The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-04-15
KNOXVILLE BURNED.
Terrible Fire In the Very Heart Of tho
Prosperous Tennessee Town.

Terrible Fire in the Very Heart Of the
Prosperous Tennessee Town.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, April S.-Never
in the history of Knoxville has the
city suffered such loss by fire as il
did today. The very heart Of the city,
including some of the largest whole
sale and retail business houses in the
South, were destroyed. The loss is
variously estimated at from one to
one and q half million with about sc
per cent. of insurance. The loss of
life is uncertain as the registers OF
Hotel Knox in which fifty. six people
were sleeping was burned, the propri'
etor of the hotel says that he had five
or six guests who have not put in an
appearance. A. E. Weeks. of Locke,
N. Y, drummer for . Rochester
stamping company, is known to have
perished in the flames. R. w. Hop
kins, a st. Louis drummer, was last
seen in the burning building in a suf
locating condition. w. q. Kephart,
xsecretary of the chamber of com
merce, saved the life of John Boyle,
an old farmer, by dragging him to
the roof of another building. Kep'
hart jumped one story and was In
jured. >,
When the firemen thought all the
inmates 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 II
one had to die, both would die. The
woman was finally rescued by the
firemen. From the hotel building,
which was Eve stories high, the fire
spread east and west. A stiff wind
made the flames very ugly and the
department was inadequate.
DYNAMITE AND CANNON.
In the wholesale hardware house OF
w. w. Woodruff & Co., explosions
of dynamite occurred and scores OF
people were hurt by flying bricks and
glass. It became necessary at last to
have the walls of one building blown
down by cannon to stop the mad ca
reer of the flames. A mountain how
itzer of the Knoxville legion, was call,
ed into play and q load of canister
did the work, at the same time tear
ing up some residences in a different
portion of the city.
The city authorities realizing that
the fire department was unable to
conquer the flames, telegraphed to
Chattanooga for assistance. The
Southern railway made up a special
train and carried the Chattan ooga ap.
paratus to Knoxville. Ill miles, lis
minutes. One stop was made for wa.
ter, the actual running time being sc
miles an hour. When the engine
arrived here the Ere was about under
control, yet the Chattanooga boys did
some work.
It is more than probable that J. Q.
n. Bogle, the old gentleman hurt in
the hotel will die. He inhaled flames.
The last man to leave the burning
hotel says that he is positive that five
or six persons were burned. He ran
over three or four men in the hall
ways who were suffoca:ed.
]. n. Dean, of Kansas City, who
Jumped from the burning building,
ialls a thrilling story of his escape.
He started out with only his night
shirt on and had that torn off before
he reached the street. Bis room mate,
W. A. Kabor, was more fortunate,
saving two shirts. The Travellers Pro-
tective Association members of the
local post took care of all drummers,
buying some suits out and out.
w. 81. Mitchell, of Abingdon, jum-
ped from the burning building to the
bank building. w. I. Johnson. a
railroad baggage master. came down
from the fifth story hand over hand
on the water pipes before the engines
arrived. Only one OF the guests saved
any of his effects The list of dead
and injured so far as reported is as
follows. The dead:
A. Z. Weeks, Locke, N. Y.
R. w. Hopkins, st. Louis, Mo.
i. Robinson, Pulaski, Tenn.
8. E. Williams, Springfield, Mass.
The injured:
J.C. n. Boyle. of Tennesse, burned,
and will die.
D. M. Dean, Indianapolis, Ind, an
kle sprained.
Thomas 8. Peck, Morristown, Tenn,
ankle sprained.
Lieut.. Hood, Knoxville, cut on face
and head by glass.
Claude Harris, Knoxville, cut in
dozen places.
Policeman Asquith, burned and cut
by flying glass
Policeman Duncan. badly burned
and was carried home.
Fire Chief Mcintosh, bruised from
fall.
w. n. Kephart. Knoxville, inter