The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-11-18
MAN KILLED in
MAIN St. FIRE
Charles Noone Victim When
Walls Rooming House Col
lapse After Explosion.
SEVERAL PERSONS HURT
Firemen Fight Stubborn Blaze
in South Chattanooga
Thursday Morning.

one man was killed, another 90
rlously S.st and several persona
slightly eirsd In a disastrous fire
at the : her OF Main and cowart
street <4rly Thursday morning.
CHI 81 Noone. aged about sS, a
mol pemployed az the Ross. Nee.
haY Eindry, was caught beneath q
f@ II wall and his skull crushed.
Probably died Instantly, ss llfe
VI extinct when resouers removed
body from the mass OF debris a
~ IT time later.
FJanes Adcook, also caught In the
path Of destruction, was 90 badly
3>hurt that he may not recover,
Patrolman Thweatt.t Mrs. Majors. who
conducted the boarding house over the
corner. and several others had mar
row escape. They were struck hy n.y.
ing brick, but, luckily, escaped with
slight injuries.
The three-s story building was badly
damaged, the upper side wall next to
Cowart toppling into the street.
Patrolman Thweatt. passing by or
his rounds at $40 o'clock, noticed the
blaze in the Tennessee Egg company's
place. next to the corner, and started
to break out the glass with his club.
Just at that moment tiremen from
company No. appeared on. the scene,
rammed the nozzle OF their line OF hose
through the door and began playing a
powerful stream Of water on the flames.
Mrs. Majors called to Ofticer Thweatt
that babies upstairs In the boarning
house were in great danger, lie started
a., Ii, k,,t fstIinlFtU Gfnnnn 4
by a violent explosion that Is believed
to have blown out the walls that came
tumbling down.
Policeman Saves Woman.
with remarkable presence of mind, he
jumped, took hold OF Mrs. Majors ana
rushed across the street with her They
were caught in the veritable hail storm
Of debris. The patrolman was struck
in the back and painfully hurt, while
Mrs. Majors sustained severe bruises.
At the time OF the explosion. the ex-
act nature of which has not been fully
Charles Noone was on. the
sidewalk about ten feet from Thwentt.
and Jim Adcock was close by. Noono
had just come down from his room.
A dense cloud Of smoke followed the
terrific detonation and filied the build
ing.
Fire companies hurriedly dispatched
10 the scene following the alarm. did
good work In fighting the fierce blaze.
They got busy with rush and lines
Of water and chemical hose were soon
In full operation. Several firemen had
narrow escapes from injury but they
stuck TO their posts OF duty regardless
Df consequences.
Despite the biting cold OF the early
larPe crowd OF spectators
quickly gathered.
All fire companies were on the Job,
to the general alarm. Chief
William Toomey and Assistant Chief
BHrkla directed the work on thN fire.
men. Travel on the Alton Park street
car line was blocked during the fire.
restaurant occupied the first floor
nt the corner. and tho egg company
had the first and second floors next
door. The rooming house was on, the
second and third floors over the corr
ner.
The explosion. thought by the assis.
tant fire chief to have been caused
from gas. sent the upper side-wall next
to Cowart street through the roof and
the bricks and debris showered into
the streets.
A. w. Lessly Owner.
The building was formerly occupied
by the Wakeman Dlstilling company
and is now owned by Arthur w. Lessly.
Smoke. fire and water. together with
The explosion. caused damage to the big
structure that will run into thousands
of dollars. While the exact amount of
the loss cannot be fully estimated NJ
this time. II Is thought that II win be
close around $4,000 or more,
Charles Noone, victim of the bad
blaze. was member OF the moulder's
lnion he belonged to SITS Peter and
Paul's Catholic church. He is survived
by his mother, Mrs. Mary Noone, OF
Denver Col: brother. John L., OF
Memphis. and three sisters, Mrs, w. u.
frawley, of Blrmingham: Mrs. John
t'onnell. of Mnna, Ark, and Miss Kate
Noone. also OF Denver.
His mother and sister. Miss Kate.
until recently. were residents OF L.iat-
.anooga. Mrs. Noone came here n short
time ago to visit her son, and two
lays ago departed for Denver. going by
to see her daughter. Mrs
Fraw'ey. who is the wife of the well
known rairoader on the A. g. 8 Mrs.
Noone Intended TO leave today for
Colorado. but Wann's. who took charge
II her sons body and preparcd II for
burial. reached her IN Birmingham and
notified her Of the tragic death. Adj
cock was, .rnshed to Erlanger hospital
n Wann's ambulance.
number of officers Of the police
'orce We're on the scene OF the FIRE.
directing traffic and handling the big
crowd. Chief w. l.. Baker was on the
acene shortly afterward and remained
Tor some time.
Arthur beEsiy estimated the damage
to the two buildings at approximately
$4,000. The buildings were covered by
900 worth Of insurance In addition
Is the loss TO contents. The Tennessee
Egg company is reported TO have suf-