San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-09
DEIN.
A GREAT BLAZE.
1t Licks up Some Very Valuable
Property on Commerce Street.

property on commerce SCreeC.
At 2:4j O'Clock this morning
fire was discovered issuing from
the grating of a cellar on Navarro
street, in the rear of the building
back of Groos' bank, occupied by
Wagner & Chabot as warehouse,
and before an alarm could be turn
ed in the building was in
blaze. The alarm was turned
in from the box near the LIGHT
office, three blocks distant from the
scene of the fire, and the engines
went some what out of the way
and lost some little time in conse-'
quence. The chemical engine,
however, was the first to reach the
from her cylinders into the burning
scene and poured the chemicals
building but without effects The
other engines soon arrived and I'M
der Chief Duerler, worked heroical-
ly and succeeded in saving that
portion of the burning building oc-
cupied by Groos' bank, which is a
more solid construction. The
GrOOs' bank structure contain
office furniture belonging t.
r.. G. Dun & Company's CONNER
cial agency, and CampbelPs in
surance agency, as we'll as the
handsome furniture of the bank,
all of which was deluged and dam
aged. The fire is supposed to have
originated through the instrumen
tally of cigarette, dropped
through the cellar grating, falling
among the straw packing of the
crockery and other goods stored
there. 1t was in this building that
the bulk of the mammoth stock OF
Wagner d ChabOt was stored, and
all of the contents, in their portion
of the building, is a complete loss.
The value Of the stock destroyed is
estimated by the firm at $4,000,
and is covered by insurance. The
flames burned violently for two
hours, although strong streams OF
water were being thrown on them
continuously, and at 4 o'clock the
second story floor of the rear pOr-
ton of the building, fell with a
crash, and the shock was felt and
the noise was heard all over the
city. For a time it was thought,
that several of the tiremen were
killed, but a few moments later
when the flames leaped up afresh,
they were all seen at their posts,
undaunted, and fighting them with
grim determination. BY this time,
the glass in the doors, on Commerce
street, had melted, and dense VOL
umes of inky smoke poured from
them into that thOrOughfare, blind
ing and suffocating the large crowd
of spectators who had gathered
there. They were panic stricken
and fled to a safe distance as soon
as possible. The wild scene re-
minded those who saw the fire at
the same place just ten years ago
which burned the old store of Hugo
e. Schneider, and which then cost
the lives of two people, who were
burned by the explosion Of the
alcoholic liquor in barrel lit by
the flames of lamp held by one
of the victims, who were horribly
burned.
The Hugo & Schneider fire at
that time was the largest ever wit
messed in the history of this city,
but was eclipsed last year several
times by the work of Mcdonald,
the fire-bug.
The damage to the GrOOs build
ing is between $1,000 and $500 and
is fully insured. The damage to
Campbel's Royal Insurance agen-
CIV and r. G. Dun & Co., is about
$500 and is also covered by
insurance. The damage to the
Groos bank is about 500 and less
than at first estimated. The bank
is doing business as usual. 1t is
probable that Wagner & Chabot's
loss will not reach $4,000, but will
fall considerably below that figure,
but exactly what it will be cannot
yet be figured out. Estimates are
being made on it. A reporter for
the LIGHT called at their store, but
both members of the firm were out.
1t is understood that they will
prepare a statement Of their loss.
Both worked very hard and got
very wet during the fire.