Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-27
CHATTANOOGA AFIRE|
THE MOST DISASTROUS coNFLAeRA-
TON IN THE ciTy's HISTORY.
In Dollars and Cents Hail
Million and More.
fBr,alaxrapn 70 ths pispa,ch.l

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, December 26.-
Chattanooga's most disastrous IRE oc-
cured to-day. ID. B. Loveman q Co.'s
great dry-gcods house. occupying three
numbers on Market street. at the south
east corner of Eighth street. was discov-
cred to be on fire while the clerks were at
their luncheon on the third floor. The
flames spread with astonishing rapidity.
burning through tho olevator-shatt and
stairways add cutting of the escape OK
about thirty female employees. who were
rescued from windows with the extension
ladders of the IRE department, aided by
citizens. Two of the women fell from
windows and were somewhat injured and
third was rescued in an almost sufocated
condition. The adjoining buildings. were
soon ahame, the FIRE licking up over half
million dollars in less than two hours.
The fire began at 1890 o'clock this after
noon, and by 1880 the buildings on the
north side of Eighth street we're ablaze.
THz BUILDINGS BURNED.
The buildings burned on Market street
were those of ID. b. Loveman d Co.. dry
goods; L. G. Erwin d Co., dry goods;
Christie & Co., dry goods Chattanooga
Library Association, Chamber OF Com,
merce Schartz Il Brother. boots and
shoes; Silva Il Abbott. chinaware; on
Eighth street those of Wester & Manning,
Charleston Fast Freight Line; Great
Southern Tea Company; Tennessee. Mis-
sisslppi end Ohio River Transportation
Company: K. f. Dix. barber; Martin IL
Henry. real estate: Rowles q Rltely. insu-
rance; Mrs. Jane Weaver. milliner; South
ern Bank and Trust Company; Il. n
Roberts. ieweller; I. ID; Carleton, Home
sewing. machine; W. IL. Van Wagner.
drugs; Fourth National Bank; p. 5. Grit
nth. real estate; G. q. Anderson, real
estate: Lucas & Peacock. insurance; Har-
rIs. Thomson 4 Gwinn. real estate. The
Cherry-street end OF the Loveman block
was occupied by about twenty tenants OF
Offices and about half that number occu-
pied the second floor of the Vandeman
block. which faced the Loyeman block.
THE rIRE-swEPT DISTRICT
comprises 100 feet front On the southeast
corner OF Market and Eighth streets and
100 feet front on the northeast corner OF
Market and Eighth and both sides OF
Eighth street between Market and Cherry
streets. Four OF the leading dry-goods
houses we're destroyed and the principal
boot and shoe. crOckery. and furniture
houses. two banks. the public library and
Chamber of Commerce rooms. ,Cobweb
Club rooms, and variety OF small shops,
Offices, etc. The property destroyed is on
the two most important corners IN the
city, Loyeman's dry-goods house was
one Of the largesC retail dry-goods houses
IN the South. there being $50 employees IN
this one business.
OWNERS TO REBUILD.
All of the property owners say they will
rebuild handsome structures, and new
quarters are already being secured by the
business-houses. There was a stiff breeze
blowing, otherwise the weather was clear.
and If was perfect day. All the merchants
III the near vicinity suffered more or
less loss by reason Of the removal of goods.
II appeared 1t one time as * the entire
business portion of the city was about to
be destroyed.
Knoxville sent a fre-epgine here. and it
reached Cleveland, eighty-two miles from
Knoxville, in lightweight minutes. At
Cleveland word YVES received that the en-
CINE was not necessary.