Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-24
Four Prominent Mercantile
Houses Totally De.
strOyed.
Loss Estimated at a Quar-
ter of a Million,
And the Heaviest Here For
Dozen Years.
The Losses Well Covered By
Insurance.

DI0ue a. TO-, ABOUT nail past IQUf
o'clock this morning. 1t spread rap>
idly towards the front OF the store and
to the houses adjoining, and in brief
space of time the entire front of the
block back TO the alley, except the
store of Fulmer, Thornton & Co., on
the corner of Gayoso and Front, was
a mass of smoking ruins.
The buildings destroyed we're occu-
pied by Stewart, Gwynne & Co., Nos.
366 aud 1863 Front street, three story
brick structure extending back las
feet and with a frontage of 80 or so
feet. This building belonged to Mr..
Andrew Stewart, of New Orleans, and
member Of the mercantile firm. 1t
is valued at $4,000 or $4,000 and is
we'll covered by insurance. The stock
of the firm is estimated to have been
worth $4,000 or $4,000, and it
is also well covered. Nothing was
saved from either the stock or the
store, and the loss is total except the
tumble. down brick. The safe Of the
firm is believed to be intact; it was to
be seen after the building had fallen
setting on top of a pier among the
ruins, and seemed to be in good con-
dition Within few days past the
| firm has been laying in a heavy stock
OF goods Tor the approaching autumn
traffic, Among other items pur chase Of
5000 rolls Of bagging had recently
been put in the house. 1t is worth
on an average $3.50 per roll, or about
! $4,000 total. The firm have moved
across the street into their own build
ing, and will continue business the
same as if no fire had occurred. Their
house was the one tarthest north OF
the row destroyed, and on the corner
of the alley midway between GayOsO
and Union, east side,
The next building south of Stewart
| Gwynne & Co., was the two numbers
| 800 and 1862 Front street, occupied by
Brode & Co., sugar and molasses deal
ers and general commission merchants
The house was three stories high in
front and two stories in the rear, ex.
tending from the east side of Front to
the alley, 145 feet behind. It be
Ionged to M. l.. Meaoham, and was
valued at about $4,000. The only in,
surance held by Mr.. Meacham was
$4,000 reported to be in tho Planters,
VI this city. 1t was IN the rear of this
house that tho fire originated,
lther in the cellar or on the ground
| floor next to an alley, A letter carrier
named Hood occupied a room up
stairs over the place the fire occurred.
lie had a narrow escape, and would
doubtless have been smothered but
for the fact thai no was aroused BIZ the
Eatchman OF the building who, by the
way, first gave the alarm which brought t
out the engines. hood made his way
n the front of the store and aroused
Mr.. Harry May and Mr.. Sim Speers,
who occurred one upstairs room to-
| gether. Mr.. May took time to put
IN his shoes, but did not stop to get
MS watch, which was lost, Mr.. Speers
danced around at lively rate CO the
not floor barefooted, and both ware
we'll smoled beloFe thpy Teaohed the
treet. They narrowly escaped being
baked. The two young gentlemen
stmated the value of their room fur
liture at $500 and they have a policy
If 5000 in the Planters of this city
In the house of Brode q Go. the firm
had perhaps $1,000 worth Of misCella>
neous articles and they are fully GOV
cred by insgrapse, Their large store
was mainly used as q storage house.
There were 1900 barrels of oil in the
central part of the building, and,
heugh none of it was near where the
ire started, yet it had been leaking
considerably and the floor timber
was we'll saturated. Consequent
ly when tho FIRE REACHED this
part of the promises it spread with
great rapidity and soon made a con-
aagration which all the fire com
panies in America could not have
suppressed. The oil belonged to the
Globe Oil Company OF this city and
was fnllv insured. Policies summing
up $65,0OO cover it, 10 G. B. Wel!ogl
y Co.'s agency, the cO@penies being
all outside Of tho city or in Europe.
The next store south Of BrOde's
was II. B. Shauks Il Co., commisEon
merchants, and neXt to that John
Reid 4 Co., commission merchants
and wholesale dealers in -four. The
TWO numbers we're 3d4 and aG6 Front
and were three stories high, and val
ued at $4,000. Mr.. Cloth is insured
for $4,000 only, in the Planters, of this
citv.
The firm Of H. B. Shanks & 70.
held q stock estimated at some $l0.JU0
in value. There was also stored 400
barrels Of oil on account Of r. @. Lat
ting, and 100 barrels for Katzenberger
Sons & Co., both fully insured On the
remaining stock of Shanks & Co. is
policy of $4,000, reported to be 10 the
Planters Company, of this city.
Another policy of $4,000 is held by
the Home, Of this city, for account of
Shanks n Co.; also one Of 500 in the
5aIae company TO cover goods stored
With ShShks 4 Co. for 4. NJ. White &
%. A portion of the Shanks stock
was saved in good condition. Messrs.
Shanks Il Oo.alsO had policy Of $500
| in Murphy's agency, making total
lnsHrspee Of $4,000 for the Ora asfar
as aseertained, ~
Next south Of Shanks & Co., was
the store of John Reid. and n nart