The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05

lin avenue occupied BY the drN Honhe iHW
of Penny & Gcntlcs and w few minutes
snarkE and brands were blown IN every
direction by u strong northwest wlno anu
the destruction Of adjoining pronrrN Wae
threatened. general alarm was turned IN
and soon every engine In the CITY WAS at we
scene on the south Of Penny ~ H'nUes
the flames communicated with the hundlnEs
occupied by sohaper Bros drv .r Eoont ,, Smg
the FBmous drv goods store, IN" buthlhE
area increased minute hy minute Nv 'no
flames gaining great hcadwaN sla l'apl"R
ncrosH TO tho cast sac OF bfnHuWat w "
short time n largo empty store puiluinh ~"
/ The corner Of Franklin avenue was ofNlfoNnu'
VIII those directly south occupied by the
peopls's House Furnishing company IN
Marks Millinery store llls dnhtal pallei"
and Deer Bros. aud Decent btore,,,,,, al.
By ii O'Clock the walls of the bulldlhHs o.
cLpied by Penny & Gontles and me s'nh ~,
pfotbcrs had fallen, and with Tue gaze b'oW,T
he i became menace 10 the hremcn ~
fcw moments later the upper hoors ana Wslls
Of the building opposite Penny q, zen a.,
store on Brohdway were I ai ,a t"n cent
stora collapsed several members OF NE en-
| gino company No, II were IN the puiiu,u
\ -Four nremen were covered ~ tn' u'n,,{s, pa
! il was several hours before they could vt"
| taken out 49,,
Chn,los Mebus ppemant had been
crushed TO death and several DINERS 'hlu.eu,
! John Judge, foreman Of No H. wde ~enged
| IN with debris Across his fcot las the BODY
OF Mehus but with cool bead he dlreG'ea
| the efforts OF his comrades III their "orN %
feEnue 80 ,,
through 10 a number Of three and -four story
structures These were soon on ni' from
TOP to bottom and were gntied Heroic q
| forts wero made TO keep the names from N.
building ON tho corner Of Fourth street ana
FRANKLIN avenue, occupied by the German
American bank. and they were succession,
Arrosa On Fourth street and extending
through 10 Third street were row Of odd
buildinea occupied nv the schlisler-Corncii
seed company, the Plant seed company Wv
kttEuhns Glassware and CIockery ,ompauy
BaFsttt Plumbing company, MrClaln CnmIp'N-
sinn Uarke Co e commission house, Ben
nett a Co.'S commission house and william
Bcek's saloon. Here tho Gremen were ahle
| Ia gtop the spread OF the iirc to the cast, hut
! II WAC many hours before the flames were
| nueuched Tho interiors and stocks OF iner
chandise Of all these buildings were destroyed,
At this poiut Third street widens out, a9u
| this helped the hremen TO keep the DANES y
check II the FIRE had broken beyond BOUNDS
here. nothing could have prevented u from
sweeping everything to the river and the ioss
would have been enormous
In the meantime stores aud buildings on
the north side OF Franklin avenue for hall
block east and west of Broadway were sur
| fering The great heat from the burning
buildings opposite broke the windows and
soon flying emhers had started blazes IN
half dozen different places. The tenants NV
ing above hastily moved out as much OF theiI
property as possible The trolley wires along
| Broadway and Franklin avenue were source
of danger and until they were cut by tue
| mayors orders, there we're numerous mar
row escapes from electrocution. A corps OF
| n en- engaged in rescuing a derailed cable car
stretched long chain from Fourth street
grip car the power OF the cable being used
| To haul Il out OF the way OF the flremen The
gripman started his car, but did not release
| II soon enough. The deraled car crashed
into FIRE engine which was stationed on the
corner and crushed Fireman Hanmore. lie
was removed TO the dispensary, where his in
juries were pronounced fatal.
For hours after the fire broke out the scene
was thronged with thousands Of spectators
whv had been drawn from churches and
/ homes by the report that the city was burning
! up. Every policeman available was hurried
\ 70 the scene aud rope barriers were erected
around the section ln which the flames were
i raging. II was all the police could do %
keep the eager crowd from pressing In and
1 hinderinx the iremen. nA