The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-04-09
FIRE IN KNOXVILLE
Large Buildings in the Heart Of the
City Reduced 10 Ruins.
HALF A DOZEN LIVES LOST
A Long List OF lrIured-one Man
Drops Dead From Fright-Dyna-
mite Explosion Increases
the Terror-The scenes.

Knoxville, Tenn, April S-Never In
the history Of Knoxville has the city
suffered such a loss boy fire as II did to-
day, following the breaking out of
flames at an early hour this morning In
a grocery store adjoining the his Knox
lhotel. The hotel and adjoining build
Tugs were soon In llames, and the very
heart of the city, including some of the
largest wholesale and retail business
houses In the South. were destroyed,
The loss is variously estimated at from
one To one and one-half million dollars.
with about 90 per cent, Of Insurance.
The loss of life is very uncertain, as the
register of the hotel. in which So people
We're sleeping. was burned. The pro-
pT.etor of the hotel says that he had
nvc or six guests who have not put In
an appearance A. T.. Weeks OF Locke,
n. V, drummer for hester stamp
Ing company, Is known to have perished
In the flames: Il. W. Hopkins. a ST.
Louis drummer. was last seen In the
burning building In suffocating con-
dition; W. II. keyspart ex-secretary
OF the chamber Of commerce, saved the
life of John Bogle, an old farmer by
dragging him to window and letting
him out ON the roof Of another building.
keyspart Jumped one story and was in
turcd. When the iircmen thought all
the inmates of the hotel had escaped a
woman with an infant in her arms
rushed To the rear windows and
screamed for help. A net was quickly
stretched and the woman asked to drop
thu child out. but as the smoke almost
choked her she told them that II some
one had tn die both would die. The
woman was finally rescued 10y the fire.
men.
From the hotel building, which is
five stories. the fire spread rapidly: a
stiff wind made the flames very ugly,
| and the fire department was made
quate. In the wholesale hardware
house Of W. W. Woodruff a 60. a large
dynamite explosion occurred and scores
were hurt by flying brick and glass. II
became necessary at last tO have the
walls of one building blown down 10y
cannon to stop the mad career of the
fire. A mountain howitzer Of the Knox
vile Legion was called into play and n
lead of canister did the work. at the
same time tearing up some residences
IN different portion OF the city. The
ssig authorities. realizing that the fire
El.r were unable To conquer the flames
telographed To Chattanooga for assist
arCe. An engine was placed aboard a
Hat car and started the run of III miles
which was made In 1903 minutes, break
ing the record. When the engine ar
rived here the fire was about under con-
troll yet the Chattanooga boys did some
good work.
A cabinet maker named y. q. Dyer
fell dead ON the street from fright \
man named Robinson. from Pulaski
Tom, Is supposed to he another victim
lie was registered In the hotel and has
not shown up. A large force of mer
are at work clearing up the debris to-
night and searching the ruins. street
traffic IL entirely tied up. knoxvill,
architects received orders to-day foi
plans for II buildings to take the places
nf the ones burned, All the buildings
are Ia he replaced at once.
The principal losses as given out to-
day are as follows; McNulty Grocery
company. stock. $1,000. on buildings
| $4,000; Knoxville hotel furniture anC
| fixtures sl2.000 Daniel i}risco Brother,
A. CO., dry goods. stock. 100000, or
| buildings. 40 0O0: McNulty * McGhee
building, $4,000 u. Newman a. Co.
printers. $4,000. W. W. Woodruff 4
Co. hardware, stock. si2.0oo: Cullen a
Newman, queensware. 10000. J. q. Cul
| ler. building, $40. 900. Henegar. Doyle a
| Arnold. clothing. $50 900. NJ. D. Arnold
building, $4,000. NJ l.. Ross a. CO., gro
cories. stock, $50 900. on building, $4,000
| W w Woodruff a. Co. hardware. oI
stock. 100000. on building, $4,000, Muir
| ply a. Robinson, hats, f23,000. A, J.
I.ahr. dry goods. $4,000. u, :. Payne
| building. 10000; Sterchi Brothers. fur
| nlture, $4,000; y. Il. McGhee. building
| $4,000: Sanford Chamberlain a. Albers
! drugs. stock 10000, building. $4,000
| tusick stables. tlo.0o0; +. T.. Mcmillan
building. $4,000.
| In addition TO tho destruction OF sevcra
smaller buildings and LOSSES to small deal
ers, heavy losses To plate glass Wer
caused by intense heat and water. II 4
more than probable that J. g. Bogle, tn
| old gentleman hurt In the hotel. will die
He inhaled flames and cannot speak o
swallow. The last man 10 leave the burn
| inE hotel says that he Is positive thu
! i've or six persons were burned. lie raj
over three or -four men la the hallway
! who were suffocated. 4. I johnson, a rail
read baFRaremaster came down from tn
NTH story Of the hotel hand over ham
on tn" water pipes before the engines nr
rived. only one Of the guests saved an
of his ofIccts The list Of the dead aud In
iurod 80 FAR reported are as follows. Tn
/ dead.
A. h.. Wctks. Locke. y Y.
II. w Ho9kins 81. l.ouis.
! - Robinson Pulaski Tenn
5, T.. Williams Springfield Mass.
Injured. e.. Boglo, Tennessee hume
aud will die; q. \, Dean Indianapolis
ankl" spratncd. Tom SIrck MorristOwr
Tenn. ankle cut and sprainod l.ieut'nar
Hood, Knoxville police cut on face an
head by glass from explosion 'hud
Harris, Knoxville cut IN dozen places
Policeman Asquth. burned and cut b
flying glass Policeman Duncan hldl
burned and was carried home. Fire Chi,
Mcintosh. bruised from fan. W. H. kef
part. Knoxville. internally hurt.
CHRISTIAN WOMEN.
7 az