Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-09

Knoxville, Tenn, April 8.-Never in the history of Knoxville has the city suffered such loss by fire as it did today The very heart of the city, including some of the largest wholesale and retail business houses in the south, was destroyed. The loss is variously estimated at from $1,- 900, 900 to $1,500,000, with about 60 per cant. of insurance.
 The loss of life Is very uncertain, as the registers of Hotel Knox, in which fifty six people were sleeping, were burned. The proprietor of the hotel says that he had five or six guests who have not put in an appearance.
 IA E. Weeks, of Locke, N. Y, drummer for a Rochester stamping company, is known to have perished in the flames.
 R. w. Hopkins, a St. Louis drummer. was last seen in the burning building In a suffocaing condition.
 w. E. Kephart, eX-secretary of the Chamber of Commerce.. saved the life of John BogTe, an odd farmer, by dragging him.to window and letting him out on the roof of another building Kephart jumped one story, and was injured.
 When the firemen thought all the in- macs of the hotel had escaped woman with an infant in her arms rushed to the rear window and screamed for help. A net was quickly stretched and the woman asked to drop the child out. but as the smoke almost choked her she told them that if one had 10 die both would die. The woman was finally rescued by the
 From the hotel building, which was five stories, the fire spread east and west. A stiff wind made the flames very ugly and the fire department was inadequate. In the wholesale hardware house of w. w. Woodruff & Co. explosions of dyna- mite occurred and scores of people were hurt by flying bricks and glass. It be- came necessary at last to have the walls of one building blown down by cannon to stop the mad career of the flames. A mounted HowitZer, of the, Knoxville Le- zion, was called into play, and a load of canister did the york; at the same time tearing up some residences in different portion of thesc city. < V
 The city authorities. realizing that the fire department was unable to conquer the fiam mes, telegraphed to Chattanooga for assistance The Southern train made up special train and carried the Chat 'tanooga apparatus, to Knoxville,111 miles, water, the, actual running time being sixty miles an hour. When the engine arrived here the fiTeG was about. under control, yet the Chattanooga boys did T cabiref,hak mI6e ker M na a,r,. med 5zr ] Dver fs, dead on the street from fright.
 A man named ,Robinspn.s from Pulaski, Tenn, is supposedeto be another victim. He was registered in the hotel, and has not shown up. A large, force ef men are at work clearing away the debris tonight and searching for the bodies. The street ear lines are completely tied up and all the electric companies have suffered,
 one Knoxville architect received orders today for plans for eleven buildings to take the places of the ones burned. All the buildings are to be replaced at once. The losses and Insurance given out to- n1rht are as .folleWs:rr Yef7rif
 McNulty Grocery company, loss $1O,OOo; insurance, $6,000. f.. ,1G
 McNulty building loss. ts45,oOo; insur- ance S27 ,Q00. -,. -r.r--t .1f-.te
 Hotel Knox furniture and fixtures. SIP 000 loss insurance, $3,00o
 Daniel Brscoe Bross& O., dry goods stock loss s300, ,000; insurance $115, ,00O.
 Briscoe Bros & Co, building loss S40.- GOO; insurance 35,000. ss.t.,a
 F, P. King & Co., insurance office, loss $5,5G0; insurance $5, 800.
 McNulty and McGhee building loss $15,000; insurance nothing.t,
 s. B. Newman & Co., printers, loss $45,000: insurance $15,0o0.
 w. W. Woodruff & Co.,, hardware build ing, loss S42,000; insurance S15,000.
 Cullen 6 Newman, queensware, loss S40,00O; insura1ice not knnMn. Henegar, Doyle & Arnold clothing. loss $So. 900; insurance SIS, 800.
 M. D. Arnold, building, loss s15,o0o; in- isurance s10.60Q ''@
 NJ. l.. Ross & Co. groceries, loss s6o.- 900; insurance $30,000.