Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-01-13
FLAMES AT MEMPHIS
Fire Gets Beyond the Control of
the Fire Department in
a High Wind.
GAYoso HOTEL IN GREAT PERIL.

Guests Have to Abandon the House, but
1t Is Probably Saved-Loss Far rs
| Estimated Is Nearly Half a Million
| Windows Break a Block Away from the
Intense Heat - Assistant Fire Chief
Badly Burned.
| Memphis. Tenn, Jan. 12.-At this writ
ing the fire is still raging and guests
OF the Gayoso hotel are beginning to
move out as the fire threatens to spread
to that building. The Gayoso hotel is in
imminent peril and seems doomed to
destruction by the fire, which is rapid
ly spreading beyond all possible con-
troll.
Later.-The guests are all out of the
| Gayoso hotel The wind is in the OPP
possite direction and the hotel is not
now threatened.
| Still Iater.-The walls of the Menkin
| building have fallen. High wind pre-
walls and the fire is spreading. Windows
within a radius of block are breaking
| from the intense heat.
Los. OF Half a Million Estimated.
Memphis, Tenn, Jan. ia fire which
| broke out at 7:30 O'Clock last evening in
the wholesale and retail dry goods house
| of the ]. NJ. Menker company, one OF
the largest esta blishments of it's kind
in the south. had caused an estimated
less of s450.OC0 up to midnight. and the
fire was thought to be under control at
that hour.
The Menkin building occupies a front
age of 125 feet on Main street and ex-
tends $50 feet on Gayoso street. 1t is
five-story building and adjoins the
Gayoso hotel. No harder fight was
ever made by the Memphis department
and they never fought under greater
difficulties. The fire, which originated
in the basement, was by o'clock be-
yond all control and that part of the |
building under the first floor was !
seething mass of flames.
-. Could Not Reach the Blaze. |
The basement had been built in COM |
partments with the view in case of |
fire, to combining it to the starting point. |
This could not be done for the reason |
that for half an hour after the arrival |
of the fire companies they could not |
reach the compartments. When an /
opening was finally made it was found |
that the fire had spread to all the COM
partments, and as fast as progress was
made in one place the flames would |
multiply in another. The smoke was so
utIlSG lHdl the IIelIltH were UNABLE 10
get an entrance to the building for a
time, and they fought it entirely from
the outside, pouring stream after
stream through small windows into the
basement.
Flames Get n New Start.
At IL O'Clock the fire was still burning
briskly. but il looked more like the fire |
men would get it under control after
awhile. Soon the flames began to leap
suddenly from the basement, and it
was evident that the basement was
seething mass of flames. The fire now
OF the building, and the situation grew
more critical. Then, with a crash, the
center portion of the first floor fell. The
flames beneath had been eating away
the foundations and the firemen were
forced to retire hurriedly.
Fire Chief Radly Scorched.
At midnight the fire was not under
control. The building is valued at $780,
eco with insurance of $4,000. The stock
was valued at about $500 coo with insur-
ance of S215,OOO. Assistant Fire Chief
Ryan was badly burned about the eyes |
in forcing an entrance to the building. |
He was taken home. About o'clock
another fire started in the residence |
portion Of the city on Poplar street,
which destroyed two residences and
three store buildings with a probable
loss OF s15CGO.