San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-19
FIRE AT WEST END.
THE HOME VILLA AND TWO COT
TAGES BURNED.
Property to the Value of $4,000 De-
stroyed on Account of the Lack of
Water-The Insurance.

The fire fiend visited West End
this morning at 5 o'clock and as a
result the Home Villa and two
small residences are a pile of Gin
ders and ashes and over $4,000
worth Of property has gone up in
smoke, five.sixths of which, West
Enders claim, was on account of
the negligence OF the West End
Waterworks company in not hav-
ing water in the pipes.
AS daylight began to break upon
the city, small blaze was seen is
suing from the roof OF the Louns.
berry cottage, situated just east of
the villa and occupied by Mr.. and
Mrs. j. A. Meirs. The blaze was
discovered by the servants at the
Villa who were preparing break
fast. They gave the alarm
and aroused Mrs. Meirs, who was
alone in the house. Mrs. Meirs
was i'll at the time and escaped
from the building with only the
clothing that covered her back.
Police Officer Lacey, who lives at
Went End, gave the general alarm
to the suburb by firing several
shots from his revolver.
The people occupying the villa
were aroused by this time, and as
the cottage was very near gone,
they turned their attention to the
villa property in an effort to save
that.
The heat was intense and q little
cottage next door to the east from
the Lounsberry house caught fire
in a few minutes. This was occu-
pied by Mr.. Hodson and family,
and owned by Mrs. Fannie Smith.
Mr.. Hodson's family were
aroused shortly after the first fire
broke out and fearing that their
house would also catch, they be.
gan moving the furniture and sue
ceeded In saving all of their effects
except stove.
The east end of the Villa was
protected with q fire wall made of
iron and 1t was at first thought
that it would not catch. The heat
became dercer and fiercer, how
ever, as the two fires progressed
and several times the mouldings
of the Villa caught fire. These
were extinguished with a few
buckets OF water from the cisterus.
Major Moore, who owns the Villa
property, said to reporter for the
LIGHT that 1t was seen that the
Villa could be saved il only q gar
den hose was kept playing
on the house. The Villa hose
and one from Mr.. Herman
BrendePs were brought and at
tached to the hydrants, but
there was no water and nothing
could be done. The residents
fought with buckets to save the
property, but without avail and
before the two cottages had been
leveled to the ground, the villa
was also IL flames.
An alarm of fire was turned in
from No. %, corner West Com
merce and Medina streets. Acting
Chief Lon Tracht with the chemical
engine, engine No. l, No. reel
and No. 3 hose wagon, responded
at once. The alarm came in at
5 o'clock and by sails the fire
department was on the scene. The
department arrived just as the villa
caught fire, but could do nothing
as there was no water. A run was
made for the lake but it was neces-
sary to take down q portion OF q
bsrbed wire fence and sink a tub
at the edge OF the lake be-
fore water could be secured. The
lake Is situated a quarter OF a mile
from the burning houses and 1t
took thirty-five sections of hose
1900 feet, to reach the building.
These arrangements necessitated
the loss Of much time and when
water was secured the villa was al
most gone. The fire by this time
had spread to the house occupied
by Mr.. Wooley and owned by
j. M. Seymour, but 1t was saved
by the department. The heat was