Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-05
THE FIRE E
The Liquor Store of A. VaccarO
Co. Set Fire to by In
cendiaries on Satur-
day Night.
A Large Stock Of Goods Badly Dam
aged, But tbs Firo Department
Comes to the Rescue in
Good Time.
A SECOND FIRE TAKES PLACE.

A SECOND rIRE TAKES PLACE.
Last Saturday night at quarter past
seven o'clock smoke was discovered issu-
ing from the liquor store of A. Vaccaro
& Co., No. 1874 Front street between
Union and Monroe. On the alarm being
given everybody ran toward the burning
building, but no one ran toward the FIRE
engine houses. Whistles were blown BY
the police and by private citizens, aid
after some twenty minutes the alarm
reached the FIRE department. The fire
bells rang out at once and soon the
steamers rushed down to the cisterns in
the vicinity OF the conlagration. By
this time smoke Issued from all the win.
dows and the roof and fire commenced
burstinG ous eli around the building
and from the roof. Chief McFsdden
co%mprehending the danger, we'll kacviug
the inhammabls and combustible nature
of the stock o. goods withis, at once sur
rounded the burning building with his
engine, and water was pitched in or the
side, in .rolt and rear, from ladders aud
thrOuI h doors and windows. The fire
kept on increasing in strength as a bar.
re- Of whisky or brandy would burst and
the liquor would scatter all around, but
the determined fight made by the FIRE
department for two hours brought the
FIRE under subsection. The flames
cracked aHd roared inside the building,
while outside a dense and ~sufocating
smoke filled the streets aud alleys. The
ground Aoor contained a large stock Of
barreled whisky, boxed and hamper
goods, such as wines, liquors, ales, gias,
etc. Toe boxel and hampers were al.
most totally destroyed; the corks popped
out Of the bottles and the finest Of wines
and other liquord ran out on the floor
and into the cellar. Some twenty or
more barrels Of whisky broke ,r burst
and their contents added no little to the
intensity of tire flames. In the cellar
was a stock Of liquors and other inAam-
mabls Foods, AMI these also were con.
sidersbly damaged. The flames sprang
up thu haiehways of the elevator and
caught in the roof, from which fire fell
on the upper floor or third story. This
soon iQnited TIE stock Of goods on both
the second and third floors, and the
flames broke through the slate roof above
the hstchW,y. The night was dark, the
streets muddy and the rain poured down
steadily. but the gallant FIRE boys stuck
to their work and in the face of danger
fou hit it out to the end. They were all
over the building, in the hame5, amidst
the falling roof and timbers, but for.
tunately the joist, held up and prevented
the large stock Of bsrreled WHISTLES,
etc, from breaking through into the eel
la. Had this occurred there is no tell
ing what would have happened or where
the conAsgration would have ended,
situated as it was in the heart Of the bust.
ness portion of the city.
CAPT. Tom Johnson, the book-keeper,
assisted by tie 6remen, carried all the
books from the Office, which was situated
on the second floor in front. 1t was one
Of the mos; dangerous fires that has oc.
CARED iu this city for years, aud nothing
but the skill and gallantry Of the Gre
department headed by chief McFadden,
prevented a most disastrous couaagra.
ton from occurring
STOCK on HAND y LOSS
The stock on hand was valued at about
seventy-6ve thousand dollars, aud the
loss is ro5ghly estimated at from ten to
twenty thousand dollars. There was an
Insurance. on the stock Of $52,500 in the
following companies: fernando, of
Memphis, $1,000; Planters, of Memphis,
$4,000; Memphis City Fire, $4,000; Mer.
chants, Of Memphis, $4,000; Home, oil
New York, $4,000; Imperial of London,
$4,000; North British and Mercantile,
$4,000; Liverpool, London aud Globe,
So 900; Fire Association Of Philade,
phia, $4,000
THE APPEARANCE On YESTERDAY, ETC.
Yesterday our reporter visited the
building aad it presented q scene of ruin.
Every portion of the building had been
sCorchod and burned through, rafters and
joists were oharred and ~blackened, tiers
Of whisky barrels were charred and
crisped by the flames, while boxes and
baskets Of wines, brandies, etc lay
broken and burned all around. At ono
time the Ere extended into the adjoining
building occupied By Moore, Emery &
Co., cotton factors and grocers, but this
was soon extinguished By the fremeu
before any damage occurred. The build.
ipg was owned by Mr., John B. Robinson.
and ppoR 1t he had an insurance Of only
$4,000, in the Peoples Insurance Com
pany Of Memphis. The damage done
to the building cannot be repaired for
the amount of insurance, the loss being
considerably wei that sum.
SUPPOSED AUST OF THE FIRE.
The fire is believed to have been
caused by an incendiary, who probably
threw a ball saturated With turpentipe OF
coal nil throu0h tho w;ndoa . m no ill.,