The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-11-17
FIERCE FLAMES.
Another Disastrous Fire at Memphis

Startling Rapidity-Hemmed In by Smoke
and Flames Two ) en- Perish.
tfefhphis, Tenn, Esv. 14.--Another dis
astrous fire, attended possibly with loss
of life, visited Memphis last night.
The beautiful five-story building, Nos.
bag 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 81
Gale company, wholesale dry goods and
notions
The fire had It's origin in the Schmalz-
fied Stove and Range company, and was
cdused 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
thafi Eve minutes after the explosion of
the iaffp on the ground floor. flames were
pouring out of the front door and win,
aews; threatening the destruction of
the entire block.
Upstairs, over the Schmalzried Stove
and Range company, OH the second and
third floors of the building, were located
The feoms 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-
biiities afs that the other two lost their
lives. They tfeTG ON the third ti60r IN the
gymna asium and bathrooms; ana notSlng
has bnan heard of them since.
OF the others in the rooms at the time
of the fife, Mr. Taylor Hutton and an Cld
man, whose ndtfiS could not be learned,
made theif escape down the front steps.
T.. A. Perkins; secretary of the ass0cia-
ton; Charles i. White, III. NJ. Sullivan
Frank o. Sebring aid the colored porter,
joe were cut off by the fia1ifes and forced
to the rear of the building on the second
floor. The smoke ~as sitting, and when
they reached the rear wind0+F there was
no means at hand to lower themselves to
the ground. To remain seemed DEATH
and Mr.. Perkins attempted the descent
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 II. White also attempted to de-
scend 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 w hen
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 c0lOred 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-roO where l 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 l remained there un-
til the flames had completely enveloped
the entire front of the building. 1 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. II. NJ. Sullivan and Frank
o. Sebring. They, together with Secre-
tary Perkins, Charles r. White and an
unknown gray-haired man, were in the
reading-room. when the fire broke out"
said Mr.. Sullivan, "we 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 my
self waited until a ladder was placed for
US to descend. | thought we would all
be burned before the ladder came. The
flames were all around us and the smoke
was so sitting that / took my hat and
used it as a fan. In trying to get down
the ladder | missed my footing and slid
to the ground, but escaped injury, al
though [ 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 mira culous
delivery that they grasped each others
hands, but could not find words to ex-
press their thankfulness for their safety
Charles II. 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 d Co.'S
ambulance to his resIdence, No. 129 Court
street
Il. Boardman, 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
leg. He was taken to st. Joseph's hos
pitaI for treatment and early this MORN