The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-26
REDUCED TO ASHES.
An Incendiary Does in One Hour What
the Law Could Not Do
i'm Years.
The Notorious "I1O" Burnt to the
Ground, and Its Inmates Left
Entirely Destitute.

This morning about o'clock the railroad
whistle at the International depot was blown
violently, indicating that fire was raging i'm
that district, and the fire stations soon took up
the alarm. Almost simultaneously the south
west portion of the city was illuminated with a
lurid blaze, showing plainly that big fire was
then occurring. II was at the house of ill
repute known as no." kept by the notorious
Sallie Brewer. The building was of frame, two
stories in highland contained ID rooms magnifi-
Gently furnished. Fire engines did not arrive on
the scene till nearly an hour after the fire was
discovered, and then the supply of water was
so meagre that the efforts to save the building
were futile, and successful endeavor was
made to prevent the adjacent buildings from
catching fire, though they were much scOrched
by the intense heat and considerably damaged
by water.
The scene at the fire was brilliant. The house
was one mass of blaze which issued from the
doors and windows The heat was most in
tense and the smoke was dense in the extreme.
All efforts to save anything, except Il few par
Tor fixtures, were futile. The girls were run
ming about eXcitedly, some of them attired
only in their night clothes; others were en-
vcloped by blankets and rugs lent by
SYMPATHETIC NEIGHBORs.
A LIGHT commissioner interviewed Miss Ger
trude WadswOrth, better known as "Gertie,'
one of the inmates of the house. GertIe was
at that time enyelOped in an ulster, the only
covering she mao DeyOnu nef night dress, ana
was purchasing underlnen from a packman
who had considerably called round to supply
the wants of the girls, and to make big
profit. .Gertie's story was brief; She retired
to rest ut 1870 p. III. perfectly sober and slept
sOundly. About $50 Il. III. she was awakened
by cracking noise and a feeling of heat and
of sulfocation. Looking around her she saw
that her room was on fire. She jumped out of
bed and rushed to the adjoining room, which
was occupied by Salie Brewer, the proprietress,
and aroused her. where's the fire. said
Salt. aln INt,ff IyNnTNx
spondcd Gertie, "but it is in my room and must
be elsewhere; see the smoked" Sallie went to
the back door and opened it. Then the air
drove the fire to the stairs and enveloped them.
Miss Brewer got pitcher of water to pour on
the flame and began
SHOUTING FIRE.
While so engaged two other inmates, Georgia
Adams and Kittie Graham, came out of their
rooms. The girls, except kittie Graham, who
saved pet bird, took nothing with them. All
rushed into the street. Stella Osborne, Ella
Dayton, Mamie and Oracle, four girl whaslept
on the upper floor were by this time
aroused, and they and three gentlemen who
were visiting the establishment, attempted to
pass the stairs, but found it a flaming mass of
fire; they went to the windows in their night
clothes, and were rescued by means of ladder
placed at the window. But for that ladder be-
ing forthcoming there seems but little doubt
that all seven would have persisted in the
flames. Continuing her story Gertie said: "Af-
ter raising the alarm | returned TO my room
and opened desk in which was stored the
greater part of my jcwelry. This | managed
to save. | was nearly sutfocated by the smoke,
and as my night dress caught fire had to hurry
in to the street. | have lost all my clothes and
considerable mOney-indeed, $500 would not
replace my loss ] have not rag besides my
night clothes and this ulster but am better off
than the rest OF them. for they nave lost all.
| am so sorry that ] did not save my pet bird
and that | lost my album, which contained
PORTRAITS OF MY FRIENDS"
From Miss Brewer the LIGHT commissioner
learned that Gertie's story YaS correct. At
three o'clock she retired and the house was
then safe. The loss she said was ineStimable
to her. inasmuch as she could not state every
thing she had lost. She thought that
$4,000 would not cover her ndivid-
ual loss. But of this, about $4,000
was insured with Messrs Smith and Bonynge.
All her valuable jcwelry was lost and buried in
the ruins. The girls have lost everything
money, clothes and jewelry, and are practiC-
ally destitute.
The fire from all accounts commenced in the
southern part of the building, and there seems
to be little doubt that it was the work of an
incendiary. The fire commenced under the
used. Miss Brewers idea is that the
building was deliberately fired from malicious
motives, and says that but for the timely dis
cOVery the whole of the inmates would have
been burned TO death, because, even when
saved, many were already half SuifOcated by
smoke. The girls are now sheltered i'm the
houses of nCighbOTs, ana the black pile of
burning. Only the brick chimneys remain.
The gentlemen " who were at the house
were taken into town in carriages. One,
clothed in naught but an OvercOat and pair of
boots rushed like meteor through the streets
to the Menger hotel.