The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-01-08
FATAL FIRES.
A Destructive Confagration at
Nashville, Tenn.
FOUR COLORED FIREMEN KILLED.
The Walls Fall Upon the Unfortunate Men
The Burning of a Lodging House
I'm California Also Causes
Four Deaths.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. AT $40
o'clock Saturday afternoon the most
disastrous fire that Nashville has ex-
perienced since 1881 broke out in Webb,
Stevenson & Co.'S house furnishing
goods store on College street A strong
wind was blowing from the northwest,
and although the firemen were prompt
ly on hand they could do practically
nothing.
The fire was confined to its starting
place for nearly an hour, but gradually
found its way into the adjoining store
occupied by A. G.. Rhodes & Co. and
then into Atwell & Sneed's. At this
time the wind changed and the fire
started in the other direction and
Weakley & Warren's seven-story furni-
ture store north of Webb. Stevenson &
Co. was soon mass of flames.
A general alarm was then turned in
and in a very short time Nashville's en-
tire fire department was on the scene
and desperate efforts were being made
to check what threatened to be con-
fiaGrstion of huge proportions. The
fire quickly communicated to the ad-
joining buildings occupied by the Phil
lips & Buttorf Manufacturing Co.,
stoves and house furnishing; A. j.
Warren, furniture (seven stories), and
the Noel block, where the Western
Union telegraph Office is located The
wind was now blowing a gale and
clouds of sparks were falling like an
April shower. 1t was feared that the
fire would get utterly beyond the con-
troll of the city fire department and
Louisville and Chattanooga were tele-
graphed for aid.
The members of the oolored fire COM
pany were standing across the alley on
three-story building of the Phillips
& Buttorf manufacturing company
when Weekly & Warren's building
suddenly bulged out in the center and
fell across the alley. The following
fremen, all colored, were caught under
the falling building and instantly
crushed TO death: Aaron Cockrell.
Stoker Allen, Harvey Ewing, C. C.
Gowdy, captain of the company.
Capt Gowdy was one of the leading
citizens of the city, ex-member of the
legislature and faithful and efficient
ely constable.
There were a number of men injured
at various times by falling walls and
explosions that blew out the fronts of
two or three stores.
ANOTHER HOLOCAUST.
HANFoRD, Cal, Jan. Fairly yes
| terday morning fire broke out in a
frame lodging house in which four per-
sons persisted and six others were badly
| in iured. The fire originated in the ex-
plosion of a coal oil stove, the flames
spreading rapidly through the flimsy
structure and quickly igniting the
Methodist church and adjoining dwell
lings. The inmates of the two dwell
| lings consumed awakened to find es-
cape by the halls cut off, and many of
| them jumped from the windows re-
ceiving more or less severe injuries.
| The men burned TO death were:
Elmer f. Spofford. of Chester. n. Ii.
F. b. Tucker, Sacramento.
Z. W. Foster. of this place.
L. c. Hammond, printer, was badly
burned and hurt by jumping and died
a few hours afterwards.
Five or six others were bruised and
burned, but will probably recover.
Pecuniary loss slight
COLUMBUS FIREMEN UNDER WALLS.
COLUMBUS, O., Jan. A building
occupied by the Pavnter Manufacturing
: Co. aud by the McCaliph Iron Fence Co.
was burned Saturday night. Several
fremeu were injured by falling walls
and one was killed and two others
fatally hurt.