Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-01-08
MORE OF THE FIRE
Its Mysteries, Origin and Fatal Effects.
What Mr.. Rsnochsbsru has to Say.

What Mr.. HsnOchsbsru has to Say.
The fire Of night before last and the
loss OF life attending it was a universal
theme of comment yesterday, last
night and to-day. In some circles the
talk bordered towards excitement and
the general expression of all familiar
with the outbreak and progress of the
fire, is that it was kindled by an in
cendiary. All of the circumstances
indicate that it could have had no
ether origin, The blaze was first seen
near the rear door of Mr.. Henochs-
berg's picture and frame store. The
proprietor of the establishment says he
had gone home shortly after Z o'clock
in the evening and there had been no
tire about the store during the day.
lie had three men in his employ, a
clerk and two workmen. They also
went away before dark, and he had
closed and fastened the back doors and
shutters as we'll as their rickety con-
dition would admit. The premises
were old and shabbily built; there
were no fire walls in the upper story,
nothing but thin lath partitions, and
the tarred roof sagged down when tn
light frame rafters burned, pressing
out the himsy brick walls, and causing
them to tumble on and kill the two
iremen, Edward Leonard and Peter
Meath, also gripping and injuring
Anthony McCarty. The latter is re-
ported doing well and will recover.
The two dead iremen so unexpectedly
crushed by the walls of the tottering
structure were buried to-day with
every mark of respect and esteem.
The city offices were closed from II to
o'clock to-day, and the police and
fire force attended their funerals
in a body, a brass band
also discoursing sad strains for the
occasion.
In relation to the fire, Mr.. Henochs-
berg declares that he has no idea as to
how it occurred. He was at his home,
No. l6 Linden street, when the alarm
was sounded, and in less than ten
minutes was at the store. The fire
engines were not there until some
time after he arrived. He believes he
could have saved some 81, 200 worth
of goods, which were lear the
front doors, had it not been
fo- the insurance agent, who insisted,
that the doors should not be opened.
lie understood that the insurance
agent being present he had no right to
Interfere to ave the property. Mr..
Henochsberg declares that his stock
was worth at least $4,000 and that the
insurance agents had it estimated for
Insurance purposes at $4,000. His ad-
that he was selling
out to close business, was only
a business dodge, and he has had
no idea of doing anything of the sort.
On the contrary, he is preparing to
leave for the east this evening to lay
in a fresh stock, and he will occupy a
a few doors north of his old
stand within a few days, or as soon as
goods car be brought out. The
insurance on the stock was only $4,000,
divided, $1,000 in the Mississippi Val
ley, of Memphis, $1,000 in the Ham
burg & Bremen, and $1,000 in another
company, Marks 6 s Bensdorf
are agents. Not $25 worth of the
stock was saved.
The fire department had the flames
under subsection at one time, and two
of the engines were returned to their
quarters. The tarred roof caused it to
kindle afresh and destroy the entire
inner portion o the old building. For
a time the water supply was short, and
but for this the flames might have
been quenched and the two valuable
lives saved.