1897 Fire - Genealogy Trails

A Full Million-Dollar Fire in the Rock City
Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville was visited Saturday night by a most disastrous fire.

The fire originated in the second story of Lebeck Brothers, and spread westward.

At 12:30 a terrific wind arose from the southwest, which fanned the flames into a fury. The City Hall and Market House, which is located opposite the ruined buildings, caught from the sparks, and was very seriously damaged.

Burns & Co., harness manufacturers, located on Marken Street, in the rear of Lebeck Brothers, caught at 12:15, and was totally ruined. The total loss at this hour is estimated at $1,000,000. Telegrams have been sent to Louisville, Memphis and Chattanooga for help, and the fire has little signs of abatement.

At 1:15 o’clock the rear wall of Burns’ saddlery shop fell though the jewelry store of B. H. Steff & Co., crushing a number of people. Charles Thompson, bookkeeper, is the only one reported seriously injured.

Lebeck Brothers wholesale and retail dry goods; Grimes, Daily & Robinson, dry goods dealers, and the public market house, covering an area of a block and a half, have been destroyed by the fire.

No fatalities have as yet occurred, but are momentarily expected, on account of the immense buildings which compose this part of the city, and their now tottering condition.

The fire is undoubtedly the most disastrous in the city’s history, and the loss will, at a conservative estimate, reach in the millions, with the fire still raging furiously. The insurance at present is unobtainable, but will probably reach about 50 percent.

The same locality was visited recently by almost as disastrous a conflagration as the one of this morning.

The fire started in Leback & Co’s . A policeman who was riding across the public square at the time, and who turned in the alarm, says that it broke out all over the building at once. Lebecks’ insurance is $100,000. It is impossible to give others in detail, but insurance men approximate it at $700,000.

The falling of the South wall of the Burns building did more to check the flames than anything else, completely burning in brick and mortar the small house, and making a gap that the fire could not jump over on Market street., where for a time it looked as though, but he aid of the wind, a tremendous conflagration was in prospect. Crashing walls and showers of flaming sparks added to the terror of the scene. The marvelous feature of the disaster sit hat no fatalities occurred.

At 2 a.m Sunday morning they had the fire under control, although three buildings were still burning.