The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-12
THE FIRE AT DALLAS.
The Property Loss viii Exceed 0 Quarter
Of Million Dollars
NUMBER OF BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED
No Lives Were Lost, Although Therc
were Many Narrow Escapes ana
Heroic Rcscucs by Firemcn.

dallas. Texas, August ia fire that
started in block on Elm street about IL
O'Clock this morning, was not stopped
until nearly 100000 worth of business
property had been destroyed. The best
building burned was the Guild building,
S7S and 1854 Elm street. built by c.. w.
Guild in 1888 at cost of $4,000; the Penn
sylvania Mutual Insurance company and
the American Building association, Eastern
concerns. were successive owners OF the
property. A. F. Hardie is at present local
manager for the American Building asso-
cations interests. He says local insur-
ance companies carried $4,000 worth Of
risk on the building, and other risks may
have been carried py the owners In New
Work.
NJ. w. Stricklands furniture store. ad-
joining the Guild building on the weet, and
the Meyers garden and the Clifton hotel
buildings on the east were also destroyed
Several smaller buildings In the Vicinity
were SO badly injured as TO probably make
rebuilding necessary. The loss on build
ings is estlpated at about $4,000.
The property loet in the buildings was
worth more than the buildings themselves.
Upwards of 100 persons had household
furniture, libraries, works OF art and other
choice and costly effects stored with the
Darrah Storage company and the Southern
Cold Storage company. These individual
losses run from 800 TO $4,000 or more, and
approximate from S150,000 to 100000,
Among the heavier commercial losses are
the Missouri Tent and Awning company
of ST. Louis, 100000, insurance not obtain
able, as the policies are held in st. Louis;
Model Bakery, $4,000; covered by insurance;
Standard Light and Power company, buSd-
ing damaged $4,000; insured; NJ. W. Strick-
land loss on stock $1,000. insurance $4,000.
The list of individual losses is too long
and miscellaneous in character to justify
reporting In 1t are two exceptionally val
liable libraries. Colonel Donald G, Jen-
kns, the veteran editor in chief of the
Galveston Dallas News, had a collection
of rare books unequaled in the South all
are lost, their value can not be computed.
o. Paget president of the Dallas Free
Thought association, lost library, which
he had stored away in the Guild building;
1t contained many valuable works of free
thought agnostlc and infidcl literature;
Mr.. Paget says not even the late Colonel
r. G. lngersoll's library was better than
the one burned last night.
The fire is said to have originated in the
Strickland building. Fire Chief Masee
said today: Secretary Jackson OF the fire
department examined the buildings that
were burned last night less than week
ago In his official report he said that II
the Strickland store ever caught IRE no
power on earth would save the Guild build
ing. His prophecy has proved correct, The
aperture between the Strickland store and
the big building created draft that famed
the flames till no amount OF water could
subdue them
A search of the ruins this evening proved
that the reports current last night and
today that several lives had been lost were
erroneous. There were al least twenty he
roic rescues by the firemen of persons
whose escape from death was next to the
miraculous. No one was seriously injured.