Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-20
A DISASTROUS FIRE RECORD.
ST. ALABANs VISITED BY A
TERRIBLE CONFEDERATION.
HALIFAX SUFFERS A $500, 900 LOSS
WITHOUT ONE CENT OF INsuR-
ANCE-AN OLD LANDMARK DE-
srRoYED-FREs AT SEVERAL
POINTS.


u. Nl1bANS, VIZ may ~.
disastrous fire swept st. Adams
TINS afternoon, destroying dwellings,
business blocks, public buildings and
large amount of other property The
loss will amount TO thousands OF dol
lars.
Fire broke out shortly after 3 o'clock
IN the lumber yard OF w. b. Fonda, and
In a short time several large piles Of
lumber and business offices had been
ignited. There was n heavy wind blow
ing at the time and the fire spread rap
idly. 1t destroyed Chisholm Brothers
store and the tenement house and drug
store owned and occupied by Feldred.
The fire next spread TO the big build
Ing owned by the Crown Furniture
company and Collins meat market.
The blocks OF Wood 6 Tavro. ]. II.
Montfore and w. Il. Dean, adjoining,
were also quickly destroyed. Al this
point the wind had increased to a min
nature hurricane and burning embers
We're carried In every direction. The
local fire apparatus and a large num-
Der of townsmen endeavored to prevent
the fire from extending to Main street,
where large business blocks were lo-
Gated, but their efforts had little or no
effect. Swantou and Burlington were
called on for help, and soon responded.
II was found impossible to prevent the
Main street blocks from burning and
dozen buildings were soon on fire. The
first Main street structures that ignltcd
were the stores OF w s. Bailey and
i. b. Morton. The Wallace Printing
company's building, the store OF Leon
ard ~ Winthrop, Mnrceu ~ Vincent and
Fuller's livery stables were soon in
ashes.
The government building on King
man street caught fire few minutes
afterward and was soon consumed,
Most OF the papers, furniture, etc, were
saved. The Hin block, occupied by ].
u. Welch and w. N. Adams, was lev
elled to the ground. At $3.50 o'clock the
Messenger building caught FIRE and
burned iercely for half an hour, the
fire extending to the block occupied by
W. II. ELLIS and w. IL. Woodwards
store.
Most OF the buildings were OF wood
and burned like finder before the strong
gale, many Of the occupants not hav-
ing time TO rescue their effects.
Nloorcs marble works on Foundry
street, Ryan's grocery store and twelve
tenement houses in the Vicinity OF the
same street were destroyed. Shortly
before o'clock the entire Burlington
fire department arrived and all COM
panies Joined forces in an attempt to
stop the fire on Main street. The at
tempt was partially successful and the
save the more valuable blocks on Main
street. The stores Of A. l.. Weeks, A.
j. Lang and G. IL. Harvey, however
were burned, and at this point the prog
ress Of the fire was stayed. Control Of
the fire was obtained ON Foundry street
six blocks north OF Moore's marble
works. The fire made almost clean
sweep from Stebbins street to Hoyt,
turning many people out OF their homes.
The st. Adams house was saved with
great difficulty. The loss will exceed
half n million dollars.
The fire after leaving Fodas lumber
yard, pusued q northerly course along
Catherine street, eating up many
wooden buildings near by, then going
along Kingman street from Center
street on one side TO Hoyt street on tho
{ other. the wall Of fire swept through
( the entire district and across the Main
street. which for several blocks was
laid waste. Fully thirty families are
| homeless tonight. The hotels are using
keroslno and candles tonight as gas
and electric lights are cut OF. No
serious accidents are reported. It is
! impossible to give the insurance on the
burned property tonight. The total
loss Is near $4,000.