The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-10-06
FIRE DESTROYS
FOUR BUILDINGS
An Entire Block Of Brick Struct-
ures Completely Destroyed
by Fiery Elements.
HEAVY LOSS IS SUSTAINED
Value Of Property Lost Estimated at
Fully Eighteen Thousand Dol
Iars-Hard Work by the
Fire Department.

The firebug got busy in Waxaha-
chic again Monday night and in less
than one hour after the match was
applied property valued at fully
eighteen thousand dollars had been
reduced to ashes. An entire business
block consisting of four brick build
ings situated on the south side of
East Franklin street was completely
destroyed by the fiery elements. The
buildings We're erected six or seven
years ago and were owned by Arthur
Browning, Mrs. j. l.. Cannon, Mrs
j. B. George and Mrs E. H. Ackley
The block was valued at about $10,-
600 and the buildings were insured
for $500 each.
Three of the buildings were occu-
pied by the mattress factory of II.
N. and Claud Peters, one being used
for the storage of mattresses and ma
terial The machinery and stock were
valued at about $500, with insur-
ance to the amount of $500.
The building nearest the Masonic
temple was occupied by George
| Crump with a pool hall and for the
sale of whiskey on prescription. The
loss on stock and fixtures is estimat-
ed at about $250O. with $3.50 in
surance.
Damage to nearby buildings by
the breaking of glass doors and win
dows is estimated at fully $500. All
the windows in the rear end OF the
Masonic temple and the Woodmen
of the World hall were burned out
or broken by streams of water
thrown against them. The buildings
on the opposite side of the street suf-
fered in like manner.
The fire is supposed to have been
of incendiary origin and was started,
so far as can be learned, in George
Crump's place of business, which
was separated from the storage rooms
of the mattress factory by wooden
partition only. The fire was
discovered a few minutes before
eleven o'clock and an alarm turned
in. On account of the inflammabls
contents of the building the interior
was soon a mass of flames and by
the time the department reached
the roof and were leaping toward the
| top of the Masonic temple. The en-
! tire equipment of the fire station was
| brought out and in few minutes
! five streams were being thrown
on the burning buildings. The wind
/ hn CT a rod
the tiremen to some extent in their
work, but they remained at their
| post until they had conquered the
! flames. The fire was fought from two
sides and the firemen who worked
| in Franklin street suffered intensely
from the heat. Two members of the
| department, John Hutchison and
| Willie Davenport, were overcome by
the heat, while another fireman
whose name was not learned, was
painfully injured by being struck on
the head with the nozzle OF a hose.
Henry Wyatt, who was assisting the
firemen. had one hand badly blister
ed. So intense was the heat In
Franklin street that the outside
jacket of one hose was burned on.
As the flames rolled outward and
upward in great volumes 1t looked
| for awhile like the Masonic temple
and buildings across the street were
| doomed to destruction, but the he
roic and faithful work Of the firemen
saved them. Every time blaze made
its appearance on adjoining buildings
hose was turned on 1t. Hand extiE-
guishers were used to help keep the
flames out OF the Masonic lodge
room.
| The insurance on the buildings
and the mattress factory was carried
by Mizell, Peters & Co., who also
had $1,000 on George Crump's stock.
A policy for $3.50 was carried on
the Crump stock by w l.. p. Leigh.