The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-12-03

the flames and cinders to the wooden
buildings on e street, and froIu there
ii swept north, south, east and west,
with the fury of a demon consuming
everything before it. Although the
general course of the wind was from
the west, yet the flames rapidly back
ed up against ii, and also moved with
great speed to the north and south.
while they rushed At race-horse speed
to the eastward, making great leaps
| from building to building.
THE BURNT DISTRICT.
When the fire was finally subsidized,
it had Swept away all that part ofthe
city lying between Taylor street Oh
! the south. Carson street On the north,
! Stewart street on the west and the
| Chinese quarters on the east. 1t al
so crossed Taylor street OH B and G.
streets and destroyed much valuable
! property; also crossing again below
ID street, it destroyed the Catholic
! church and Methodist church and
many fine residences. 1t also crossed
Carson street and destroyed a num-
Der OF valuable buildings in that di-
! ton. The fire every where made Il
clean sweep; none Of the buildings
Supposed to be fire proof stood the
test. The tlremen and the people
were driven from point TO point, and
all appeared stupc1icd and poWerleSs,
saying, Not ming can be done, the
plainly to be seen that this was too
true.
y WILD SCENE
was presented when the fire was at
its height. Viewed from the elevated
ground to the westward, the city was
Il sea of flames, from which vast
clouds Of inky smoke rose high into
the air. On all sides were heard the
roar of the fire. the crash OF falling
roofs and walls, and every few mill
. utcs tremendous explosions Of black
and giant powder as buildings were
blown up in various parts Of the city.
Some of these explosions were SAID
to be So heavy that they ratified
crockery in the town Of Dayton. five
miles distant. Our eyes are still
| dazed by the fires lurid clare and our
ears still ring with It's awful roar.
\ PRETTY SIGHT.
About the prctticSt sight we ever
saw was the burning of Banners
building. situated on the southwest
corner of { and Taylor streets All
! dav the fire had ragged around it, but
still it stood like tall sentinel amid
/ the surrounding ruins; north, south.
east and west of it lay the ruins of
/ buildings suppOsedt To be fire proof.
! People said to each other there will
! be at least one building standing on
I & street, north of Taylor, and that
| building WIZ be Banners. But in
this they were Gnolaed to di>appoint-
| mcnt. The intense heat to which it
had been subjected all day charrcd
the shelving" and set tire to the im-
mense stock Of clothing Banner Bros.
! had Just received and about eight
! O'Clock "a night the fire burst through
! thH roof and the iron shutters of the
! doors and windows. No enc knows
! how l0Hg it had been pent up hell
or how the fire struggled to escape
from its prison walls. 1t broke the
| fcttcFS forged to hold ii, ,. and gather
ing new force from the victory SEEM
ed lnore insatiate than ever. Great
| shrGtS of flame shot upward to
GREAT hight, while mIirky clouds of
smoke rolled one above the other in
quick succession, shutting ont the
clear blue sky: About nine o'clock
p. n, the walls of Banners building
fell in and where it stood lay a smol-
derilIg mass Of shapelcsS ruins.
The area of the burnt district is cs-
timatcd at one hundred and sixty
acres and includes within its limits
| the WcaIthieSt and most substantial
! portion of the city. Had it not been
for the height of Marye's brick build
ing on B street, Git being three s5o
ries) and the almost superhuman eX-
crtion of the tiremen and citizens, the
whole of the city would be a lnass Cs
ruins to day. For about three hours
fire and water fought each other for
! the mastery, victory trelnbled III the
scale, but finally perched on the han
ners of the fire department. II was 4
glorious victory, for it saved the
southern half of Virginia from des-
tructiOn. All honors to the victOrs.