Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-01-16
HUGE CROWD is
FEATURE NIGHT
FIRE IN CITY
THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS LOSS,
FULLY INSURED, SUSTAINED IN
BLAZE IN BUSINESS SECTION
WATER Is CAUSE OF PRINCIPAL
DAMAGE-R00F OF FERNANDEZ
BUILDING is Quilted.

cally all covered by insurance, resulted
from a flue fire that last night Quilted d
portion of the root Of d building on Eliza
beth street, occupied by the Brownsville
Grocery company the Holm photograph
studio and the apartments Of j. b. Scott.
The losses. IN order Of their Importance,
are appro~ ,nately as follows: The
Brown~viil. Grocery company, water
damages, fully insured, Sl56O. John q.
Fernandez, owner of the building, dam
ages 70 building BY fire, fully covered BY
insurance, $1,000. a.. Holm, water dam
ages. fully insured, $500; j.. b. Scott, wa
ter damages, not insured, about $500.
Flue fires, the inevitable accompani-
mcnt Of the icy crimp Of Boreas'' III
those sections of the South where cold
weather u q novelty. had their inning III
Brownsville last night and today when
the fire department answered three calls
between 9:i0 O'CLOCK and midnight and
one call about 1880 o'clock thu. morning.
Tn call, u last night were accustomed
by the blaze above the Brownsville Gro
Gerry company, and less significant fires
occurring in the residential district. OF
the hticr one was a flue fire at Third
and Nt. Charles street, ~extInguiShod BY
chs r.tnis. and fire discovered al nearly
tl.t aht In the home of j.. VI. Nixon.
/ ll , and Levce street. caused by heat
i- the hearth. The latter was also
= exiinguished By chemicals.
tl1 0:i0 o'clock last night the en-
III ness district If Brownsville was
;n y into excitement that undoubtedly
exceeded anything that has been experf-
cnced in this city ia years IN point 81
the number 81 people suddenly thrown il-
TO the streets. The cause wa a lire alarm.
Several thousand people. mostly men in
the uniforms Of the United States army,
corwdcd into Elizabeth street between
Eleventh and Twelfth streets and watch
ed a pillar of flames mount upwards from
the root of the Fernandez building. TWEEN
ty minutes before not twenty people were
to be seen in the block.
4 few minutes before J. B. Scott was
sitting IN hi apartments enjoying the
warmth Of an 'airtight' wood burner. He
heard 2 cracking sound above him and
suddenly realized that the heat from the
defective flue above had ignited the dry
tIm5tr- III the roof and thar the space
between the ceiling and the root was then
4 burning furnace.
The fire alarm was turned IN at 4 time
when il sccped that nothing short Of =
miracle could save a large portion NJ the
block from destruction. In the confusion
81 the moment the tirenen understood
that the call came from the corner of
Eighth street and Elizabeth and were well
on their way with the apparatus and hose
truck when the mistake was discovered.
Within fifteen minutes ~ the arrival Of
the fironen on the scene the blaze was
under control.
Good work was done by the members
Of the fire department and members of
the military police force, in spite Of con
iitionS occasioned by the mobilize crowd
that seemed calculated IA result III disaS-
ter. About the most difficult part Of
the work 81 I he iircmen. aided IN the
military police, was 10 wedge through the
masses ~ people 10 a water hydrant to
attach a hose. The next difficulty pre-
scented itself in dl4organlzed interference
with the iiremen and military police w
the part Of the public. At one time q num-
Der of uniformed men took the principal
ladder away, by force, from the military
police and members Of the fire depart
ment, and put it up. top end bottom.
aagin~t the building. almost causing ply
steal injuries TO those who attempted I'D
climb it.
The q~uickncss with which the fire was
~extinguished. i'll spite of adverse condi-
%tions, caused City Manager Williams this
morning 70 remark upon the rareness with
which fire losses are sustained in Browns
vile. The official reports from the in
surance companies doing business IN
Brownsville show that not one cent Of fire
losses were sustained in the city during
last wear. a. the result Of reductions
made last year in the city's Key rate.
Brownsville property owners will receive
4 rebate upon insurance premiums paid
by them last year amounting TO nearly
$4,000. or fiftcrh per cent of $4,000.
At II o'clock this morning the depart
ment was called 10 the residence Of John
Mann, 70S Elizabeth street to e%xtinguish a
small roof blaze caused by 4 defective ilue
in the kitchen. The fire was ~extinguished
by use of wet sacks.
SOLDIERS. WE HAVE A SANITARY
bath HOUSE AND BARBER SHOP. Give
luR A call and he convinced. THE WHITE
lTHp<T FAITHS. 1872 Elizabeth ST. across
from Miller hotel. n-l6ltfJ