Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-09-30

surance.
On Tuesday night L. B. Morris liv-
ery stable was destroyed by fire and
adjoining property was badly scorch-
ed.
Taking into consideration the sur
roundings it is a great wonder the
entire block, il not all of the business
houses, including the Court House,
were not burned.
Active work on the part Of the fire
company and the lack of wind is all
that saved the business portion of the
city.
The fire broke out in the second
story Of Ian B. Morris stable at $3.50
O'Clock Tuesday night. 1t was not
until the entire interior of
the livery stable was in flames.
The fire company was very prompt
in answering the alarm and in a very
few moments four or five streams of
water were playing upon the flames.
The livery stable was in the heart of
one Of Mexico's largest and most
valuable building centers, and inside
of ten minutes after the fire started
the adjoining buildings on three sides
had ignited. Lines of hose were run to
the Ringo House, the West block and
the Post Office block and in this man
e the fire was kept from spreading,
except westward in the West block,
where the building occupied by A. NJ.
Trimble was partially destroyed.
During fifteen or twenty minutes of
the first hour of the fire at least q
dozen buildings were more or less in
flames. 1t took the hardest work to
save the Ringo House. Not a half
dozen people in the entire crswd
thought it could be done.
The fire was 80 brisk from the very
start that the young man who was
sleeping in the Office of the livery
stable barely escaped.
The horses belonging to Mr.. Morris
and to citizens who had rigs there,
amounting in all to about thirty, in
Gliding the "Kid, Jr.," MIR. Morris
fine stallion, were all burned or smoth-
cred. The cries and shrieks, you
might call them, of the dumb brutes
were terrible. Their suffering, though,
was very short.
The people in the Ringo House,
| with the exception of Mr.. Lakeland,
all moved out. Business men occupy
ing stores under the .Ringo House
moved their stocks of goods into the
streets, the Court House yard or into
business houses in other blocks.
The fire company worked hard an6
in an intelligent manner. Quite
number Of citizens rendered then
valuable assistance while other
impeded their work by advising
impossible and ridiculous movements
A visit to the ruins will satisfy an!
citizen that the fire was well man
aged and that it ia a wonder it did no
spread more than 1t did.
If there had been more hose tn
West building could have been saved
1t was simply a question with the Fir
Chief whether he should desert thePos
Office block or the West building
Every foot Of hose was in use and jus
as soon as the Post Office block wa
saved prompt attention was given tn
West building. In the meantime tn
other lines of hose were kept bus
!, saving the Ringo House and the sout
r side of the square.
Everything that was possible to b
done was done and when you consids
> the loss, except on Mr.. Lam B. Morri
I 1t will amount to a srife compare
7 with what the fire would have been
I there had been Q wird or II Mexic
had not had a good fire company an
a system of water works. The losst
with insurance are given below
detail.
THE CROWD.
l. 1t was only a short time after tt
alarm was given and the city hall be
rang before the people were comm
10 In perfect throngs from all sides. III
10 rolls OF flames and clouds of smof
g which shot up into, the air could
seen in every direction, and 1t did n
T. take the citizens Of Mexico long to 81
Is that the fire was the largest in Il
- history of the town. Consequent
"a everybody came.
T.. The crowd was q decidedly mott
one. There were people of all class
and In all garbs. Young ladies'
d decolIete evening dresses and you
OF men in full dress suits mingled wi
W their friends who we're robed In a
n old clothes that came handy. The
LII was one gentleman with q dress q
in company with alady In q moth'
~ hubbard, and one lady in event
dress with a young gentleman in
sweater without coat.
!. Yes, they were OF all ages, siz
n kinds and conditions, and all seem
actuated by the single motive OF ler
ing all assistance In their power.
THE ORIGIN.
The origin OF the fire viii pern'
forever remain q mystery, but indi
III lions seem to point strongly tow
incendiarism. A gentleman OF yer
ity told a LEDGER reporter that abb
u. $3.50 he was standing in front
at Weant & McPherton's restaurant O
versing with another gentleman wi
ne a single cry Of ''Hre'' rent the air.
went out into the, OF the street
looked, but only saw q small coiu
of smoke no larger than would GO
L. out of an ordinary chimney. 3
started In q dead run towards Mol
livery stable, whence the cry
and when they arrived
forks of flames were licking up
cir the sir. It seems that the Are n
Il have started in the hay in the real
III the barn and came swooping dc
toward the 'front.'. There ID NO exl