Huntsville gazette., 1893-11-18
FIERCE FLAMES.
Another Disastrous Fire at Memphis
Blaze Started by the Explosion of a Coal
Oil Lamp-The Flames Spread With
Startling Rapidity-Hemmed in by Smoke
and Flames Two en- Perish


Memphis, Tenn, Nov. 14-Another dis
astrous fire, attended possibly with loss
of life, visited Memphis last night.
| The beautiful ive-story building, Nos.
$50 and 3301a Main street, occupied by
the Schmalzried Stove and Range COM
| pany, was totally destroyed, and serious
damage was done the adjoining building
| to the north, occupied by the Lennon d
Gale company, wholesale dry goods and
notions.
The fire had its origin in the Schmalz-
ried Stove and Range company, and was
| caused by the explosion of large swing
/ ing oil lamp located about 20 feet from
| the front doors. 1t was six minutes past
Z o'clock when the explosion occurred,
and two minutes later the whole front of
| the store was ablaze.
| Never before in the history of fires in
| Memphis did flames spread with such
| alarming rapidity as last night. In less
! tnan five minutes after the explosion of
| the lamp on the ground floor, flames were
pouring out of the front door and win
| dows, threatening the destruction of
/ the entire block.
| Upstairs over the Schmalzried Stove
and Range company, on the second and
third floors of the building, were located
| the rooms of the Young Mems Christian
association. At the time of the fire nine
men were known to be in the rooms of
! the association, and of these only seven
have been accounted for, and the proba-
bilities are that the other two lost their
| lives. They were on the third floor in the
gymnasium and bathrooms and nothing
has been heard of them since.
| Of the others in the rooms at the time
| Of the fire, Mr.. Taylor Hutton and an old
| man, whose name could not be learned,
| made their escape down the front steps.
| Il. A. Perkins, secretary of the associa-
ton; Charles r. White, H. M. Sullivan,
Frank o. Sebring and the colored porter,
| Joe, were cut off by the flames and forced
to the rear of the building on the second
| floor The smoke was sitting, and when
they reached the rear window there was
no means at hand to lower themselves to
the ground. TO remain seemed death,
| and Mr.. Perkins attempted the desc ent
by means of the tin gutter that runs
alongside of the building, but he fell be
fore going far, and striking his head on
the bricks fractured his skull. receiving
| injuries that may result fatally.
Charles r. White also attempted to de-
| send by the same means, but he, too,
lost his hold, and had his right arm
broken. Joe, the negro porter, jumped
| from the window and received serious in
ternal injuries. The crowd that had gath
cred call to the others mot to jump"
and a ladder was found close at hand,
which was raised to the window, and Sui
livan and Sebring safely descended-not,
however, before they had been scorched
by the flames that had followed them in
their hasty retreat
| Mr. Taylor Hutton was in the Young
Mems Christian association rooms when
the fire started. He had been on the third
floor and had descended to the reading
room on the second when the flames broke
| out. In an interview Mr.. Hutton said:
| when | was up stairs on the third floor,
where the gymnasium and bathrooms are
! located, there were two young men and
| the colored porter there at the time One
| of the young men was punching the
| bag in the gymnasium, and the other
was in his shirt sleeves. He was asking
| the porter for a towel preparatory TO
| taking a bath. | came down stairs and
entered the reading-room, where | found
| Secretary Perkins and three others, two
| of them young men and the other was
an old man. Just then the fire broke out,
| and | came down the front steps together
with the old man, and am certain none
| of the others made their escape by means
of the front way, as | remained there un-
til the flames had completely enveloped
the entire front of the building. l fear
the two men who were on the third floor
were lost in the fire.
| Among those who were in the rooms of
the Young Mems Christian association
were Messrs. III. NJ. Sullivan and Frank
.. Sebring They, together with SeGe-
tary Perkins, Charles X. White and an
unknown gray-haired man, were in the
reading-room. when the fire broke out"
said Mr.. Sullivan, I'VE found ourselves
| cut off from the front steps and managed
to make our way to the rear. The smoke
was binding, and the heat intense. When
we got to the rear. Mr.. Sebring kicked
open door that led to the rear window.
We cried for help, but none of the peo-
| pie below could reach us. Mr.. Perkins at
| tempted to descend by the water spout, as
| did also Charles White Sebring and nv
self waited until ladder was placed for
| us to descend. l thought we would all
be burned before the ladder came The
| flames were all around US and the smoke
| WAS so SI1Hing Indt l. look my nat and
used it as fan. In trying to get down
the ladder | missed my footing and slid
to the ground, but escaped injury, al
though l was nearly choked to death
| with smoke. My friend Sebring descend
ed safely by means of the ladder but he,
| too, was scorched by the fire, and came
near being suffocated by the smoke"
Sullivan and Sebring got separated after
| their escape from death, but afterward
met near the scene of their rescue They
were so overcome at their miraculous
delivery that they grasped each others
hands, but could not find words to ex-
press their thankfulness for their safety.
Charles r. White, who sustained
COLES fracture of the right arm, was also
taken to Morrison's pharmacy. and Drs
Neely, Currie and Holder set his fractured
wrist. He was taken by Stanley & Co.'S
ambulance to his residence, No. 129 Court
| street.
e. Boardman, a young man who was in
| the Y. NJ. c. A. rooms, where the fire
started, jumped from the second story
| window, in the rear, and broke his right