Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-24
IT WAS A BIG AND A BAD BLAZE
THE FIRE WHICH CONSUMED THE
SOUTHERN STABLE.
A Section of the Acre which Durnsd
Like Understanding Experience
of John McCrec, Who was Bis
tered In the Fiamcu-The Losses.

The Fort Worth fire department VIII
not soon forget the three hours of hard
work which they had in the small hours
of yesterday morning.
Neither will the people in that part
Of town soon forget the scare they
got.
For It seemed for a while that the
fire would cut wide swath through
at least two blocks OF frame build
ings.
That 1t did not is due 10 the brave
and pcrsevering efforts OF the depart
ment, which. under the skillful man
agement of Chief Celia. fully demon
strated It's efficiency.
The alarm was turned in at 1850 a.
m, and within few seconds the
shrleling OF whistles in the railroad
yards made perfect pandemonlum,
while the solemn warning OF the fire
bell left no doubt as to the cause of
the connection in the minds of the
people whose morning slumbers were
disturbed. The engines all made good
time from their stations in the differ
ent parts of town, but before they ar
work enough for all OF them and to
those who saw the flames soaring
out OF the burning building 1t seemed
doubtful ut first whether they could
accomplish much by their combined
efforts.
No one seems to know how the fire
started. The first seen Of 1t, sheet
OF flame was sweeping over the top Of
Il pile Of hay, stacked at the Rusk
street front OF the stable. While the
crowd was gathering and the engines
We're coming the stamping and neigh
| ing OF the horses inside excited the
sympathy OF those whose attention was
drawn to the condition of the poor,
dumb brutcs, tied by their halters 10
the troughs inside their stalls with
the terrible fire roasting them to death.
But there was something worse hap
pening just then.
John McCree was sleeping in the
! loft with one Of the employees OF the
stable
when they awoke they were sur
rounded by flames, which were rapid
| ~ approaching them. The other man
/ succeeded in getting out comparatively
/ uuhurt, but not SO with AIcCree. He
/ fell In making his way from the loft
l to the ground floor, and was severely
| stunned and hurt, so that he fears he
| has sustained Internal Injuries. He at
| tempted to make his escape from the
| burning building by climbing out
| through one OF the windows at the
/ side. but caught there and was held
/ fast with the fire scOrching him until
! II seemed that he would be burned
| to death before he could get away. He
/ finally cNtrcated himself from his peril
GUS position and reeled away from the
side Of the building, just as the flames
| began TO leap up raund him.
erItr al 4
] half lying, half sitting, upon a box,
/ where he had sunk down in an ex-
| hausted condition and almost uncon-
] scious. He was picked up and carried
| across the street, where he was cared
| for When seen yesterday he was in a
| pitinble condition, being bllstered from
| head to foot. He was In great pain,
but was bearing his aflliCtlun brayely,
and expressed the hope that he had not
sustained any serious injuries. He wng
| removed yesterday TO a room over the
Teas drug store, on Mann street,
where he Will receive every attention.
and II Is believed that he will soon
fully recover
So far as can be ascertained there
Were eleven horses Observation-Disclosures
TO Mr. Cotter, the wagon yard man. 10
| Ron & Smith, commission merchants;
| Fakes & Co, and one or two other
parties. The horses had been placed
| temporarily in the building, which had
been leased by r. Il. ELAN for the pur-
pose OF establishing wagon yard
there. II was recently occupied by
Ben Evans, who conducted the South
ern livery stable there, but he dis
continued business there a short time
ago. The building was owned by the
heirs Of Thomas Roche, 1t was worth
between $1,000 and $4,000. The adjacen.
buildings which We're burned are con-
sldcred TO be worth something over
$1,000. Two of these buildings were
small store buildings owned by Jim
Ellis. one of them was occupied by
Emin Goldsteln, n junk dealer, and
the other by Louis LenArd, who kept
a small stock of groceries. There was
200 tons OF hay In the stable, Which
was insured for $500 with Furman &
Smith, the insurance also covering n
large quantity of corn and sacks. DIFF
ferent estimates are made on the total
loss, but It Is believed now that It viii
amount 10 between $4,000 and $40 900.
Sparks flew to the brewery tower
and an outbuildlng OF disreputable
house in the Vicinity and caught In
both places so as to cauH separate
alarm IN each case. But these inclpient
CONGREGATIONS We're suppressed with
out much trouble and the tired firemon
returned to their quarters long after
daylight. leaving a detachment behind
to wet down the mass OF burning hay.
which continued to shoulder during
the rest OF the day
A. 4. Thomson. Caterer.