The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-01-01
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FIRE
IN MANY YEARS.
Rids the Town of Some Bad
Rubbish.

RidS the Town of Some Bad
Rubbish.
Columbia was visited last SUNDAY
morning by the biggest fire that has
been known for years, and was the
cause OF more or less general reiOIc-
ing. Some of the stocksSwere unin-
sured, which is to be regretted, and
for these individual losses the usual
sympathy is felt and expressed; bur
in so far as it effects Columbia, a
more choice Christmas gift could not
have fallen into the lap of the city.
The fire started in the right place
and spread in the right direction, and
destroyed several new tenement
houses Of questionable repute, u ne
gro concert and general utility-hail
a negro barbeT-shOp two small frame
grocery stores, a saddler, harness and
repair-shOp, five saloons and five brick
store-hOuses that had been standing
for sixty years and had been an eye
sore to the town for the last twenty
years.
These brick store houses were sit
uated on the southwest side of the
Public Square and known as the
Brown block. They were built by John
Brown, one of the founders of Co.
lumbia, away back in 1880. At that
time they were the finest stores in
town, but they had had their day and
served their purpose, and for a num-
Der of years have only served to cum
Der valuable ground. They have
been in litigation ten years or more,
were small and dark and badly out of
repair. Now that they are gone,
something more in keeping with the
location and of more value to the city
will take their place,
The positive origin of the fire is I'M
known. 1t is supposed to have
caught from a stove or defective tlue.
1t started little after l o'clock in
Joe Neeley's saloon on west side of
South Main Street. This saloon was
in frame building and surrounded
by other small frame buildings. The
fire spread rapidly both north and
south. Going south it destroyed
Workman IL Deans grocery, building
and stock; Manch MOOre's negro bar
Der shop; Il. J. Tucker 81 Co. 8 grocery
and saloon, both building and stock
Ben Ferguson's shoe shop, building
and stock; J. NJ. Steed's saloon,
building and stock. The buildings of
the last three named belonged to Mr..
James Andrews, and were all small
frames. The first two named belong
ed to DR.. VIM. Brown, and were
likewise small frames. The next in
the way of the flames was old "Ham-
ner Hall" large two-story building,
the ground floor occupied by its
owner, a. J. Samuels, as harness
and saddle making and repairing es-
Enlistment. The second floor was
used by the negroes for various and
sundry purposes, and the midnight
rcvels made the place nuisance to
the neighbOrhoOd. Continuing south
the butcher shop of Goad 81 Ware was
burned, and the Guest House. little
damaged by fire and water.
&tarting from Neeley's north the
hai1es first greedily devoured the
commenced on the brick buildings of
the Brown block. There were five Of
these; they were all destroyed, with
most Of their contents. They were
occupied az follows: A. a. Hodge,
dry goods and notions; Henry Gross,
two hotsesJ dry goods aud notions;
0,NGSi..a Richardson, timers; Sellers
ssSs4rr.riN.s, saloon. Adjoining the
Iast named saloon is the saloon of
VestaI u Seilars; this stock was
moved out and suffered greatly from
breakage and stealage and general
waste.
In the second story of the Brown
block J. {. Noorhies had his law office
and sleeping EoomsA He dumped
most OF his ValuAbles fpUo his trunk
and with the assfstancaof his friends
saved a portion of MS library. HI
books and receipts wers1
lost. His damage will, in tho
be covered by insurance.
this was the office of O. w.
Col. Allen Brown. Mr.. Hays
greatly in the loss of a part o
Orary, which he valued hig
once being the property of Pr
James K. Polk.
The offices Of w, B. Gordon,
and w. S. Rainey, Esq, were al5
this second floor, and these gen
men lost all their papers and boz
and accounts.
To the rear of the Brown block, all
also to the rear of the frame building
fronting on South Main street, was
row of frame tenement houses, Occu
pied by negroes, and of very unsavory
Those houses, ever since
hey were built, have been trouble |
to the police and a disgrace to the |
own. That they were burned IS a |
matter of positive rejoicing.
The garnet part of the Brown block |
had no division wall at all; rear |
window of the garnet was open, and |
he draft sucked the flames in. Once |
N, they quickly spread over the five
buildings and they were doomed.
To give an idea of the character of !
ibis quarter it may be well to men
ion that the insurance rate was from
to per cent. The following are the
names of the owners, occupants and
amount of insurance: Guest House,
Mrs. j. l.. Guest. fully insured; e. NJ.
building, occupied by Goad
& Ware, insurance $500; Hammers |
Hall, owned and occupied by A. j.
insurance 81, 100; James An
lrews' three buildings, insurance
Il, 400, occupied by ]. NJ. Steed, total
oss; Ben Ferguerson, total loss;
5. J. Tucker 81 Co., insurance $500; |
DR.. VIM. Browne buildings, occupied |
by Manch Moore, COL, total loss;
Workman g. Dean, total loss; Joe |
Neeley insurance $500; Brown block |
$1,000, occupied by Duke
Williams, total loss Algie Hodge, |
.6taI loss: II. Gross, insurance SIS, 500;
O'Neil d Richardson, total loss; Andy |
Sellers, total loss; Mr.. Phillips, in
surance $500; James VOORHEES,, insur-
ance $3.50. The loss was divided by !
the companies represented by Eugene !
Pillow, A. B. Rains, James Andrews,
d Wilson and j. J. Elan
Eugene Pillow carrying the largest
amount, $4,000 in seven different
The insurance carried by J. ].
Elam was as follows: Royal 1000,
Fire $500, North British
5000, and London & Lam
cashire $3.50.
Our firemen were ably assisted by
Buffalo Bill" an expert fireman
from Buffalo, n. Y, who is engaged
here on the United States Arsenal,
who, tor his daring assistance, re-
ccived the thanks of the fiTemen and
the praise of the Iookers-on.
Present TO the Century Cub.
The Century Club was the recIpieu
of three very handsome mirrows O