The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-17
ORIGIN Of BURK :
FIRE A MYSTERY;
LOSS IS S175,OOO
Downtown Blaze Also DAM
ages BTOdnax JeWelry
Establishment and China
lnn-ThOuSandS Gather.

Firemen still were at a loss wednes-
DAY to account for the origin of fire |
which did approximately $4,000 dam
age when it broke out about 6:3S o'clock
IN the basement of the store of Burk
y Co, ciothiers. "a South Main street. |
While the clothing firm suffered the |
heaviest loss, considerable damage was
done to Geo T. BrodnaX, Inc, jewelers.,
and the Gina Inn restaurant
The damage to Brodnax was such |
a slight ratio to the total Of its bust
ness that the store opened as usual |
Wednesday morning.
Bricks falling from the cornice of |
the Brodnax building rained down on |
tlremen, one hit William l.. Tracy, |
| pipeman with Engine company No. 5, |
| on the head, His skull is believed to |
be fractured. He Is at st. Josephs |
| hospital,
The blaze was stubborn one. Time |
| and again the firemen seemed to have |
the fire under control only to be bat- |
| fled by the draught Of the flames up |
| the Burk & Co elevator shaft, Great |
| sheets Of flame blazed out from the |
| elevator house windows on the roof OF
| blowing the fire fighters shot their
streams in an arc over the roof ledge
| and down onto the fire center
! A crowd numbering thousands gath
| cred on Main street, across from the
| blaze at Main street and Monroe ave-
| nue., down Monroe, and even into the
| alley where the firemen were cramped
for room in their hot work
Tailors See Blaze.
An effort was made to use the fire
hose on the eleventh floor Of the Bank
| of Commerce and Trust Company
| building, and thus get an extra stream
from above on the elevator shaft But
the suction Of the big steamers and
| pumper on the street rendered the
| ~ a lou n the office
building that the hose remained dry
Spectators soon lined the windows Of
the Peabody hotel, Tennessee Trust
building and Bank Of Commerce build
ing.
The blaze was discovered by Paul
Croce, member OF the 1917 Shelby dele
cation to the legislature, and A. No
wax Both are tailors and were at
work on the third floor Of the Burk
store. Within few minutes after
they made their escape and turned in
the alarm, the inside of the Burk store
was blazing fiercely.
The automatic sprinkler system in
the BrodnaX jewelry store worked, No
flames got in the jewelry store Dam
age there was from water, outside OF
roof damage from the flames. caused
when melting tar from the roof cover
ing dripped off the elevator house next
door, and formed blazing lakes.
Nine employees Of the Brodnax store
were at WORK OH LnG tnlTu IlOOT, Wnen
the alarm of fire went in. With only a
wall between them and the inferno next
door, they FASTENED to safety.
After the Burk store had been blaZ-
ing for about 80 minutes, flames spread
to the China Inn, next door, by way of
the roof. This restaurant was estab
lished recently, and decorations and in
terror finish cost $4,000.
Firemen Injured.
Julius Venturini, first assistant fire
chief, was badly cut on one hand by
falling glass. A piece cut deeply into
a knuckle, and the doughty chief was
forced to go to the General hospital,
where his injury was dressed. He then
went back to the fire.
Tracy, who did not have on his steel
helmet, was rendered unconscious by
the brick which fell on his head Re-
CARELESS Of danger to themselves, other
firemen rushed into the shower. OF
bricks, and dragged Tracy to a place of
safety. The J. T. Hinton G. Sons am
bulance, hastily summoned, removed
the injured fireman to the hospital.
The roof of the Burlt building fell in
after the flames. had reached a peak
Damage of $4,000 was done to the
Burk & Co: stock and $4,000 additional
to their building. Fire and water dam
age to the rear Of the China Inn will
reach 100000, it Is estimated.
The water damage to the Brodnax
store, it is believed, may reach about
$4,000. The salvage corps kept this
damage to minimum by the use Of
I tarpaulins The Burk stock, 1t is I'M
derstood, is only about half covered
by insurance.
| The building occupied by the Burk
t store is owned by Cen J, NJ. Dickinson,
of Nashville, former secretary Of war,
Brodnax, ms, own the building which
1t occupies. while the Overton Lea es-
/ tate owns the Antlers property.
Two sections of hose burst while the
fire fighters were pouring their thou
sands of gallons of water on the blaze.
u But these were replaced instantly, and
fire officials say that they were not
handicapped by the two breaks. The
hose which burst was four or five years