The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-09-10
AN EAGLE PASS BLAZE.
THE BIGGEST FIRE IN THE HISTORY
OF THE PLACE.
Without Water and With Few Men t
Fight the Flames Rapid Headway Was
Made, Resulting in Thousands
of Dollars of Loss.

Special to the Statesman.
EAGLE PASS, Tex, Sept. S.-The
most disastrous fire ever seen by this
city broke out about 4 o'clock this
morning in Stranahan's Central Hotel
OF restaurant on Mark street. 1t ap-
pears to have begun in the kitchen,
and as the building was of timber the
flames spread with startling rapidity.
a pistol shot was fired, and q mom-
ent later the military guard at the
Jail took up the alarm and the crack
of rifles awoke the entire city.
Within fifteen minutes q thousand
people were at the scene but there was
no organization and certainly no
water supply to cope with the fury of
such fire. The restaurant burned
like huge Matchbox and in few
minutes the two-story saloon of Hog
an Il Bailey was ablaze, beyond the
possibility of being saved, except a
few barrels of whisky. There was a
slight breeze blowing and the proper
ties to the leeward were gradually en-
veloped in the driving flames,
despite the quick, heroic efforts of
a few soldiers from
the post, directed by Capt. Morton,
and of a handful, if not less, heroic
citizens before sunrise. The Central
hotel, the Lone Star saloon, two
barber shops, paint shop and the
book and general stationery store of
j. III. Sproul were completely de-
strOyed, save that a remnant of brick
or stone wall OF the buildings stood to
emphasize the remains. Meanwhile,
on the opposite side of the street, the
Schmidt block, handsome two-story
building, had caught fire, and a brave
fight was made by several citizens
with buckets of water and axes
against the flames. This effort was
finally successful, so far as to save the
main portion of the building, but the
roof and it's supporting timbers, as
well as the cornice and front of the
building were much damaged. The
stock and fixtures on the grOnnd floor,
owned by Mrs. Blonnet, who had a
well stocked millinery store, was
damaged. Between Schmidt's block
and the rock building occupied by J.
A. Phillips as general goods store,
stood wooden building, which
caught fire from the flames which
shot across the street from Sprouts
store. This was fortunately subdued
as was also the fire from the same
cause which was catching hold of the
doors. windows and roof of Mr.. Phil
lips store and threatened to envelope
| it in the general ruin. The brave eff
forts of such of the Eagle Pass Rifles
as were not on active duty at thejail
directed by Captain Goggin were con-
spicuous and most valuable on this
side of the street. The stocks
of Messrs. Phillips, Sproul and Miss
Bonnet suffered considerably from
removed to places Of safety on the
street, and also for theft.
The losses are about as follows:
Central restaurant $4,000, insurance
$1,000; Hogan q Bailey, stock and fixt-
ner, buildings, $4,000, no insur-
ance; Louis Ladner, buildings,
$4,000; insurance $4,000; Ed Schmidt,
buildings, damage $4,000, fully
insured; j. w. Bennett, building,
stock and fixtures, $2500, no insurance.
The stocks of Phillips and Sproul, the
former valued at about $4,000 and
the latter at about $4,000, were saved,
but much damaged. Tho former is
insured for $4,000 and the latter for
$4,000. Other uninsured loss amounts
to about $1,000.