Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-25
A BIG FIRE.
The Merchant Prince of Laredo Burned
Out-0rigin of the Fire Unknown.
The Total Loss Nearly 500 O00-Adioining
Property Damaged Considerably
The Insurance.
Laredo Confiagration.

Special to the Gazette.
LAREDO. TEX, March "a. - Market
| plaza in this city was the scene Of a raw
aging fire last night, which eclIpsed any
thing which has visited this city since its
foundation, 80 years ago. At O'Clock
the fire alarm was sounded from police
headquarters, and by the time the peo-
| pie were on the grounds only few
| yards away the flames were creeping up
under the tin of the dry goods emporium
| of James L. Frank, between the brick
| walls and the tin roof. The building ex-
| tends from front to rear a distance of
| about 100 yards. The front doors were
| broken open, the hose attached to the
| hydrant and the water turned on. At
! the same time another hose was attached
| to hydrant on the rear of the block and
another stream of water was turned on
there. 1t seems that the fire extended,
at the time of its discovery
from the front to almost the
extreme rear OF the building. In
the same block are adjoining buildings
occupied by Messrs. Brewster & Moore,
brokers'; DR.. L. M. Berg, druggist, and
the daily Laredo Times office, the editor
and proprietor of which, j. S. Penn, re-
sides with his family in the second story
of the building The wind at the time
carried the flames directly over all these
buildings, and but for the heroic efforts
of the volunteer f1remen the block would
have been reduced to ashes. From
Messrs. Brewster s. Moore's wareroom
200 barrels and cases of lard and oil were
removed and a portion OF the drugs from
the drug store. The furniture, piano,
nkn Of Mrs. oil ryo1
from above the Times office. The hose
was taken on the roof of Brewster g.
Moore's building, and from that moment
control of the fire was secured. The
Frank building was flooded and the
fire was confined to Its limits.
No theory as yet can be ascertained as
to the cause of the fire. Evidently it
had been smouldering within the build
ing for hours before it finally broke out
and was discovered, for at the time the
doors were broken the whole building,
including the warehouse, was in flames.
Nothing was saved from th building
This morning one of Mr.. Franks safes
was opened, but the combination to the
other is broken. A portion of the books,
several thousand dollars in bills and
silver and portion of the invoices were
intact. The losses are as follows:
Joseph L. Frank, dry goods, esti-
mated loss, between $50 ZOO and $50, 900.
Insured as follows: Teutonic, New Or
leans, $500; Fire Association of Phlla-
delphia, $4,000; American fire company of
Philadelphia, $4,000; Phoenix of Brook
Ign, $500; Orient of Hartford, Conn.
S2500; North British and Mercantile,
$500; Liverpool, London and Globe,
$4,000; Hartford, Connecticut, $1,000; In
snrance company of North America,
$500; amounting in all to S31 500.s
It is understood that there was no in
surance on the building, which was
total loss.
L. NJ. Berg, losses, $500; fully in
sured.
Brewster s. Moore, $1,000; no insur-
ance.
j. s. Penn, $500; insured.
During the FIRE man named Lum
Jamiz, taking advantage of the excite
ment, attempted to kill a man named
Abram Cantin, with whom he had had
trouble during the day. He shot at him
in the crowd. The bullet took effect in
Cantin g hand, passed through, strik-
ing q bystander named Martin
Villastrigo, going through his right
side, then struck boy named Jesus
Lrejeo just below the left eye, lodging
in the back of his head. The latter is
expected TO die at any moment, and
Villastrigo's chances for life are small.
The would-be murderer was arrested
and hurried away before the Infatuated
crowd realized what had happened.
Had it not been so, Jamiz would have
been lynched on the spot.