The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-20
FLAME.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE CON
FLAGRATION ON THE AVE-
NUE. YESTERDAY MORNING.
Heroic Conduct of the Firemen-
The Origin of the Flame
Insurance. Etc.

AS stated in yesterdays issue, just
as the STATESMAN was going to press
flames were discovered in Harry
Hawkins barber shop on the avenue.
When discovered the fire was
the most angry of any
that has visited Austin in good
many years. Every part OF the bar
Der shop was in flames, and so was
the second story, occupied by Mrs.
Hellingsworth, with her millinery
store, and in addition the yaranda was
on fire the entire length of the block.
1t was discovered about quarter to
four, and at quarter to three
STATESMAN representative passed
along the sidewalk in front of the
building, and
THERE WAS NO FLAME
then. John B. Neff left the Iro6
front half an hour later and at that
time no flames could be seen, and the
sudden ont break of the conhagra-
ton is one of the mysterious things
connected with this fire. Owing to
the fact that Austip has no fire alarm
system it took se1ne time after the fire
was noticedto call the fire department
and In tact one company was out be-
forethe alarm was given. When sound
ed the department was on hand with
dispatch and the water company
had on a high pressure of water,
which enabled the fremen to do eX-
cellent work. To their gallant con-
duct is due the preservation of the
| block, which would have gone but for
the most efficient work at their hands.
They put
SEVERAL STREAMS
on from the front, and as many from
the rear, and the blaze went down in
water and darkness in an instant
seemingly. OF course the entire con-
tents of the building were des.
troyed before the department was
called out, but the firemen saved
| the rest of the block from the
fire. In the building to the north OF
this is Hawks notion store, and on
the south the Gold Room saloon, sepa
rated only by wall, neither of which
were damaged enough to prevent
them from opening and going on with
business as usual Yesterday,
THE LOSS
is considerable. The building, owned
by Mrs. Glascock, was damaged a.
least Sd, 600, and on this there was only
twenty live hundred dollars insuran G.
Harry Hawkins is the heaviest loos e.
otall. He had just refurnished anC
refitted his shaving parlors and bath
rooms in the most elegant manner
and among other thiegs had put in ;
very unique and expensive marbl,
Si'v, rplat, d wash-sink, costing larg'
amount OF money. His
PARLoRs
were the most deliberately fur
nisho of any in the city, anC
probably were not surpassed
in the state. Hawkins did not hav,
a cent of insurance and his loss is con
siderably over three thousand dollars
Mrs. Hellingsworth, the milliner, ha(
just received large stock of new
goods for the spring trade. A low
estimate on her stock would be three
thousand and five hundred dollars OF
which she carried twenty-five hundred
insurance. Dave Hunter sustained
quite loss from damage to the stucct
work in front of the
GOLD ROOM.
He had recently had the Gold Room
front finished at much expence in stuc
co, and this was so badly cracked anC
smoked by the fire that it will have tt
be replaced. He also sufferd much
from water; large number of cigars
and quantity of tobacco were ruined
This. and other damage will make hi.
loss one thousand and eight hundred
dollars. The show window of
HAWKS STORE
was broken in by the water
and the contents of the win
dow entirely ruined. He es.
estimates his loss at about one hun.
dred dollars. Mr.. Holman, who oc-
cupied the rooms over the Gold room
" as damaged some, but no doubt fifty
dollars will cover his loss. Mr.. Hun
ter, Mr.. Hawks and Mr.. HOLMAN
are all fully insured. Some of tine
BARRIERS in Harry Hawkins establish.
ment lost small amounts. One singu.
lar circumstance is worthy of men.
ton. Prof. McWaine had suit OF
dress clothes and silk umbrella in q
closet under the stairs, and strange
as it may appear these were not in
| jured particle. Yesterday he took
| GuOn II IN enO uoOiAS WA1nouI d Ho1e
burned in them.
THE ORIGIN
of the fire is an unsolved problem. 1t
is quite evident it caught in the north
east corner of Mrs. Hellingsworth's
rooms; burned through the floor, and
the fire dropping down, ignited the
room below. No fire was
used, either above or below. the
day or night prior to the confagra-
ton, and there are strong grounds
for suspicioning the building was ig-
nited by incendiaries.. The matter
will be fully Investigated by detec-
tges and II bI possible - the guilty par
ly there are grave grounds to sus-
picion certain things, which of course