Arizona republican., 1903-04-16
A DISASTROUS FIRE
Three Buildings at Fifth and Madison
 Streets Burned.

There was a disastrous fire at the corner of Fifth and Madison streets last night. It broke out about half past eight o'clock in a frame house belonging to Mrs. Henry Mueller. There was single occupant of the house colored man by the name of Gordon The fire was well under way before an alarm was turned in and by the time the department reached the ground the building was long past say ing and the flames were invading the building on the east. a brick struc- ture. At the same time frame build ing on the west was on fire and was later destroyed. At the time the hose was attached only the porch was on fire. But there was entire absene of pressure and before the engine was got in working order the whole build ing was aflame.
 The former brick structure occupied by man by the name of L. M. Me Bride. Most of the furniture was car ried out and saved. Bebore this was accomplished, however a sensational and almost tragical incident happened. A man whose name could not be learn
  had been enough noise to wake the dead. There was only one man in the crowd who knew he was there. That was small Italian. He broke into the room where the sleeping man lay and picking him up threw him through window. His concUssion with the ground partly awoke him; at least he knew that something out of the ordin- h9 h When his rescuer emerged from the building he found that he had been badly cut by glass and was bleeding dangerously. The crowd surrounded him and made a hero of him. In the confusion he, too, was carried away before his name could be learned
 There was another brick house on the north. The walls of it are there yet. The flames from the brick On the cor ner were communicated to it and were slowly gaining a headway CT wooden porch. Still there was TO pressure and til then the engine had not got into working order. Within a minute or two steam was up and the fire began to suhside.
 The flames had in the meantime got into the house of which the doors were locked and the woman who lived there was away from home. She returned before the doors were broken down and cautioned the crowd against de- stroying her furniture. But the crowd rushed in and began the annihila ticn of things with the idea that they were saving them. A funny thing happened A half dozen men had got into the par Tor and while they were looking around ! to sec what ought to be destroyed first powerful individual thought of the carpet. He seized a corner of it. tore it loose from it's fastening and gave ii a jerk which threw the rest of the de stroyers off their equilibrium, tumbling them up on the floor. By this time there was an engine pressure and the destruction was made complete. The furniture and all the occupants of the building were drenched but the struc- ture itself was saved.
 | No estimate could be made of the damage. All the houses belonged tC Mrs. Mueller and three of them were a total loss. Two of them were sup posed to be worth about $1, 200 each anc the brick on the corner of Madison ana i Fifth was worth probably s2,000 They all had some insurance but Mir Muel- l Ter said he did not know how mucf was carried on them.