Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1921-11-04
A DISASTROUS FIRE
Sweeps Over the Business Portion {
St. Joseph and Destroys an
Entire Row of Business
Houses.

xShSAAc 4SOW Va O00AAACoS
Houses.
A disastrous fire swept over tn
business portion Of the town
st. Joseph Monday night, October
18th, and destroyed nearly tw
hundred thousand dollars worth
property.
The alarm Of fire was sounded
at 1870 o'clock, when the flames
were seen to issue from the stor
Of w. H. Harvey & Co. The rea
of this building contained sec
ond story, which served Mr.. Har
vey as a residence. The fire is sal
to have caught from q defective flu
in the kitchen and ignited the ada
cent woodwork. The dry weather
made the house an easy prey to tn
fire, which spread with so much rap
idity that ere, the population coul
be aroused the entire building wa
in flames.
Desperate efforts were made ia
check the fire, but in vain, and tn
store occupied by G. W. Sloan, tn
livery stable Of H. L. Smitha and tn
saloon Of Emile Meyer, across tn
street, were the next to burn. TIL
fire then leaped to the large stor
building of Chas. C. Skinner, which
was soon reduced to ashes.
Here the flames had uninter
rupted sway and the entire row
store buildings on the front stree
were at once ablaze, and presente.
a spectacle sublime and yet horrible
Every building was burned to tn
ground from the plank road center +
and inclusive Of the new store of w
H. Harvey & Co.
The fire, not content with the de
struction Of these frame buildings
spread across the street to the 2-story
brick store Of Messrs. Jos. More &
Co., and the galleries, which wer
frame, were at once ablaze. The in
tense heat from the adjacent fires
,ogether with the burning galleries
caused the iron-clad doors and win
dows Of this building to redden an
BURST asunder, exposing the interio
o the mercy Of the flames, and soor
his magnificent structure, the prid
and ornament Of the town, was
fiery mass. The flames shot forke
tongues from every exit and through
the stock with the fury Of angry de
mons, anon resembling some mighty
volcano, confined within four brio
walls. The iron roof fell in, the wall
crumbled and one partially fell.
The frame building Of Levy Bros
stood about rs feet distant. Gu
people realized that here the firl
must be checked or the town from
was doomed. They may have said t
the flames, "Thus far and no fur
Their shalt thou co." for possibl
never was nobler or more heroi
fight made. Warehouses and out
buildings were demolished; ladders
procured and lines Of men formed
into bucket brigades, while Others
took stations on the roof Of thi
store and that Of w. r. Baker &
Son, Immediately adjoining. A strind
Of buckets was thus passed up from
man to man, enabling those on tn
roofs to throw water with almost
constant pour. Flake after flake o
burning finder and flying debris fel
on the roofs, only to be immediatel!
extinguished. The heat from tn
brick building was SO intense tina
the men were compelled to turn
their backs, but they fought on,
white and colored alike, with q cour
age and determination that would
have done honor to the Spartans o
old. Explosions of gun powder in tn
brick building only increased tn
ardor Of the firemen. Men slippe
and fell from the roofs, only t
climb back again and fight the FIRE
The reward was well earned bu
victory was finally achieved. We
give special praise to none-ther
was glory enough for all.
The setting sun Of Monday gaze,
upon a prosperous row Of bushes
houses, filled with hustle and life
The rising sun Of Tuesday beamed
upon q vast area Of ruin and des
olation; on homeless people, some
without sufficient raiment, and
others whose hopes for the future
were scattered to the four winds
or whose prayers ana supplications
assembled with the smoke toward
Heaven. Nearly two hundred thou
sand dollars had been swept away
The following is q list Of the
losses and the insurance.
w. h. Harvey 4 Co.: stock valued
$4,000, insurance $4,000; building be
longed to Kershaw estate, valued al
$3.50.
G. w. Sloan, stock and effects $500.
no insurance; building part Of Ker
shaw estate, valued at $3.50.
b. L. Smitha, livery stable and
some effects, valued at $4,000, in
surance $1,000.
Emile Maver. saloon. stock val