Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-22
A GENERAL ALARM
From the Fire-Belis Brings Almost the
Whole Population into the Streets
10 Witness the
Destruction OF the Flour Mill of the
Enterprise Company and the Burn
ing Of the Southern Division Of
The Cotton Compress COmpany's Nam,
moth Shed-TOtal Loss Of Both
Concerns, $4,000.

At S:45 o'clock last night the fire bells
rang out q pealipg signal, which was con-
tinued for full Ten minutes with impatient
strokes. The fire department answered
promptly, and in a little while tbe whole
force was concentrated on Beale and Short
Third streets, and many streams OF water
were pouring into the Touring mill of
the Enterprise Company, one of the
latest and most promising enter
prises in the city The atmosphere was very
heavy, and the smoke was soon pouring
along the adjacent streets. This, added to
the continued pealing of the hre-bells,
brought an immense concourse OF people TO-
gether, most OF whom fingered in he vicin-
ity of the blazing mill, which the fremen
vainly endeavored to save, until the second
alarm rang out, filling the air with porten-
GUS tones, which in q few minutes
supplemented by the shrieks of locomotive
and steam whistles, alarming the whole pop
ulation 10 the dread OF a general conhagra-
ton Rumor announced the threatened de-
struction of the elevator. This increased the
excitement to pitch OF intensity almost
impossible to describe. Men and women,
and even children, poured along Main and
Front streets by thousands in eager haste
to reach the scene of this second fire, and
it is not too much TO say that a sigh of re-
lief went up from the vast throng that was
quickly gathered on the bluffs, on cars and
on the tops of houses, when they saw that
the elevator was safe. But this feeling was
not unmixed with regret when il was
learned that the southern section of the
Mammoth Compress was on fire, with
heavy stock OF cotton. The
company has done so much to retain the
cotton trade of Memphis and increase it, has
been SO diligent in meeting the wants of an
incre asing business, that every body expressed
regret, though glad at the safety of the ele-
vator, that the Compress Company was to
suffer. Two more enterprising men than
Amos Woodruff, the president, and
Henry Montgomery, the general su-
perintendent, do not live on these bluffs.
They have been identified with the city SO
long, sharing in all its fortunes and misfor-
tunes, that naturally enough the people felt
deep sympathy with them and with those
they represent. But the fire was doing
its work all the same, and doing it quick
leaped up far above the walls of the
great structure and lighted the heavens for
perhaps a mile away. The hremen, |
yet fully occupied with the Touring mill,
could not get away in time, and the COM
press men were thrown upon their own linn
tied resources. These, under intelligent |
direction, were used with skill, and finding
that nothing more could be done, the blazes |
were confined to the division where they |
ragged, while the adjoining one, with its con-
tents, was drenched with water TO prevent the |
march OF the flames. For two hours the blsz.s |
from the burning pile of shed and cotton
Lighted up the sky and the eager faces that |
all the time fingered in the vicinity, anxious |
until the walls fell in and all danger of fur. |
ther spread OF the flames had passed. About |
II o'clock the vast MACS had slowly melted !
away, the scene was completely under control |
and was left to the 6remen who were still |
working assiduously in the line of their
duty. The excitement had died away, ard |
the anxious people retired with-a feeling akin |
10 thankfulness that things were no worse.