The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-03-19
FIRE AND DEATH.
PulaSki'S Relentless Destroy.
er On a Rampage.
Three Human Beings Fall Victims
10 Its Greed.
The Whole North Side Laid IN
Ashes Again-A
Total Ruin.


II Pulaskis unquenchable enemy
and dreaded destroyer, the fire
fiend, reappsared in our midst il
his most hideous form last Friday
night, when occurred the most ap-
palling, horrible tragedy ever en-
acted in this city. Often before
have the flames licked up our most
valuable buildings, for since the
war they have RACED at least one
house on almost every lot around
the square and more upon many of
them, but never have the hearts of
this people SO recoiled from the con-
temptation of their destructive re-
suits as they do at this time. To
the dreadful scene of the ruins of
property has been added the repug-
nant picture of charred human bod
les rescued from the debris, and
whose bare, bleached bones told the
awful'tale of the terrible torture of
the poor, unfortunate victims.
Three lives were lost in Friday
nights confagratlon. Three strong
men, who were rendered uncon-
scious OF their danger by sleep I'm
til all hope of escape was precluded
by the unchecked progress of the
flames, burned to death, and their
pitiable cries, while in the throes of
horrible death, were heard to as
cend from the gulf of smoke and
flame. Oh! the thought is appall-
ing, and we would dismiss it from
our minds and think not of the aw-
full suffering of our fellow creatures,
whom we might have saved if we
had known only few minutes ear
lier of their peril. Our hearts grow
sick and faint to think how easily
we might have rescued them and
then to realize their fearful fate.
The fire originated in the New
York Store, the eastern corner
house on the north side of the
square, and it is supposed in the
rear part of the first story OF that
building. The house was occupied
by 1. Frankie as dry goods store.
The fire was discovered at about half
past 10 o'clock, Immediately after
Barnett's Ideal Opera Co. had clos
ed their performances in the Opera
House and when those who had at
tended were on their way home.
1t was first seen by Mr.. r. Henry
Jones, who was a salesman in the
house and who having been to hear
Mascotte was going to his room in
the upper story of the burning
building. He was some distance
off when he saw the light through
the windows, and giving the cry of
fire hurried to open the front door
He found it impossible to enter as
the room was already filed with a
dense smoke and smothered flames.
No effort was made to save the build
Ing. When the house was opened
the fire got fresh impetus and did
its work OF destruction with re-
markable rapidity. The light wood
partitions between the second sto-
ries Of the corner house and the one
next to it, that of Dismukes & Co.,
furnished ready fuel and the latter
was soon snvefoped. At this juno
ture the lives of the men who per
ished were first imperiled. They
were sleeping on the second floor of
the third house from the corner,
which was occupied by J. P. Bled-
soc as saloon and boarding house.
They had taken lodgings here tor the
night. Mr.. Monroe Glaze, s. we'll
known citizen of Giles county who
lived in the vicinity of Bunker Hill,
retired in one Of the rooms at Z
O'Clock an hour later two strangers
applied for beds and were assigned !
to the rear Toom-next to the one
occupied by Mr.. Glaze. Thus they
were all sleeping while the flames
were rapidly approaching them.
Mr.. Chas. Brock, Bledsoe's sales
man, was sleeping in the lower sto-
ry and was aroused by Mr.. West |
Davis, who broke open the front |
door, just in time for him to escape |
He told Mr.. Davis soon after he got |
out of the house that there were |
three men sleeping upstairs and the
latter attempted to rescue them. ]
He ran to the top Of the steps but
was driven back by the smoke.
Mr.. Arch Notgrass then made the
same attempt with the same result.
1t was some minutes after this that
it was circulated through the crowd:
Monroe Glaze and two strangers
were sleeping over Bledsoe's and |
they have not been seen since they
went to bed" During all this time
those who knew they went to bed
there were resting in the hope that
they had escaped, and the report
caused but little excitement from
the fact that nobody believed
it possible that human beings
should be lost in such a fire. In
fact, it was not known that they
had persisted until the next morn
ing, when their charred remains
were found in the ruins. The
charred trunk of one of the men,
his skull yet hanging to it, the
skull of another, small portions of
the skull of the third, one heart,
burnt to crisp, and few frag
mentary bones, are the remains
that were recovered, and over these
Esq. Alexander impanelled a jury
of inquest. The substance of their
verdict was, necessarily, that the
deaths OF the deceased were caused
by fire, the origin of which they
were unable to ascertain.
A matter that has been the cause
of much speculation is the fact that
these remains were found on the
site, not of the Bledsoe house, but
of the next one to it, that of Dis
mukes d Co.. Some surmised |
that they were thrown there
when the walls fell, but this is not
likely because the floors must have
fallen first and they could not there
fore have been thrown so great
= distance. Hence, the generally |
received theory is that wnen IL was !
ton late the moor men awoke from |