The Gold Leaf

Henderson Again Visited by Fire.

About ten minutes before two o'clock Sunday morning an alarm of fire was given. It was soon discovered to be in the Cheatham brick block on Montgomery street. The smoke indicated that the fire was upstairs in the building next to the Young and Tucker (the bank) building. When the firemen and spectators reached the scene a dense and stifling smoke issued from the windows and down the stairway and it was with difficulty that the upper part of the building could be reached. Fortunately only two persons, Dr. Willis Lewis and Lieut. Geo. Feild, occupied rooms above the first floor at the time. W. A. Farris occupied one of the store rooms as a confectionery and bakery and R. Odenheimer the other as the Palace Saloon. The flames were not long in burning through the top and there being no wind at the time and the adjoining buildings all brick and wet from the recent rains, the flames did not spread. This one building, (being a part of the Cheatham Block of four stores, situated between a middle wall in said block and the rear wall of the Young and Tucker building), burned out and the fire spent its force here. Not a single person perhaps in all that crowd thought the walls would stand and the fire stop where it did. Water was plentiful, a large cistern immediately in the rear of the burning building—dug some time ago by Mr. W. W. Reavis—was full, but the suction pipe of the fire engine having been broken at the last fire was in New York for repairs, and the engine was useless. The Hook and Ladder company did good service, and the members of the Engine company, composed of colored men, were promptly on hand and did timely duty notwithstanding they had no engine to work with. But there were hundreds of people who stood in the way and looked on, and never lifted a hand to do a thing.

The losses are put down as follows:

W. A. Cheatham, building, $2,000 or $2,500; insurance, $1,500.

W. A. Farris, insurance on stock $200, on soda fountain,$500; loss above insurance $300.

R. Odenheimer, insurance on stock and pool table $850. Damaged by removal and loss.

Young and Tucker building, insurance $3,500; damaged some.

W. A. Cheatham had $1,500 on adjoining buildings; damaged some.

R. H. Southerland had $300 insurance on stock; damaged and lost some by removal

J. E. Gibson, saloon, who occupied one of the store rooms in the Cheatham Block, lost by removal between $250 and $300. No insurance.

E.G. Glenn, saloon, in same building. wall adjoining the one burned, lost by removal, &c., about $300. He had sleeping room up stairs and lost a lot of clothing.

Dr. Willis Lewis lost all his medical and literary books, a valuable library, and some clothing. He estimates his loss at $300.

Lieut. Geo. Feild occupied a room up stairs. He was away at the time but the colored man who attends to his room broke open the door and saved his uniform, sword and trunk. His office and bed room furniture was lost. This was a thoughtful and brave act of the man as all efforts to enter the burning building had ceased and he got in by the back way when it was hazardous to do so.

Several other persons lost small amounts by removal from the adjoining buildings.

It was most fortunate that the fire did not spread thereby entailing greater damage to the town.