The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-27
MARBLEHEAD'S FIRE.
Full Details of the Monsters Work.
About Twelve Acres of Dwellings
Consumed In II Fow Hours.
So Rapidly Did the Flames Spread
the Business Portion
Was Ablazo In Fifteen Minutes
After tho Alarm Sounded.
Tho Poor Tenement Dwollers Lose All
Their Houses and Effects - The
Losses VIII Reach Nearly
100000.

| lpNH WIS NlhllVu ny ConuNgIalOn lNl
night that devourcd the entire business
portion, about twelve acres. The fire was
first discovered in the house furnishing
store OF ID. b. IL. Powers, on Pleasant
street, about 10 o'clock. The direct cause
of the fire is not known. Tho first warn
ing was announced by loud explosion of
naphtha in tho store. Tho alarm was
quickly rung in aud imm ediatcly followed
by a second and third. When the fire.
men reached the burning building il foil
with a mighty crash. II was wooden
structure and was rapidly consumed. The
frcmcn did their best TO hold the flames
in check, but their efforts amounted TO
nothing. The buildings surrounding the
structure were nothing but mere shells,
and IL seemed Ms II everywhere spark
fell fire started. In fifteen minutes from
the time the first alarm was rung In the
entire business portion was a sea OF flames.
The fire ragged licrcely aud the two COM
panics were Of no avail 10 I'LL the task they
wcro called upon TO perform. Assistance
was summoned from Lynn, Salem aud
Swnmpscott, and these towns quickly re.
spondcd.
II IL estimated that the loss II between
$500, 900 aud SG0O,0D0. The entire shoe
manufacturing district, the principal bust.
ness OF the town, was burned 10 the
ground. Fully sixty buildings werc con.
sumed. The people were frantic and
rushed IN and fro M though crnzod. The
flames spread with such rapidity that
scarcely anything was saved. The tenants
residing In the dwelling. houses were com.
plctcly cleaned out, aud ~ they stood
watching their homes consumed, they
presented pitiablc sight The fire, after
dcmolishing the buildings In which II
started, swept directly across TO Rochndito
Hall, which Is totally burned. From
there itswcpt over toward w. II. Browns
house, which marked the limit Of the fire
on the western side The wind was most
fortunately light, but the roaring mass Of
flames swept over 90 r. w. 4 ]. w. Mon
roc's boot and shoe factory on theopposilo
side Of Pleasant street The building was
a woodon structure. four stories high and
was soon burned 10 the ground. The shoe
factory 0f Charles Reed. 90 the west, also
caught and was burned 10 the ground.
The progress Of the fire was checked upon
this side ut that point, but IL
swept uncontrolled 10 the eastward and
the ilamcs soon reduced paino's express
office 10 a mass OF ruins. Thus Il contn-
ucd Sheds, fruit stands and small icnc.
mcnt houses were consumed with mpidity.
IL seemed as II the entire town WIS
doomed. Iy this time help from Salem.
Lynn and Swampscott arrived, aud this
response put new life into the workers.
| atN aNs 4.
all the surrounding towns. On Pleasant
street the dwelling houses Of Nathan tit.
man and Asa Blancy, the Boston 4 Maine
depot, Cole Bros. shoe factory, the horse
car station, Slaccy's drug store, Jonathan
Bourne's wooden factory, u large structure,
four stories high, aud numerous small
buildings were reduced 10 ashes. On the
opposite side, Joseph lclavro's dwelling
house. II. o. Symonds' hardware store,
the Grand Army Hall and the fire depart.
mcnt headquarters a magnificent brick
building, the Rialto block, &. Grogory'H
drug store, the Boston Branch grocery
store and the dry goods store Of George
Graves were destroyed.
On Essex stncct tho flames destroyed
| Allcrton Hall aud tho immense wooden
factory Of H. H. Woodbury., shoe manu-
inclurcr. Allcri0n Hall u occupied M 4
large shoe factory by Jonathan bourne.
| The factory oi Jacob II. CrOplc q Bro, ON
Essex street; Peaches shoe factory aud
the houses Of Dennis aud Jacob Fine were
reduced to smouldcring ruins.
On Spring street the fire swept on, de.
siroying the residence aud factory OF
WIN. q. Lcinyrc. H. progress was checked
nj the SoWcH Grammar SchOol building.
Sweeping across Spring siiect the flames
consumed the handsome dwelling Of Dr.
Whttomorc. llcro the flames changed
their course aud, sweeping ON Ia SoWcIl
street, completely destroyed everything In
the rear Of Pleasant street. taking every
thing clean upon both sides OF thc railroad
! turk. The residence Of Mr. Chamborlaino
and the late Thomas H. Cr1ssmln, Puuc's
livery stable, Thomas RiN's iruitsland and
numerous small buildings were burned 20
the ground.
At O'Clock the Grc was under control,
though yet burning hrrccly. This stolid
old burg In June, 1871 wis visited by a
fire which swept over nearly the same die.
tucL During the progress pi the present
fire several explosions were heard. Fully
900 WIrl,mCn are thrown out oi employ.
mcnt More reliable estimates Of the total
lors arc ssOO. 900 and 900 Or moro men
. | NNNNMW Jul W NNlAINlNN NA'.NNA NllA NAlNNNlI'N
rendered temporarily without homes.
Though the boundaries OF the fire were
almost identical with those Of the biz fire
Of JtB' 1877, the losses on last nights Gre
are nearly double that Of the linst fire. 50
quickly did the flames spread that whole
blocks were ruined in Ices than fifteen min
utcl. II ~ now estimated that between
eight and nine acres wefc burned oven II
l. strange That no lives We're lost. and that
40 more serious accidents happened, ns
the slfeela were lhrongod with people Ia
and around the burned district Charles
Choate, who broke his leg By jumping
irom a second story, 10 the only Injured
p'rson reported.
Tho heat on nli ICES was 30 intense that
cnIbsiOncs were cracked, aud cumhlcd
car rails were twisted cut OF shape. Tho
va.cr supply was inadequate. Mono Of
lht manufacturers think 10 possible % 30.
build this winter aud there B o general
irciug OF depression in the town. Some
OF the losses, ~ stated by the victims
themselves, la round numbofs, are m ipl'
lows 4. W. x j. W. Monror. $50 900, J.
! ~. Cropley, $4,000 insurance, s5OVOg