Arizona republican., 1899-11-04
SOUTH SIDE.
TEMPE.

The largest confiagration Tempe has
ever had broke out in the Andre block
yesterday morning at 2:3O, and in half
an hour the entire block had gone up
in flames and smoke with the exception
of the brick wall part of which fell
into the burning debris. The businesses
destroyed were Andres harness shop
The Breeze and the Nicholas meat
market. The office of DIR. Wilson. the
home of Mr.. Andre and family. the
lodge halls of A. o. u. w; w of w, /.
o. G. T. and Woodmen Circle and thu
Christian Sunday school. The esti-
mated total loss is about SIS 900. with
but $4,000 insurance on the building and
$1,000 on the goods in the Breeze. The
wind from the east was strong, almost
gale, and the flames were carried half
way across the street and for a time it
seemed that the entire block and bust
ness houses west of the street would
be wiped away. 1t was only by heroic
work that Liveryman Murphy sue
cessfully fought down the fires, caused
by falling sparks, that caught in the
stable and hay stacks The SUPPOSE
ton is that the fire was of incendiary
origin.
Miller, who We're sleeping in the back
room of the butcher shop, were awaken
ed by the noise of falling shelves anG
tools in the front part of the market
and at a glance saw that the entire
front room was ablaze. The flames
shot over the partition into Goodrich's
store. Both grasping an arm full OF
things rushed out of the back door and
a of he
building and gave the alarm.
J. w. Birchell, on the other side q
the street. taking in the situation.
grasped his rifle and shot il off in rap
id succession, while few more nearby
jewellers yelled fire and in 4 few more
moments the curfew bell was rung b.
Mr.. Compton, and in fifteen minutes
over 300 people were on the scene ready
10 give aid to surrounding buildings.
Nicholas and Miller after throwing
out of the back part of the shop what
few loose articles there were with
Andre, Kirkwood, Goodrich and few
others with heroic work saved a part Of
the goods of the Breeze and nearly
everything in the harness shop was
thrown out and carried away from the
burning building. Nothing whatever
was gotten from the upper story, Mrs.
Andre barely escaping the flames.
Bucket brigades were Immediately
formed and swarmed over the Filing
son building. Tempe House. Laird :
bakery and the livery stable. which
were constantly catching fire from fall
ing sparks and pieces of burning wood.
These buildings were only saved by
this brigade of men who kept the roofs
and porches wet down.
During the fire every time a part of
the wall fell into the burning mass, the
strong wind raised great showers of
sparks which filled the atmosphere TO
a height of 200 feet. then spread. dis
playing a wonderfully beautiful sight
like heavy snow storm of which each
flake was a spark. falling on all the
buildings in the direction of the wind.
At u o'clock w. Z. Mullen called at
the Breeze to get some oysters. He
says everything was quiet at that hour.
Thee. Nicholas was up and through the
shop at one o'clock. he getting up u
start work. but seeing how early it was
retired again, he reports everything all
right at that time. Marshall Smith
went to bed at ?. and says at that time
there We're no indications of anything
unusual.
Some advance the theory OF the light
ed cigar stub. Andre thinks he smellei
burning coal oil at first. MOberly,
among the first on the scene. says he
first smelled hay smoke. Whether or
not the coal oil theory is correct, the
general opinion prevalent is that the
fire was incendiary.
Theo. Nicholas will Immediately set
up business in the old Jungermann
STAND, meanwhile J. w. Birchell has
generously rendered him the use of all
the tools he could spare. and he is now
cutting meat in East Tempe.
Kirkwood & Goodrich will resume
their business as soon as they can find
a location as also will Mr.. Andre
Some funny things happened of which
about the funniest was Bob Greeves
running down the street from his rooms
10 the burning block his shirt sleeves
flying in the air. shoe strings running
Il race with his shoes, one Suspender
trying to catch his left foot, his head
down between his shoulders, hair start
ing toward the four winds of the earth,