The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1876-01-28
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he cry Of Fire, and tho sound of fire bells
ran along our streets. Cooks circus had
completed its exhibition and just folded
its tents, and the drowsy spectators retired
to their SAUNDERS, when fire was discovered
in the brick store OF Mr.. J. l.. Byrne,on De-
Siard street. The doors wero closed fast at
half past eight and lights all extingnished.
The building was filled in the main with
groceries and western produce, among the
stock there being q lot of hay. The alarm
quickly brought several persons to the spot,
who, bursting in the door, found the house
filled with dense smoke and the hay all in d
blaze The draft of fresh air afforded the fire
its needed supply of oxygen and the flames
were rapidly communicated around, so that
when the steamer got ready for action there
was no hope of saving the store. The hand
engine, manned by the colored firenen,
arrived not long after, and was put to work
Under the joint efforts of the two, the fire
would no doubt have been confined to
much narrower limits than those to which
1t finally extended; but in Byrne's store
there was
A QUANTITY OF POWDER,
said by Mfr. Byrne to be fifty pounds which
was tightly packed in metallic casos and
was stored in the back part of the
house and near 1t q quantity of coal oil. In
the excitement,it seems that the powder and
oil were forgotten, only that Mr.. Gerspach.
owner of the building, found one kcg OF
powder, partially charred by fire, which he
carried ont of the burning house. Some
minutes elapsed from the discovery of the
fire, probably twenty, and II large crowd
had gathered, when
MOST TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
ensued, Earring the earth, deafening the
people ami telling scores of them prone
the ORC md ba h n
forgotten, made known its presence and
force in a manner none Of the embled
crowd had ever seen equaled and have
hardly a correct conception of now.
BURNING BEAMS, RAFTERs.
and planks, bricks, sheets of tin and shiv-
cred pieces of timber were sent through the
air like feathers, some heavy pieces falling
several squares away. The rear wall ana
portions of the side walls were blown liter
ally into bricks and bats, and the force OF
the explosion knocked down portions o,
three partitions wall, one one side and two
on the other.
THROUGH TIL EsE BREACHES
In the. walls tho fire spread right, to Gross
dry goods store, and left to Hotfman's and
through that to Marks and in few min
utes, before the confusion following the
explosion passed Off, these stores were all
burning. From Gross store the fire passed
next door to Nelson's grocery house
through an open space in the wall made by
tho explosion, and thus there were at the
same time five large buildings on fire.
..-.. THE ENGINES
were worked manfully to stop tho further
spread of the flames, and, with the very
material aid OF the bucket brigade, the
effort was successful, except that Baer's
front doors, castings and balcony wero badly
burned aud his stock of goods completely
saturated with water from the steamer
which was kertplaying to good purpose on
the house for some time. The goods in
Ruls's bookstore We're hastily removed for |
safety, but the damage sustained amounts |
to nearly as much as total loss. His ]
floor Is a Redlam of broken toys, books |
sheet music, cigar boxes, and we don't
know what all. Nearly the entire contents
OF the five buildings were consumed. In
each there was safe, and each preserved
Its contents with little or no damage.
THE RFFEcrs OF THE EXPLOSION,
notwithstanding the serious character of
the burning, appear to constitute the chief
topic OF conversation. 1t it said that u hall
keg Of powder exploded makes dead
ening painful report. Here were four at
least and near by a hundred gallons or !
more of coal oil, and the whole spent their
force in ono combined effort. Tho noise |
here was dull and heavy, moro like rumb- |
ling distant thunder than the sudden poal |
overhead. The flames shot high in he air
making the darkness light IA day tor
squares in every direction. Burning frae-
ments of joists and rafters were thrown
upward and outward like straws waited by
the wind, a perfect shower falling on Bern
hardt's building across the street and some
piercing the tin roof and setting fire to
Mealy's gallery upstairs. In rear of the
store, a plank fence across the street was
blown down and a cabin inside was pertor-
ated with bricks the Same as ifit had been
the unlucky target for hostile cannon. OF
window glass broken there is no end, and
in several buildings around, the whole
inner work of the sash was crushed. The
Synagogue had several sash of stained
glass ruined. The Methodist Church, dis
tant over 100 yards, suffered largely in the
loss of glass and had one or two sash crush
ed In. The ouachita House, Mrs. CARROTS
residence, Bernhardt's buildings Kinder
mann, Petzold, Filhiol and many other
places and persons suffered more or less
from broken lights.
r. FORTUNATE, INDEED,