON METHODIST.
The second floor was occupied by
Messrs. Price & Thomas, editors
and proprietors of the Holston
Methodist; also upon this floor was
the law Office of Messrs. VIM. Nc
Farland and ]. p. Evans.
The loss in the Holston Methodist
Office amounted to $500; they loss
their subscription book, ledger, &c.
= everything connected with the
Office. This loss will be felt all over
the country for their paper had
found its way into almost every nook
and corner throughout our land, and
its power and influence were felt
everywhere.
MCFARLAND AND EvANs-AN IRRE-
PARABLE LOSS.
The loss to Mcfarland and Evans
is simply inealculabIe. In books
and Office furniture, they probably |
lost $500; but their greatest loss
were numerous and valuable papers,
private and otherwise In one brief
hour was swept away the accumulat-
ed work of years. A number of i'm
portant files from different courts
were destroyed with the rest. To
replace some of them will be a task
of no ordinary labor; to replace
others, an insurmOuntable difficulty.
TOTAL LOSS.
The total loss, all told, is some
thing near $4,000. No one proba-
bly, will feel the loss more acutely
5han Mr.. Rowe for he is the only
one. that can say ''all that l had was
by the merciless destroy
sr. His tools and all that he had,
nave fed Truly, this is sad and
lot only should he and his family
De commiserated, but helped by the
Of our people.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin of the fire is not GER
ainly known, but we think it safe
o presume that it was purely acct
Iental. Destructive as was the fire,
was not as bad as it might have 5
cen. Had the wind been blowing
he very least, one side, certainly, of
lain street, and probably both, for
considerable distance, would have
cen laid to the ground. :
RoMPTNEss AND ACTIVITY OF THE :
CITIZENS,
Still as was the night, it was only =
y the united, prompt and indefati-
able effort of the determined citi-
ems that prevented the spread of
he flames. More than once did the b
'of and window facipgs of the IL
Iildings on either side Of the fire. ii
itch in blaze. the sight of which
,ndered faint the stoutest heart.
branch ran close by n
ON which water was pretty readily
Ipplied by two lines Of bucket
Gssers This was all that saved
l. town.
'B MITCHELL-A BRAVE FIREMAN til
1t was perilous time: and the a.
5lzens, for the most part, not only Tr
ted well their parts, but nobly. =
DO Mitchell deserves special men,
IN. AS soon as he was upon the
ound, he took in the situation at a
ance, with the foresight of an old
eman. He was the first man upon
e roof of Brown, Crowell & Cos. r
IRE. The shingles had already -
ught. The heat was intense but
ere he stood, side by side, with
:. Brown, the proprietor of the
IRE, who had come to his assist n
&c, and put in manly ticks where III
~ would accomplish the most good
til the danger had passed. Mr.
own was Enthusiastically meth
&c and deliberate in every trans Al
ion of the night. He teemed his a
ter as gently and with the same
else indifference to time as
ugh he was only sorting the wes-
n mail in his nice, warm little
m while the impatient crowd Of
'ectants were cussing and freezing JAM JAM
he lobby.
ACCIDENTS. i ia1g
~ ono was seriously hurG- MeSSrS. 500
Wn and Bob Mitchell were CON jRnu
rably blistered upon the hands 40
, Mr.. j. G. Brown upon the neck. janu
with some others, stood between 500 ]
fire and the store house and wa janu'
d the blinds of the basement 800 I
v janui
RETROSPECT AND MORAL. 500 Z
his is the only fire of much con- 9ana.
cree in this place. since the GOO zoo
ing OF the machine shop in the janua
er Of 1867. But this last. of a7oo
{. is pregnant with lessons of $500
nction TO onr citiznns II lanaa