The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-05

toric Events-Gen. Grant Wa.
Chartered There Prior to the Bat
tie of Vicksburg-Gen. HurIburt
Narrowly Escaped Capture by
Forrest I'm the Same Hotel,
MEMPHIS, Tenn, July A fire broke
out in the establishment of the Memphis
Paper company, at the corner of Gayoso
and Front streets. late this afternoon.
and before it was subdued had caused the
loss of one life, the fatal injury of ex-
Fire Chief Cleary and the serious injury
OF Assistant Fire Chief James Ryan. be-
sidee a property loss of about $3.50. 900.
The Gayoso hotel, one Of the Oldest land
marks of Memphis, was one of the
buildings totally destroyed, and while
the guests were all rescued in safety,
some of them lost valuable effects in
the fire, which ragged fercely for over
six hours.
During the progress Of the fire in the
Blumenthal liquor plant Assistant Chief
Ryan had his leg broken by falling stone,
and was carried away. Ex-Chief James
E. Cleary had his spine dislocated a little
later, and will probably die as a result
of the injury. An unknown negro was
caught under the falling walls and crush
ed to death.
The blaze originated in the Memphis
Paper company's building about o'clock
this afternoon, and had Obtained a good
headway before being discovered. From
lack of rain the buildings were all dry
and infiammable, and in short time
after the first alarm the paper companys
store had been gutted and the adjoin-
cession the plants of the Blumenthal &
Heilbronner Liquor company, the Ameri-
ing stores began to ignite In quick sue
can Biscuit company and the office of
the Standard Oil company were destroy
ed.
All the efforts of the fire department
to prevent the fire from communicating
with the Cayoso hotel, situated directly.
across the street east, proved futile, and
soon 1t was seen that the old structure
was doomed to go, after many narrow
escapes from destruction by fire during
it's history
LOSSES ARE LARGE.
Owing to the fact that It is holiday,
and the absence of the insurance. men and
managers of the burned property, 1t is
difficult to get an accurate list of the
losses. 1t is said, however, that they are
pretty well covered by insurance. The
Gayoso hotel was insured for $1,000 the
buildings opposite for about $4,000 and the
stock of Blumenthal & Heilbronner for
SIS, ,0O0 The Gayoso hotel building could
not be duplicated for 100000, and insur-
ance men tonight say the remainder Of
the burned buildings are worth at least
$3.50 900 to 100000
The Gayoso hotel was established in
1872 and has been the scene of many his
toric events. 1t was the headquarters of
Gen. Grant during his brief stay IN Mem
phis before the fight at Vicksburg. Gen.
Sherman also established his headquar-
ters there for time, and Gen. Hurlburt
narrowly escaped capture by Forrest, in
the same building. During Forests siege
of Hurlburt in the hotel, one of the Con-
federate cavalry leaders rode into the ro-
tunda of the hotel and shot a Federal
officer dead.
The hotel has changed hands many
times, and been threatened by fire at least
half a dozen times, the narrowest escape
being during the Menlen fire. a few
months ago, when the Gayoso ignited and
was only saved after heroic effort by the
fire department.