The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-04
The Iheo. Keller Wholesale Grocery
Store Totally Destroyed.
MIlBY 4 DOW BUILDING TOTAL LOSS.
Asl3o,0OO Fire with About $4,000 Of In
surance 90 the Property.
BUILDING AND STOCK WILL BE REPLACED
Immense Crowds Witnessed the Con.
Bagration-The Water Pressure
Criticized.

Blackened brick, smoulderlng embers
and skeleton like walls now mark the spot
wnere but yesterday one OF Houston
largest jobbers was doing heavy bust
ness. where clerks, statesmen and porters
we're active in the discharge Of the duties
incumbent upon men In the wholesale
grocery line, and which during the entiIs
day presented busy appearance.
Located in the heart OF the city and
the hre occurring at an hour when men
are active and the department prepared
for quick response to the call. the de-
struction Of three-story building, with
every dollar Of the stock total loss, is
happening which is OF serious moment
10 the people Of this city, and those who
stood and watched the progress Of tho
fire were loud In their criticism of an In
efficient water supply. as the streams
would barely reach the windows of the
second story Of the building
49,
The hour OF the fire was at time when
those who have business OBTAINING them
in the city late were hurryng to their
evening meal or when those who had
finished the days labor we're doing the
trading for the week or turning their foot
steps homeward. The alarm was sounded
and was followed SO quickly by a general
alarm that every one turned toward the
locality, and soon large crowd OF anxious,
FnTOIfG na0nIn ma ~. ~
Every sidewalk bore Its burden OF hu.
manity, and streets were blocked with
mass Of people Every eys was strained
upon the familiar outlines OF the we'll
known structure, which was wrapped In
winding sheet Of flame. and above which
hung a pail Of smoke OF Egyptian black
ness That the entire structure was to he
. total loss with all that It contained no
one doubted. many even expressing tho
opinion that the iremen would be uu
able 10 coniine 10 TO the ono building SO
fast was the progress OF the IRE that
every one In the vast crowd believed
that the McNally building adjoining on
the south and the Dunn building across
Louisiana street. would also go, and the
Houston Transfer company made assur-
ances doubly sure by moving out valuabies
from their office near by Chief Hussey.
however. sent men to each building and
gave close attention TO preserving that
property near by. being determined to keep
the oonhagration within as small limit
us 1t was possible. Several times the
woodwork OF the Dunn building caught,
but each time the flame was extnguished,
the final result being but slight dam
age 10 the front. all the windows being
broken by the heat. This building has
now withstood fre and water, and prob
ably has years ahead of 1t. It will hc
remembered that number OF years ago
there We're tears that Il would slide Into
the bayou, but the energetic efforts Of the
city engineer at the time prevented this
catastrophe.
The rremen worried as close to the KEEL.
les establishment as safety and Judgment
dictated They had their ladders upon
each side for awhile. but II appeared that
the FIRE was IN every part OF the building,
upon every floor and was fast being fed
by the innammabe material OF the boxes.
barrels, crates and sacks together with
the contents. The heat became intense
and long tongues OF flame reached out for
the men who stood at the pipes and grad
ually they were forced back, unable 10 re-
the rear Just in time. At $3.50 O'Clock the
tower, which surmounted the corner Of
the building, fell with a crash, and scat
tered It's bricks about the street. whore
Just before had stood the members of one
the Are companies. Soon after this tho
north ysll fell and tore from the faslen-
iugs the wires OF the electric light. street
car. telephone and telegraph companies.
The men had moved back from that aide
and no one was injured The greatest
crash came when the Congress avenue walp
fell, the corniee and brick being seatteres
across the street, covering the hose and
cutting several sections OF Il.
As soon the danger overhead had been
removed BY the falling Of the walls the
men were enabled to work closer in On
the flames and they stood in the doorways
and fought tho creeping tongues OF Are as
they licked the ceiling overhead. All
night they We're kept at the work, and AS
soldiers on firing light. fought hard /,
Keep back the advancing foe, so did the
defenders OF the city's property stand be.
fore the advancing fame ana fight hack
the greedy IRE which cravcd for morn
property TO devour- Hose wagons we're hur-
ried here and there to get equipment for
the contest, and men and horses were
taxed 70 the limit OF endurance
Thcze who like to watch a pretty Are
cav one, although its beauty vanished
when the citizen began 70 think Of the
property which was destroyed. Flanes
ieaped heavenward. ana biliows Of smoke
Folled across 70 the east. while popping
timbers gave forth fireworks report.
The beauty Of ieree nre Is forgotten
saen The citizen now looks at the vacant
corner where but yesterday wholesale
tfsfhc u no small proportions was IN
prcgress
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