Avalanche of Flames in East Nashville

From the March 22, 1916, Nashville Banner

Fire originating in a negro cabin near Sixth and Main streets [see later map on at right showing different origin] shortly after noon today spread rapidly over a large section of East Nashville, and at 2 o’clock the end was not yet in sight. A heavy wind was the chief agent in the spread of the flames.

The flames ate their way through several blocks of small houses between Main and Woodland streets, and despite the best efforts of the entire fire department, the avalanche of fire, when it reached Woodland street, reached across and soon began its destruction of the houses on the south side of Woodland. It is feared that all of East Nashville southeast of that point will be swept away.

All East Nashville was wild with excitement by 1 o’clock. Business men hurried home to help save their property, and everywhere women and children were trying to get their furniture out of the path of danger.

Blaze  Spreads  Quickly.

Fourteen houses on the south side of Woodland street were afire in a few minutes after the flames reached the opposite side of that street. The sub-post office at Fifth and Woodland was in flames shortly after 1 o’clock, and it was reported that the Warner school would certainly go in a few minutes.

Smaller  Fire  Earlier.

Shortly before the noon hour a fire broke out in the plant of the Home Building & Manufacturing Company, on North First street, near Oldham; consuming the plant. The blaze caught other houses nearby, chiefly residences, and, after burning west for a time, turned south, eating up the small residences in its path. By 1 o’clock this fire had progressed until it was near enough to the second fire to become swallowed up in the large conflagration.

Little  Sisters  Of  the  Poor.

The building occupied by the Little Sisters of the Poor, for the care of the aged, at 521 Main street, was licked up by the flames, but not before eager hands had removed all the inmates to a place of safety. There was much excitement attending the removal of the women, but all were gotten out of harm’s way in safety. Two of the women fainted from the excitement and were taken to the city hospital in an ambulance.

Nearly all of the East Nashville telephone lines were down in an hour after the fire broke out, and it was with the greatest difficulty that detailed news of the fire could be obtained by persons on the west side of the river.

Thousands of people swarmed out Woodland street, and according to many, the fire seemed to be a great, indistinct cloud before them that obliterated a clear vision of the exact extent of the fire. The clang and roar of the fire engines, ambulances and private automobiles added to the excitement. A large number of persons fainted under the intense excitement and over anxiety for their loved ones in the path of the flames.

Sparks  Set  Clothes  Afire.

A man who was hurrying to the fire was struck by an automobile at Fourth and Woodland and badly hurt. He was rushed to the city hospital before his name could be secured by the Banner reporters. A little boy, whose name is also unknown, was slightly burned when his clothing caught fire from sparks as he was running down Woodland street between Sixth and Seventh.

Sweeping along like a prairie fire, the blaze is taking everything in its wake. At the corner of Fifth and Woodland the blaze is making a clean sweep and residences on Woodland, Russell and Fatherland are burning. The firemen are unable to get beyond Sixth and Woodland owing to the intense heat and tremendous volumes of smoke from the burning buildings. …

(Tennessee State Library and Archives)

Editor’s note: For the full article, along with other 1916 articles and photos, get the March 2016 archive issue of The Nashville Retrospect.

This map of the burned area of East Nashville appeared on the cover of the March 23, 1916, Nashville Banner. (Metro Archives)