Huntsville gazette. [volume] (Huntsville, Ala.) 1879-1894, 1891-10-03
A FIERY SABBATH.

| Milling Co.'S Mammoth Mill, the Man
sur-Tebbetts Implement Co.'S New Ware
house and the Storage Room of the
Pacific Warehouse Co.-Losses Upwards
! of &750,OOO
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29.-Seldom has the
fire department of this city been called
| upon to do such continued and per-
sistent service within one day as fell
to the lot of the fire laddies Sunday.
During the day sixteen alarms were
responded to, one of which was gener-
al, calling every available engine and
hose carriage into requisition to fight
conflagration that seriously threatened
large property interests in the lower
portion of the city.
The first of the principal fires was
that of the Plant Milling Co.'s mann
moth mill at the foot of Chouteau ave-
nue., directly west of the Iron Mountain
| railway tracks, which was completely
destroyed, together with all its valua-
bic machinery and 1000 barrels of flour
contained in the warehouse which ad-
joined the mill. The origin of the fire
will probably never be known, though
| it is supposed to have been caused by
| spontaneous com bustion of oily rags
| and mill dust. A few hours before the
outbreak of the fire the entire structure
had been thoroughly inspected by the
watchman.
| The burned mill had capacity of
1,sO0 barrels of -four per day, and was
one of the largest in the country. The
| loss is placed at $3.50, 600; fully insured.
Forty men are thrown out of employ
ment.
The other big fire. and the hottest of
all, was that which destroyed the Man
sur-Tebbets Implement Co. s warehouse
and the storage rooms of the Pacific
| Warehouse Co., covering the entire
block between Ninth and Tenth and
the Chicago & Alton yards and Spruce
| streets. This fire originated in the
Pacific warehouse, which was practical
ly vacant. communicating thence to the
Mansur-Tebbitts building, which had
been built according to the slow COM
| bustion plan, and had been guaranteed
to withstand fire without the applica-
ton of water for twenty-four hours,
yet at the end of two hours nothing
save mass of smoking brick and burn
ing timbers remained. The combusti-
Bile nature of the stock, consisting of
agricultural implements, wagons and
carriages, rendered the flames inordi-
nately fierce once they obtained grip
on the building, and the heat engen-
dered was so intense that it was with
exceeding difficulty the firemen were
enabled to maintain their positions suf-
| ficiently near to throw water upon the
seething mass; indeed SOME of them
had narrow escapes from being over
come by the heat. When the fire was
at its height there were twenty engines
forcing water upon it, without appar-
emily diminishing the firceness of the
flames. BY the utmost effort and by
the display of good generalship on
the part of Chief Lindsay the fire
was confined to the two buildings
named with the exception of little
charring of some adjacent lumber
piles. Several adjacent structures took
fire from time to time, but liberal ap-
plication of water kept them from be-
ing consumed.
The Mansur-Tebbetts building was a
part of the Tiffany estate, and was
valued at $3.50, 900; insured for 800, 900.
The contents consisted of a stock Of
farm machinery and tools of all sorts
and vehicles of various kinds, and was
valued at $780, 900; insurance, 1925, 600.
The Pacific warehouse was part of
the Dyer estate, was valued at about
$4,000; insured for S10,0 Other
i.
Lawrence, damage to stock OF
ranges, S., fully insured.
John A. Holmes & Co., damage
to lumber, IS, 200. O'Neil Lumber Co.,
$1,000. Joseph Sullivan, lumber, 81,
600. The Collier white lead works
were damaged about $500. and the
Planter Tobacco Co. about the same
amount; fully insured
The city sustained the loss of the new
water-tower, which did good service
for long time, but which the fremen
were compelled to abandon on account
of the intense heat, and the horses
could not be induced to go sufficiently
near to haul it away. Two engines
came near sharing its fate, but couple
of intrepid firemen succeeded in at
taching ropes to them and they
were dragged to places of safety
Fully 1000 feet of hose was destroyed
by the heat. Joe Burns and George
Koenig, firemen, were injured by fall
ing bricks, and Thomas Fitzpatrick
foreman Of Engine Co. No. "a, fell un
conscious, being overcome by the ex
cessive heat.
While the last-named fire was il
progress a burning brand was carried
to the roof of Guerin's Photographic
studio. half mile away, and before
it was noticed the building was or
fire, causing very heavy damagt
by the loss Of valuable mega
tives, large number OF which
were destroyed by the burning
out of the printing department Ths
loss is estimated at 1000.
Fire-alarm, electric-light and tele
phone wires suffered severely, and fol
several hours Carondelet was cut of
from communication with the city.
Taken all together, it will long re
main a notable day in the fire annals o