Bisbee daily review., 1912-03-16
THREE HOUSES
 ARE CONSUMED
Hungry Blaze in Johnson Addition Is Checked
 With Great
 Difficulty
AN UNKNOWN HERO

A ire on the side of the nill east of Johnson addition early yesterday morning threatened the devastation Of that part of the distrct The dam age done was three frame hous unoccuLied. destroyed, but only un- ceasing heroic work prevented the fire from spreading to other tonses iu that thickly settled section Of the district.
 Two frame houses owned by a Mrs Herren, who resides somewhere in the state of Texas were totally de stroyed. and another house, also un- occupied, was burned to the ground lt could not be learned yesterday who owned the house
 The houses owned by Mrs. Herren were one-story frame structures of two and six rooms respectively. and tie third house was a three room structure. It is not known if any Of the property was insured. Fifteen hundred dollars would cover the loss.
 The Herren houses have not been occupied for two years. and the oth- er house has been unoccuped for a year, so it is believed by residents 
 incendiary origin, and as there was nothing of value in either house. the motive of the incendiary is believed to be mania, that he is a fire bug
 The big whistle at the CZar shaft sounded the fire alarm, and the Bis. bee department believing the fire to be on Naco road, in the city limits, responded, but the place was inacces- sible to the department apparatus. The fire started soon after midnight.
 Flames Seen for Long Distance
 The flames of the lire located near the top of the hill. were easi- ly seen from every part of the city, and it was currently believed in the city yesterday that seven houses had been destroyed, that report having been circulated The fire was viewed by people as far south as Warren, and was also visible to people liy- ing on the western hills of BiSbee. The flames lit up the whole district, and from a distance it appeared to be of confiagration proportions.
 The residents of the hill district prevented the fire from spreading to other houses. The residences of R. NJ. Johnson and Axel Carlson are not more than twenty feet away from the ashes of the burned building. and di- rectly under them. Handicapped by q scarcity of water and lack of fire apparatus, it was hard fighting, aid ed by good luck, that their homes were not destroyed. The houses were literally covered with wet blankets to prevent the falling sparks from setting fire to the roofs. The volunteer firemen, Of which a number came to the aid Of MeSsrs. Johnson and Carlson. fought the fire with gar cen hose and water buckets.
 Fights Blaze Bravely
 The fire developed a hero whose name is unknown, but Messrs. John. son and Carlson were sounding his praise yesterday. He fought for ovef an hour to prevent the flames from , l,reading to the two nearby resi- dences. When the flames became so hot and so pressing that they licked his body, he called for a wet blank ct in which he wrapped himself. and continued fighting. After the fire had died out, he escaped without letting his identity become known. Appar- ently he fought the fire just for the purs love of a fight.
 The home of Mrs. Ida NJ. Wood was also in the danger zone but escaped harm, though flaming sparks fell in the yard and on the roof. Mrs. Wood is the possessor of an tique relics, and these were her first thought when the fire broke out. One or them is newspaper more than 100 years old. It is copy of the Carolina Courier" dated May 24, l79S, making is IA years old. 1t is one of the oldest relics of that kind in existence. and is prized very highly by the owner, who made haste to carry it to safety when the fire alarm sounded.