The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-09

the history ~ huoxYal4e has the city SUI
feTed such a loss hy fire as II did today,
following the breaking out of flames. az
an early hour this morning, in a grocery
store adjoining tsae big Knox hotel. Ths
hotel and adjoining buildings were soon
IN flames, ard the very heart of the city,
iEsc01sng some of the largest wholesale
and retail business houses in the South.
was destroyed. The loss Is var1ously ess-
tsnatcd al frun 81 eha0a 20 81 saa. GO. with
about - per cent Of Insurance.
The loss 0t lifo is very uncertain. as tho
register Of The hotel. Ia whicA fifty-Slx
people were sleeping. was burned Tho
proprietor % the hoteI says he had i've o.
six guests who have not put in an appear
ance> \. T.. Weeks. og Locke. n. Y, a
drummer for Rochester stamping COM
panN, Is known 10 have periShed in the
flames. r. W. Hopkins. a St Louis drum
mer. was last seen In the burning b9ild-
ing In a suffeeaarg condiion. ". H.
Keppars. eN~secregaTy OF the Chamber ot
Commerce saved the life OF 4eAn Bocle.
an old farmer. by aFagging him 70 win-
dow and letting him out on tae roof of an
other building. keppart jumped one story
and was injured.
When the flremea thought all the in
mates ~ the hotel had escaped a woman
Win an infant in flar arms rushed to the
rear wtfriOas and screamed for help. A
net was quickly stretched and the woman
asked 10 drop the child Out. hut, as ths
smoke almost choked her. she told them
that II some one must die. both would.
The woman was finally rescued by tae
dreruen.
II is more than probable that Mr. Bogle.
hurt In the hotel, VIII die. He inhaled
flames and cann0t speak or swallow.
The last man 20 leave the burfpng hotel
says that he has positive proof that FIVE
or six persons were burned. He ran over
three or four men in the Railways who
were SuffoCatpd.
From the hotel building. which is FIVE
stories high. the fire spgead rapidly. A
stiff wind made the flames very ugly. and
the fire department. was inadequate. In
the Wholesale hardware house OF ". w.
Woodruff & Co. a large dynamite eNplo-
sion occurred. ard scores or people were
hurt by flying bricks and glass. II be-
came necessary TO have the wallis OF one
building blown down by cannon TO stop
the mad career OF the fire. a mountain
howitzer Of the Knoxville Legion was
called into play, and load OF canister
did the work. al the same time tearing 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 10 Chattanooga
for assistance. An engine was placed
aboard FIAT car and started the run OF
III miles, which was made by Engineer
Robbins in I99 minutes breaking the rec
crd. When tho engine arrived here the
FIRE was about under control, yet the
Chattanooga boys did some good work.
a cabinetmaker named =. g. Dyer fell
dead on the street from fright. A. NJ.
Robinson. OF Pulaski, Tenn. Is supposed
10 be another victim He was registered
In the hotel and has not been found. A
large force of men are at work clearing
the debris tonight and searching tho
ruins. Street traffic ia entirely suspended.
Knoxville architects received orders to-
day for plans for eleven nsw buildings
to take the place of the ones burned. All
the buildings are 10 be replaced at encc.
The principal losses as given tonight are
as follows:
McNuity Grocery Company. stock. 3 rs 90
McNuIty Grocery To-. building .... 4s 90
Hotel Knoxville. furniture and fxis. 1900
Daniel Brtsco. Bros DC Co. dry
Daniel Briseo. Bros & Co. bldg. 5000
McNulty and McGhee building.... 1900
:. u. Newman n Co, printers. 5000
Stock. -. -. -. -. 1900
Cullen 4 Newman. aueensware..... 4o.oo
J. g. Cullen, building. ...... ....... 40.0p1
Henegar. Doyle & Arnold. clothing se.eo
NJ. u. Arnold, building. ..... ,..... lA.ts9
NJ l.. Ross a. Co. stock ............, eQ,p9)
W. w Woodruff & Co. Stock. 10000
w. w. Woodruff AZ Co, bullding.... l2,ep
| Murphy & Robinson, hats............ E.Qso
| a. T.. I4ahr. dry goods. .....,.... ss.tsD
n. ;. Payne building ..+... ......... 50.99
| Steerchi Bros. f1fnIture........ 49,. s., ooa
C. B McShee, building ..... ......... 3J,4tD
Sanford, Chamberlain * Alberds,
dfAE ntDNh ~. s.fs-. -.sss-t.s*ss.*F @ls@D
Sanford. Chamberlain a Alberds.
Cusick stables ......... ..-.... ........ 1000
| u. r. Mcmillan, building ........... 1859
In addition TO the destruction OF sew
eral smaller buildings and losses 10 small
| dealers. heavy losses 30 plate glass were
caused by intense heat and water.
H. l. Johnson. railroad baggage agent,
came down from the ifth story Of the
hotel hand over hand on the water pipes
before the fire engines arrived. Only one
Of the guests saved any OF his effects.
The list Of dead and injured 50 far re-
ported Is as follows:
Dead.
A r. WEEKS. Locke y. 7.
X. W. HOPKINS, st. Louis
A. M ROBINSON, Pulaski. Tenn.
s. r. WILLIAMS. Springfield. Aasss
Injured.
John c Bogie. burned, viii die
u. M. Dean. indianapolis. ankle sprain-
ed.
Tom s. Peck Morrfstown. Tenn. ankle
cut and spralned.
Lieut. Hooa Knoxvliis police. cut on
| face and head by glass from explosion.
Claude Harris, Knoxville. cut IN dozen
Policeman Asqsath. burned and cut ~
Policeman Duncan, badly burned.
Fire chief Mcintosh. bruised from fail.
~. II keppart. KnOxyilie. internally
hurt