The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-06-28
A MASS OF FLAMES


Union Street, opposite Drury Lane.
Buildings were EE"
MASS OF FLAMES
at the end of Smith Street and Drury
Lane; and while the workers were
vainly endeavoring to have the fire end
there, a momentary gale took the flames
across Simon Street to the opposite
houses, and then they receded; but
their touch had been fatal, and in less
than five minutes the buildings were
doomed to destruction. Both sides of
the street were soon in the grasp of the
deyouring element, and men were
obliged to drop their branch pipe and
run up the street after. which, they
dragged hose after them. Another lot
of men We're working at the foot of
Union Street, and, by placing boards in
front of their faces, managed to battle
with the flames until their clothing be-
came singed.
Proceeding along Smith Street, in a
southerly direction, the fire soon reached
Nelson Street, and then Robertson's
Place, then extended to Robertson's
Wharf, and then up South Wharf. As
it gained Nelson Street on the south it
met the flames coming up that street,
and the combination made a terrific
heat that could not be borne. Allied
with the strong wind from the north
west, it did not take long for the entire
wharf to get into blaze Half dozen
Of wood boats were ut the head of the
market slip, and at the end of the
wharyes about the same number of
schooners. = Before the fire had assumed
formidable shape on the North Wharf
the men of the vessels Lean to pour
pals of water on the decks The water
was low just then, and something like
this was necessary to extinguish the
sparks that were continually showered
down on them. Those at the head of
the slip were, in quarter Of an hour
ON FIRE IN SO MANY PLACES
thai it was impossible for each outbreak
to receive attention before the vessels
had been well on fire. The flames pass
ed above their masts, that soon offered
a stepping-stone to shops on South
Wharf. Not one of these west of Ward
Street was capable of withstanding the
intense heat and sparks. All being of
wood, they went down as if felled by u
hurricane, the schooners in front
having been hauled out to place of
safety. Manyof the occupants of stores
were off helping their unfortunate broth
er-lnerchants, and some arrived just in
time to save their books Others were
just enabledto witness the destruction of
all their stock Some Of the embers
lodged in the steeple of Trinity Church,
'Germain Street, and with nothing to
save it, for the fire was so high as to be
almost beyond reach, and the flames
were left 10 pursue their own way, as
news spread that some wooden houses
in Horsefeld Street, as well as others on
Duke Street, near the Victoria Hotel,
were on fire. Thousands were alarmed,
as it was soon seen that this fire was
spreading north, south, east and west to
German, Charlotte, Duke and Horse
field Streets, not an engine to be had land
every thing going down before the I'M
relenting fire. A building on Charlotte
Street had hardly become a prey to the
flames when others on either side
followed. In half an hour all but the
German Street side of the square was in
ashes. The Victoria Hotel and st.
Andrews Church were in great danger,
and the hotel guests as well as employees
began to make preparations for seeking
new quarters. Very little time was
given to them to II
COLLECT THE vALUABLES,
and in majority of cases, the inmates
had to leave with scanty wardrobes.
About the same time, St. Andrews
Church took fire and was speedily con-
sumed, Adjoining the church was a
two-story brick building, occupied as a
tailor shop in the lower. story, and
Beacon, Pfeifer and Sloan Lodges of
Odd Fellows, as well as Mellicits En-
campment of that order, had the upper
floors. Some of the members managed
TO get in the building and saved most OF
the regalia and paraphernalia prior to
that building being destroyed. The
buildings at the southern corner of Dock
and Union Streets, and opposite corner
caught almost simultaneously. To say
that the fire burned fiercely here would
but too family describe the terrible man
ner in which it kept on, unheeding
streams of water directed upon it. The