The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-02
fENSACOLA'S BIG FIRE
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Pensacola, Fla. Nov. l.--(Epecial)-
PENSACOLA was swept by a fierce fire
this Torning. the flames starting In
the. new Brent Building. on South
Pslafox Street. and raging iercely
north and south. DESTROYING property
to the estimated value of quarter OF
a million dollars, burning a number Of
business houses and rendering scene
of desolation that has not been wit
messed In this city for years.
Half of the principal business block
of the town was destroyed. The new
Brent building, occupying about one
third OF the block. and which was re-
Gently completed and occupied. was
| rendered a pile of ashes The Blount-
| Watson building, three-story brick
structure. at the corner of Palafox and
| Garden Streets. was burned like so
much tinder and the Offices of Blount Il
| Blount, the widely known firm of law
yers, were burned completely. In the
| three-story building were numerous
Offices, the third story being occupied
by the Knights of Pythias lodges of
the city. The entire paraphernalia was
the building were reduced to ashes. In
fact, the destruction could not have
been more complete.
There is some doubt as to the origin
Of the fire. Young men who were re-
turning from a dance which had been
given at the c. X. Of A. hall on Baylen
Street discovered sparks falling from
the second story of one of the build
ings. They notified Night Waterman
william Way of their find and an alarm
was sounded. This was followed by
several others and the general alarm,
and very soon everything in the shape
of fre-fighting apparatus was on the
ground.
In the burning buildings was sport
ing goods store, owned and operated
by r. B. Bruce: hardware store own
ed by Gordon & Brown. recent corners;
the laboratory of the Pensacola Clinic
Society: the drug stores OF Hannah
Bros. whose loss win figure up to $25.-
900 with not a cent of insurance, and
Sidney Kahn. and grocery store.
Explosions of cartridges and chemi-
calls were frequent, and this danger,
besides spreading the flames to some
extent, added to the confusion in the
organization of the volunteer fire fight
ers. 1t Is possible that the fire gained
considerable Roadway from the lack of
a good many volunteers who would
have otherwise ventured into the fight.
The Pensacola FIRE department, un-
der the personal guidance of Chief
Bicker, did valiant service. When the
department reached the scene, the
buildings were roaring furnace. 1t
looked as though the entire block was
doomed. Chief. Bicker. however, soon
got the direction of the wind, and as
the flames continued to eat their way
southwark, it was seen that there must
be a determined stand to stop them. At |
Jacoby's big grocery house the fight
was centered. Here. with the flames |
leaping many feet in the air, the fire. |
Infw aNt We.
suit was that the southwark progress |
was stopped. and the loss was reduced
greatly
A man was awakened by a terrific |
explosion, and when he went to his |
window, he saw the flames break out |
in the north end of the new Brent |
building This explosion, the man |
thought, was about the spot where the |
laboratory was situated in the Brent |
building and nearly. directly over the |
drug store OF Sidney Kahn. This was |
before the alarm was. sounded and be-
fore there was any one on the street.
The business houses destroyed were |
as follows, from Garden Street south |
ward: The Blount-Watson building |
and contents, the drug store of Sidney |
Kahn, hardware store of Brown &
Gordon, real estate Offices of McDavid-
Hyer Company, fruit store of John
Geeker, Forbes furniture store, sport
ing goods house of r. B. Bruce, Mexi-
can consulate C. H. Turner'S ONCE and
plumbing store room. Chamber of Com
merce building, Chaffers's musical con-
servatory, Offices of Drs. s. r. NJ. Ken
nedy, J. T. Cravey. A. Diaz, J. H. Bick-
erstafr. W. c. Dewberry. w. ]. Hannah.
]. H. Wright, ]. w. Higgins. the fine
osceola Club rooms and furniture, law
offices of Blount & Blount, E. D. Beggs.
Lee Daniels, A. c. Bingley, drug store
of Hannah Bros new office of the l.
and n. Railroad Company, j. w. Bull
lard, money lending and real estate;
knights of Pythias paraphernalia. and
countless other property which cannot
be replaced.
The fire was the worst that has been
had in Pensacola in years. Not life
was lost and but few were injured.
There Is now talk Of rebuilding at once
NETEFOnS ARE ON TRIAL