Navarro Express [Corsicana, TX], July 14, 1860
The news has just reached us of the destruction by fire of almost the entire town of Dallas on the 8th inst. The loss is estimated at $400,000. All the buildings on the public square, excepting two groceries and a law office, have been consumed. The fire originated in a drug store from either spontaneous combustion of what is commonly known as prairie matches, or the ignition of such matches by rats gnawing them. We understand that several dwelling houses off the square have been burned also…
We cannot too forcibly call the attention of all persons to the danger of having these prairie matches about. They are of French manufacture, and have something in their composition of which rats and mice are fond. We learn that Waxahachie narrowly escaped burning from the same cause. A merchant of this place showed us a box of the same article, which had been gnawed into, in his store, and it is astonishing that his store was not set on fire by them. The slightest friction during the warm weather is sufficient to ignite them. The storehouse and stock of goods of A. M. Byers, of Mount Pisgah, in in this county, was burned on the 8th inst., from the same cause it is supposed.
P.S. Since writing the above, Mr. Stackpole, of Dallas, has brought the intelligence that thirty-three houses were destroyed by fire in Dallas, and the loss estimated at $500,000! It is now believed Abolition emissaries were the incendiaries, two of whom are now pursued by a number of persons…