Gadsden, Alabama Fire
July
4, 1883
A Gadsden (Ala.) special to the Nashville
Banner says: "A most destructive fire broke
out yesterday morning, and burned out the
following firms:
Bellinger & Rolls, W. B. King, Silbert & Ware,
general merchandise; R.
H. Herizberg, dry goods and
groceries: Samuel Henry
& Co., general merchandise;
W. L. Echols,
groceries;
Joseph Bevans, drugs;
Wilson & Son,
dry goods and groceries;
Pat Walsh,
stoves and tinware;
John F. Richardson, confectionery;
J. B. Gilmore, confectionery;
Charles Hawkins, junk-dealer;
William Laycott,
groceries; Isaac
Stevens, drugs, and
O. B. Rolls
& Co., drugs. It is impossible to estimate the
loss at present. Henry
& Co. are probably the heaviest losers, as they
did a larger business than any firm in town. The
fire raged from Second to Opera street on the
South side, and, in addition to the loss by the
flames, there was great damage caused by the
removal of goods."
The New York Times, New York, NY 6 Jul
1883
Destructive Fire in Gadsden, Ala.
GADSDEN, Ala, July 4.-Two blocks in the
central part of the city, mostly frame
store-houses, were burned to-day. Loss,
$100,000; insurance, $40,000.
H. Herzberg &
Co. were the largest losers.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia,
PA 5 Jul 1883
Articles transcribed by Linda
Houston. Thanks, Linda!
"...around noon and the crowds, containing a
high percentage of drunks was drifting away, a
fire was discovered at a junk store located in a
wooden frame house on the corner of Third and
Broad. By the time the fire company arrived on
the scene, the fire had already broken through
the roof of the house and aided by a moderate
west wind, quickly ignited the wood shingle
roofs of other nearby buildings. The firemen
fought the fire as best they could, damaging
most of their new leather hose in the process,
while store owners carried their goods out into
the middle of the streets with drunks hampering
the firefighters at every turn. At one point the
situation was so bad that police with draw
pistols stood guard around the fire engine to
prevent interference. The fire engine wasn't the
only thing that had to be guarded, as the goods
piled in the street were a tempting sight and
looting became a problem and more and more store
owners carried their goods out of the threatened
buildings. The local militia, the Etowah Rifles,
were finally posted to guard the goods and were
posted the rest of the night and into the
following day.
The fire company finally made a successful stand
at a three story brick opera house owned by
R. B. Kyle,
the man most responsible for the Fire
Department's existence. Twenty-one businesses
and several houses were destroyed, about one
half of all the buildings on Broad Street at
that time. Most of the damage was to buildings
on the south side of Broad Street between Third
and Fifth Streets."
History of the Gadsden Fire Department from
the cityofgadsden.com
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