The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-12-28
PULASKI'S PLAGUE.
Her Old Enemy Stealthily
Appears Again
TO Destroy One Of Her Finest Strue-
lures and Leave it in Ashes.
The Peoples Bank Burned.

this year occurred last Sunday
morning. About half past four the
town bell sounded the alarm and q
large crowd assembled to see the
finest business house in the place.
the Peoples National Bank, con
sumed by the flames. Mr.. Atha T.
Baugh, who was sleeping over w.
II. Alternately IL Co. clothing store,
was aroused almost stifed by the
smoke which had crept into his
room through crevices in the brick
wall. The flames had not yet
reached the opening, and it was
some time before it was known pre-
cisely where they were. But their
smouldering was soon over, and
they lea2ed above the roof, defying
every effort to check them,
until the building and almost ev-
erything il it was in ashes.
In the first story front the bust
ness of the Peoples National Bank
was transacted, and in the rear the
Elk Club had a hall rented. The
office of the Pulaski Herald was on
the second floor, and the third sto-
ry was occupied by the Indepen-
dent Order 1of Immaculates as
lodge. The fire originated by some
unaccountable means in a room to
the rear Of the printing Office in
which lot of paper was stored.
When first discovered it seemed
to have been smoldering in heap
of this paper for some time and the
smoke inside the house was so
dense that no one could enter after
the door was broken down. There
was no tine to get anything out of
the house except a few pieces offur
niture in the front room of the bank,
and the furniture of the hall occu-
pied by the Elks. Mr.. J. D. An
drews, editor of the Herald, did ven
ture into his Office, having broken
through a window, and endeavored
to save his books, but could not en-
dure the smoke and had to retreat.
He made a second attempt with the
same result, and started back again,
but by this time the heat was so
great that he could not enter, and
he was forced to leave them to
he burned with the rest of the
office. He saved nothing. Books,
subscription lists and all were lost
with the presses, type, &c. His en-
tire loss is about $4,000, half of
which was covered by insurance.
The lodge property of the I'm
maculates was a total loss, not be-
ing insured. Besides the furniture
of the room, the regalia and entire
outfit for commandery and two
lodges, of a total value of 81 900,
was lost.
The building which was the prop
erty of the banking company cost
when erected about SD, 900 and was
as good as new, but was purchased
by them year ago for 81, 500. 1t
was insured for $4,000. In this
and the retard to business consist
their only loss. The cash and 9th
er deposits, books and valuable pa
pers were perfectly preserved in the
I tue vault, which stood the test and
is still uninjured. 1t was easily
opened the following day by Mr.
Riddle, the cashier, with the assis-
tanoe ofMessrs. Mitchell and vii
liams. The latter had but little
chiseling to do ON the front door
which was slightly expanded, be
fore the combination worked al
right and door swung on its hinges
Upon entering the vault was found
to be but slightly warm on the in
side, and Mr.. Craig, assistant cash
Ter, discovered one side of the mon
ey safe to be actually cool to thu
touch. No harm was done to any
thing except the blistering of thu
paint on the door. The house will
| be rebuilt as soon as possible. Ii
t the meantime, the business of tn
bank will be continued first door t
the rear of L. Rosenau & Bro
store. Monday being a nationa
j holiday and the bank havin
r opened in the new quarters yesteI
day, its business was suspended on
S iy one day on account of the grea
! misfortune.
The Elks lost nothing by the
t fire but few chess boards and {
i dozen decks of cards.
But the above does not cover in
I direct damages. When it was see
5 that the bank could not be saveC
everybody thought that the entir
block of buildings adjoining woul
also be burnt, and all the mel
= chants on that side of the squar
a except Rosenau d Bro. threw ope
Is their doors and their goods wer
thrown helter-skelter into the stree
As a necessary result, the stoch
were all more or less damaged
:. Next door to the burnt building
= the clothing store of w. III. Abe
u nathy & Co. Then come in succe
y sion the hardware house of Gibson
. Nelson 81 Co., the dry goods e:
Establishments of A. Z. May and
- Alternately & Brannan, and tt
~ drug store of II. NJ. Grigsby. tt
: contents of these houses, various s
they are, were hurriedly handled al
heaped upon the ground on the o
posile side of the street-some mu
10 died and all disarranged. The
AT owners are loses to the extent
us the damages hus caused, all
~ which loss, however, is covered
insurance. As it turned out,
. removal of these goods was unn'
- essary, for the fire fortunately W
i checked by hard work well direct'
ne and by means of the high, hea
ice walls of the bank, which tower
es above the rest the height of sto
Dol Mr.. Andrews was the first one
at get to his office He unlocked
IN door, but the smoke drove b
NJ back and he closed it and went
oil on the cornice through the seco
mo story window of the Clothing ST
mo and standing on the narrow foot
IN ne broke open his own window "
eir HIS naked hands and they were
ust verely cut by the glass. The "
o. der is that he did not fall and
aus himself when he ran out the "
heI dow almost smothered by
Oh smoke.
ooi' The board CT directors OF