The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-06-07
APPALLING.
Dreadful Calamity Befalls Rock
dale-Eleven Persons Perish
in q Hotel Fire.
Names of Some of the Lost-The
Disaster developed in
Mystery.
,pecial Telepram,to the statepman.

Special TelegrAm.to the Statesman.
RocKpALE, June 4.-One of the mos'
horrible calamities which any community
could experience has befallen hockuale
This morning at a few minutes. before
O'Clock the Mundine hotel three-stoIy
brick building, was found to be anre' auu
according to those who were hrst on ihe
grounds il was all on fire at once Inside
were thirteen souls, only two OF Whon
ESCAPED alive. DR.. W. A. Brooks, the
nroprietor, was pulled out of the burning
buiIdipp with his hair and beard sin2ed
off and otherwise badly burned, leaving
behind him his wife and four children
who persisted. Mr.. j. +. Brlscoe, win
wife and two children, also persisted MI
Isaac Crown, OF the firm of l. Baum
Co., also persisted. Mr.. Pemberton Pierce,
representing the firm of Geo
II. Zeigler, of Philadelphia
Jumped from the burning building
and was killed. Mr.. d. M. Oldham, OF
Dallas, representing the firm of Cannon d
Co., of Galveston, escaped badly singed.
The mystery about the thing is that SO
many should have persisted when none
were higher up than the second story
and there were galleries and exits on both
sides of the building occupied by the
sleepers. No one was heard to call or
scream, but all died without giving a word
for help. Though a great crowd quickly
gathered and exhausted every effort to
rescue them, 1t seems Impossible that bhey
should ell have sufocated.
The remains of several have been
recovered from the ruins, but
in an unrecognizable condition
A great pail rests over Rockdale,
and every business place is closed.
Pierce is the only victim not resident OF
Rockdale. The Mundine house was valued
at $4,000: insured for $1,000. j. B. Kemp
d Co., who occupied part of it as store,
were completely burned out. Loss, So
600; insurance, $4,000.
Mr.. Joe Rowland had his building
crushed by the falling walls of the hotel,
but his stock was saved, though badly
damaged. Fully covered by insurance.
THE BRIscoE FAMILY.
RooKpALE, June Al. I. Briscoe was
for many years business man of this
place. He recently moved to Taylor.
His wife, with her two little children, had
stopped over here, being en- route to her
home in Indiana. She was Joined by her
husband, who came in on the 1880 train
last night, only to share with his loved
ones horrible death. DR.. Brooks Is
entirely dazad and badly injured
but whether fatally or not cannot be
ascertained. Isaac Crown, the junior
partner of the firm of Baum d Co.. was
30 years old and unmarried
The origin of the fire is yet onjectural.
The hotel building was occupied on the
Iirst floor by the postotfice and the firm
of I. B. Kemp d Co., general merchants.
From neither could anything be saved
except such valuables as were contained
in the fire-proof safes. Adjoining the
hotel on the north was one-story brick
building owned by j. S. Perry and
occupied by j. r. Rowland for stor-
age of general merchandise, where
the main stock was kept in
the building adjoining still on the north.
The first named building was entirely
consumed with its contents, and the last
named is nearly destroyed, with the goods
badly damaged. Here the course of the
fire was checked by the heroic efforts of
the citizens. There is no fire organiaa
ton here. The loss is estimated at
$4,000.