Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-24
CHARLES b. DAVIS,
A Brave Fireman, Captain Of No. En-.
CINE Company, Killed at Fire
on Sunday,
And Pete ncManus Badly Injured by the
Falling Walls of the Burned Prem.
ises-The Particulars.

About $50 o'clock Sunday morning the
rear of P. J. Relly's saloon, 205 Main street,
was found to be on FIRE. No. ! EDgine Com
sany tn ned out and went to work with its
usual promptuess, but the fire was too big TO
be handled by one engine, and all OF them L
we're called out, and soon after four steamers
were pouring water into the blazing pile.
The No. 8 men were sent into the building,
and by a united effert the 6remen soon got
the FIRE under control.
FEARING THAT THE WALLS,
which he knew TO be rotten, might fall at |
any moment, Chief Cleary ordered the No. |
3's out and advised Capt. Charles b. Davis, |
of No. i, who was standing with four OF his |
men in the alley between the saloon and
Schebler's store, 10 get away.
This wall will fall inward, chief" said
Charley, az be direeted stream into one OF
the upper windows. i
The chief saw that the wall was leaning
that wav. and having full confidence in Capt.
Davies judgment, passed out into Main street. |
No sooner had he got there than there came
LOUD CRASH
and dull thud of falling bricks in the alley.
The whole alley was filled for a moment
with dust and smoke, through which no eye
could penetrated Then there rang out the cry
of man in agony. Il came from Pete
McMauus, No. l's pipemsu, who was almost
completely covered with a pile Of smoking
bricks. He was pulled out and taken 10 the
euginehouse. His left hip was dislocated
and there were several severe Commissions on
his body, besides severe cut on the head.
sADDER SIGHT
was presented when a more thorough explors.
ton was made. 1t was the dead body Of
Capt Davis, leaning in a sitting position
against the wall OF Scheibler's store. A sec-
tioh OF the wall had struck him on the right
side OF the head, crushing in the skull. He
must have died instantly. 1t was better so.
AS brave a man "a he should be given the
death that Cesar craved-that which is most
sudden. Tenderly his body was borne to the
enginehouse by bis grief stricken comrades,
there to remain until conveyed 10 its final
home in Emwood.
THE FIRE WAS CAUSED
by the bursting of a gss-pipe, which filled
with gas one of -tirv-rooms in the second
story, where Jet had been left burning.
The bursting OF the pipe was due 10 the fall
OF part of the south wall OF the building
into an excavation made next ii for a new
building. In making the excavation the
workmen undermined the south wall OF
Kelly's saloon, and il began 10 swsg. On
Saturday afternoon part OF the wall fell in.
Mr.. Kelly then moved his family, who &C.
cupied The second story of the saloon, aud
the greater part Of his stock Of liquors and
household furniture, fearing that the whole
building would give way.
THE FIRE AND THE CAVE
wrecked the building completely. 1t be-
| longed TO the heirs OF w u. Bender, and was in
sured for $500 in Murphy & Murphy agency.
1t was sold on Saturday to Capt. james Lee,
| jr., who is putting up the new building ad.
| joining; but il is said that the trade will not
| De Contaminated until the insurance is salts
| factorily arranged. Mr.. Kelly was insured
In the same agency for $4,000 on stock and
| furniture. He loses about $500, besides
several articles of value 10 himself which
| cannot be replaced.
| CAPT. CHARLES D, DAVIS,
who lost his life in the disch arge OF his duty,
was forty-three years old, and native of
Boston. He came to Memphis when quite
young, and was member of Liberty Vol
unteer Fire Company. When the war
broke out he enlisted in the Bluff City Grays,
One Hundred and Fifty Fourth Tennessee
Regiment. During the four years of that
fearful struggle he was a brave and faithful
soldier, always at bis post and never slow to
respond 10 the call for gallant deeds. When
the war was over he naturally drifted back
into the Fire Department, and did his duty
go we'll that in 1878 he was made captain of
No. engine. The epidemic OF that year
| found him ready, IS on the battlefield, 10 do
the part of a man. The fever struck him
down, but after long struggle his pluck and
strong constitution pulled him through.
He was a born fireman. Chief Cleary said
to an APPEAL reporter, yesterday: 81 never
had 10 tell Davis what 10 do. He always
did the right thing without waiting for
| orders, and had implicit confidence in his
judgment. The wall that killed him fell
outward instead of inward, as he expected,
| because part Of the south wall fell mo-
ment before and thej oists pushed 1t OUT
Capt. Davis had policy of $1,000 in the
| Travellers Accident Insurance Company
of Hartford, Conn, in favor of young
| lady of this city, whom he was to have
married on.Thursday. His brother, Mr.. D.
P. Davis, deputy clerk of the Stats Supreme
Court, arrived from Jackson yesterday in
time 10 attend the funeral. The faithful
soldier, brave fireman and honest man was
followed to his grave in Elmwood yesterda y
| large number of other citizens. The Rev.
George White, of Cavalry church, conducted
the ceremonies at the grave.
PETE M'MANUs,
the pipeman, was resting easy at last &C.
counts and will be out in a week or two. His
hip was Get by Drs. Thornton and Saunders,
and they think he will coon be as good as
new. John McCartv and Pete Corrigan, the
other members of No. l who We're in the
fatal alley, had very marrow escape. Nc
Carly saw the wall topping over, and call
ing out to the others put for the street along
the base of the wall. Corrigan followed IN
close order, and protected by the strength OF
the lower part Of the wall they got out in
safety So close a shave was it that brick
from the pile that killed Davis and wounded
McManus, knocked the heel of McCarty's
boot.