The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-11
Scenes and Incidents of the Ahair'

ye,terday's caiamit. BY f." " ~ iar
the most destruc.lY C-tas,rI, La - ~ ".'
ever visited this or probable any Guy ID
the state. In short two hours, OF AZ iuss
tn,a that norton OF the DUST
moss part of the city when
renresents some OF its most impor,and,
Commercial interests was laiu III u,n ; auu
ashes after confiagratloh whose .;nrous
Iii ,v,,h which IL was successfully com
hat,ed. The damage, as AZ present esll
, n". 10 $500 900 The first tioings oil the
imnerSipg calamity came with the alarn
minded at 1880 O'Clock in the morning,
and indicating. danger III tn ne
TaTas 4 Pacific depot, district containing
.sst stores of cotton, grain and other great
stapiss beld for shipment or In process OF
trapsnortation. Fire in that locality, every
80 Epaw meant severe commeiclai loss
and the heavy rumb ing OF the steamers
flashing to the scene OF threatened uanser
was accompanied by the rush OF many
feet, as citizens Of an o'@ nf the mo.
,,oant and FASTENED 10 the danger Spot,
aager to hear a strong hand to avert the
dSSaater THE fire, however, had mace iear'
Sii Roadway. 1t had broken out IN the en-
zine room of the city elevator, on Iac.nG
avenue, the engine room being IuJ1,o
in a two.story prlcS i VIM n,
tba ioi9v main building. In the second
tory oftbe engine loom was the apparatus
,,soJ for bnskine corn, together Win great
vs. oS hnsks used for feeding the engine,
apnd drv az finder. The flames ran through
these like lightning, and wnen inc nfemen
and citizens arrived on the spot tne Siaae
ture was a.vnes had already
h hm communicated to the elevator tower
and we're rapidly eating their way INTO II.
The f;re,s great head way, however, was no'
tha e onlv obstacle to checking the contlfg ra-
ton. Several freight trains on tne leaas " "
Pacific track barred the way 10 tne usS IT, y.
the hose. Several OF the cars tI So I'm hurnine
oievstor became frantic with the delay
IN making any effort to stay the tide Of
t ~ min. Finally an engine backed
Snwn the track and drew the cars from III
'front.' Of the burning. The firemen tnen
Quickly drew up the hose, ana inc s.sam ar 20
which had been stationed AZ sne ooi nnrne az
Austin and Elm streets ana az .uu 'U we're
of Pacific avenue and Lanai rr,.
IN, 80 high pressure speed ana nurieo
55aI ot water upon the blazing elevator
Tha Etna hose also poured ia heaVy Vol-
umes from the fire-plugs. Twink w w 80
intense heat, however, 1t was Cllhcu,I W =,
throw water on the flames. EVen h hhla ~
been possible, it seems s haroy ha p saved
that the building coald nave oeon
from total loss. e. bod ham
ro',,pg for perhaps twenty or thirty ihlhuees
the Iipht breeze that was oloWihs JAM
from the north, and did not 1ail uiIeuny
upon the burning part OF lne e,luo 80,
But now the crowd, coilecleu VI ,ooss
avail,ble place where they couid wltneess
rithaut being SCOTCueu,
the sce"e stne "i'nO cry, 'The cot
t tan IT'S caught the cotton" The It'd
;nss were true. The wind had shiiteo 10
the westward and famed the names a,, 70,
ward the yard in the rear, aim0st n,ieu
with several thousand bales. the ELL
brick engine'house, ipGiuu, r so wis q Co,
dealers In machinery, was now pass o.
sc and the flames from tnis,
a ase' we'll as from the lower
mart of the main elevator bui!oing
were famed into the yard which oscqpienh
almost square, bounded by hign oi ~
wall. A furious effort was maui ~ ha les
in desneration, often tumbling eacn oL c
over in their efforts to get them out. Inc
Grs however. almost in twinKIng
had fnll sway over the yard, ana
the workers. who were multltuue,
turned their attention 10 saVpe
the cotton already rolled out inlo ahe aH
joining streets. In TINS tney "e'e '"'i''
successful. ;,s beight
The flames had worked toward the COM
press. on the left, and all efforts were now
directed TO saving that building, together
with It's valuable machinery and the cotton
on the platform nnu III
the immediate vicinity. Inc gIea'
a IOvstor was mass oil lame,
frinced with black cloud of smoke IN the
center of which was q vast ball OF lurid fire
which threw ont great jets OF crimson nre
ss ~ bounded upward and downward IN
seeming efforts TO destroy all at one ieil
swoop. The corrugated iron plates Wnicn
covered much OF the ounulhg
S were ,,c c.smS abieh remained radisted
the heat which was intense, and when
cansed draft toward the cotton yaro ana
the buildings on Lamar and Collin streets
and Ross avenue. The heat was simply
uncomfortable. The depot at the ralIroao
crossing at Lamar street and PACING avenue
was considered 10 danger. ana gan gses "a
saturating the roof OF the depot
and other adjoining buildings
with water. No one could walk on Paclnc
avenue oooosite the elevator. ana LOT SOME
tins II looked as though the National notei
and other buildings on that square "ouIo
60 next. The roofs and walls MeIe Oyn
sfantlv drenched, and we're only saved py
.bis means Much apprehension was also
feit bv occupants Of Offices on the NORTH
sida of Finn street, and water was ireely
ned an the roofs an balconies. Wafer was
conveved from these buildings 70 tne no
lei and other buildings on Pacinc avenue.
Every one seemed eager and wnIins 70
take hand at this work, and also AZ re-
,aoving the goods Of the threatened build
ine,. The great fear OF the people on "a
cific avenue and Elm street was tnate SUI
eVeniue breeze might spring up rom tne
north Ia which case there was no estimate
Of me destruction 10 the wholesale nrms on
the north side OF Elm street. Inc DIse1e,
however; although !, .s sn.,,sf i iIsst ~
The Ere ragged for fully two heurs, com
risfslv destroying the elevator sno
.houf 1000 bales OF cotton IN tne
.S;c5nsng vsrds. The compress and its
rnschinsrr were saved. and this vn oe-
cided victory for the hremen. 20 > iene
firns Il wrs touch ard 90 whether the
e.-... ~ouid sweep over the compress
ee-s-sl times bales Of cotton on the plat
49,, 100 fire. and trics the posts suppori-
80 : - roof we're in q bright blaze. frooa-
80 hundred or more men we're
er~nrrd II ibis POINT -sttlnt
VIII TIE flames Every eFeiieos 49,.
"a. r-rrrsd into service 70 cart sEnJ me
- -. -bo saw the confaTrstion At iis
,..-.,-1 ~1tne~srd en- imposing spectecle.
~ f7rs rpresding 70 I've squnrss. 80 -
f-rfInr rnsrv smaller bullongs, stoIs. -
freIiirrs. This occurred wen ID n-.-s s
= o1s tine we're s.spt y s.s-s -
49, srirfrfrr buildings On l1mM
- r~'1i. sf-rrr rrf k1ss s-e1ue. fo
$50 Il I,rfrf - fhoseh TIE - nmo1E
~-~Irsfs residences would - - Es.- -
rrrr'x-i.rn - Il ~. snong me nso, me
70 "a. s.rr. 81 fhis tine. - rive rfo.ly
-. rIsls-rs~fs u either Ics1ts q n
1870 A. rsnrrti rule -ne IN