Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-03-28
TWO HOUSES BURNED
DEFECTIVE FLUE CAUSES SER
IOUS BLAZE-TIIE SOLDIERS
EFFORTS PREVENTED WIDE
SPREAD DESTRUCTION.

VI To Troop NJ. Fourteenth United States
Cavalry, stationed in Brownsville is
due the entire credit for preventing
what might have been one Of the most
widespread fires in the history of the
city. Starting in a frame building owned
by Mrs. Bell Lang. Thirteenth and Van
Buren, streets and famed by stiff
breeze from the south. the blaze destroy
ed that structure, Sprang across the
street, destroyed store and bakery at
the corner of 18th and Monroe owned by
Juan Manuel Perez. and necessitated
the tearing down Of half dozen frame
Shacks.
The fire is said to have started from
defective fue in the residence Of Mrs.
Lang, and before the inmates realized
il the house was q mass of flames The
blaze crossed the street and made a
fire that for half hour it seemed would
cause the destruction Of an entire block
Of small frame houses, and shacks. 1t
was seen in 4 short time that the only
thing that could save the block would be
the raZing Of all the Shacks adjoining
checked by l 30
First Sergeant A. r. Smith and 4
number Of the members Of troop N were
Oh the ground early and seeing the ser
iouS possibilities the sergeant and the
boys with him, Ditched' in. BY team
,II- \!
Advantage in throwing the little stream
afforded BY the water. and in removing
the small ShackS. Captain Kirk Walker
and other members of the troop soon ar
rived. and in 4 few minutes the fire was
being Systematically fought by almost
the entire troop They obtained axes.
hachets and other implements and the
roofs Of four ShackS were soon i'm the
middle Of the street and in such shape
that the blaze could not reach them.
To the soldier boys do all the residents
N the block whose homes were not
burned owe their safety They labored
with al their might for three quarters
Of mn hour. and several were almost
proStatcd by the terrific heat. 1t WAS i'm,
possible 70 stand within fifty feet Of the
fire at times but the soldiers fought the
oncoming flames and stood their ground
10 the last One Young soldier with \
nozzc was Il few feet from the blaze. pro
tected himself bv lying down behind the
roof Of house that had been torn down.
During the fire several men were
in hA
Perez when 4 barrel of lard exploded
with lcud concuSs0n. Several were
slightly injured by the fIying grease.
but none seriously. Practically the entire
stock Of the store valued 1T about $500
was taken into the street.
More than twenty five residents on the
block removed al their belongings from
theirEhouseS and the alleys and streets
III the ncighborho0d are Uttered with
household goods
Il was impossible to fight tho bIazn
with any rcgrce Of success with water
from the city mains, and the ONLY bcnc-
ht from this source was the drrnchino
of houses that were in danger. The
blaze, IN fact. burned itsolt out on The
Lang building. the Perez store. and !
shack on the southeast corner of fbo
street. These structures were burned 10
the ground, and in the Lang building All
furniture and household effects were
burned. About twenty feet Of hose in
the street was also burned.
pathetic scene during the fire was
the burning of a little white hen. the
mother of brood of chickens. that in
sisted on running into the fire to her
little home. She was burned to death.
member Of the cavalry troop caught
one Of the little chirDing chickens that
had Straycd into the street and is keep
ing the little fellow as a souvenir of
the occasion.
The losses, estimated:
Mrs. Bell Lang building and house
hold effects. $4,000.
]. S. and VI. II. Cross owners of store
building occupied by Juan Manuel
/ Perez. $500.
\ The total loss. about $4,000.
I j. VI. Perez. whose store and bakery
were burned had only recently moved
from MatamOroS to Brownsville lie
carried no insurance