The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-06
THE GREATEST FIRE IN OvER.
FIFTY YEARS OCCURRED
THIS MORNING.
Loss WILL EXCEED s3,0OO0OQ
Three Large Squares of Business.
Buildings Burned-RehectiOn
of the Flames Could BE
Seen for Miles.

PlttSburg, May o.-Ihe greatest nrts
that has visited this city since the
memorable one of 1916 started shortly
after midnight in the immense wholesale
| establishment of Thomas G. jenkins on
Penn avenue and Liberty streets,
and at 2:30 o'clock was still burning.
| Three large blocks, extending from Lib
erty street to Penn avenue and from
| Fifth to Sixth streets, have been reduced
| to smouldering ruins, and while the fire
| is now believed to have spent its fury, it
| is not yet under control. The loss will
exceed $2O00000, and is well covered by
insurance.
Among the buildings destroyed are
Jenkins wholesale grocery establish
ment, Horne's Office building, the Du,-
quesne theatre and the Methodist Book
| Concern.
The fire started in the cellar of che
jenkins building in pile of barrels filed
covered by Waterman William Hunter,
while making his rounds ON the third
floor. He had smelled smoke earlier i'm
the evening, but believed that 1t came.
from the outside and paid no attention
to it. The flames leaped rapidly up the
elevator shaft, and he made vain at
tempt to extinguish the fire with
ventilate the great building famed the
flames and he found 1t impossible to do.
anything. He made his escape from the
building with great difficulty because of
the immense volume of smoke.
The alarm was turned in about that
time by Officer Milton Bailey, who no
ticed smoke issuing through the win
| Il nc I,,sII Nko &C. d.
rapid Roadway after it had started, and
by 1890 O'clock flames began to pour
out the Penn avenue front.
All the fire departments of the city and
Allegheny City were summoned and the
firemen fought bravely to check the prog
ress of the conflagration. The fire, how
ever, attacked the immense quantity of
barrels Of oil, flour and molasses that the
building contained, and by 12:45 the
Penn and Liberty street fronts were
one mass of flames The fire ate it's way
| so rapidly that the firemen narrowly esr-
capped the falling debris.
Flames filed Penn avenue completely
and shot into the air 200 feet or more;
presenting the most magnificent sights
Joseph Horne & Co., opposite caught,
and the fremen worked desperately to
prevent its loss H
At o'clock the Horne building was
burning from cellar to roof, and the
flames had communicated to Horne's-
immense Office building adjoining. The
structure was of stone and also six
stories in height. 1t was occupied by
w. =. Grier & Co., china dealers, Bon
Marche Glove company, Smana's carpet
house and scores of physicians
Huckes' cigar factory and Hall Bros
building next fell victims to the fire
fiend and they were quickly followed by
the Duquesne theater Methodist Book
Concern building and the Surprise cloth--
ing store. The latter was an immense;.
five,story building running back depth
of 200 feet.
When the jenkins and Horne build
ings had become enveloped In the CON-
| migration, Penn avenue was one mas !,
of flames and sheets Of fire with heayy
columns of smoke sent 200 feet in. the
air. The glare of the flames could Ike
seen for miles, and the streets for blocks
around were brilliantly illuminated. As
soon as the fire attacked these buildings
several streams Of water were turned
ON Them but the water had no more
effect than If 1t was not an extingliisha-
BILE article. The flames from the. burn.
ing OH in the Jenkins building rolIed ants
against them, and In FIVE minutes the
two beautiful Horne buildings were
burning briskly ~
The iremen then left the Jenkins
building to its fate and used their united
ana desperate. efforts to save the Horne
buildings. All the streams Of water
that could be summoned were turned ON
these buildings, but they were now one
mass Of fire. The fire department then.
turned their attention to the surround
ing buildings, but the raging flames.
rapidly ate their way to all sides.
tered, but was still burning with Intense.
fury within the limits of the blocks.
bounded by Fifth and Sixth streets and
Liberty and Penn avenues.
on I ne los, 1t is now believed, will be,
a number of firemen were injured by
Ia.sng walls and live wires, but none Of
them are seriously hurt.
George Adhesion, who was one of three,
men in Cecil alley when the Jenkins
wall fell. is missing and is supposed tn
be under the debris.
The names of other fremen hurt are.
Mike DAILY.
Elmer Crocow.
George Meekin.
William Irwin.
Robert McGregor.
All were taken to hospitals.
Individual losses, as far as known, are-
Horne ~ Co., dry goods and Office.
building, with stock, $1,600,00O, covered
by insurance; I. G. jenkins, 100000
on stock and 100000 on building; the
Duquesne theater is still burning. The
loss will probably reach $4,000.
Mayors glove. house, $4,000; w. r..
Grier & Co.. $4,000; Snaman's carpet
house, the Methodist Book Concern
building, with tenants, probably $780,
OOO; Huckes' cigar factory, $1,000; Speer
mansion, $4,000; tenants Of Homes Of.
nee building $4,000; Small losses were