The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-21
FACTORY WAREHOUSE BURNEI
Fifteen Hundred Bales Of Cotton on Fire
Destruction Of the Augusta Factory
WornI,nuSn

At ten o'clock last night Big Steve sounded
the alarm Of the night district. and Il bright
light in the nti.hbOrhOOa of the Augusta
Factory hurried the fire department and :;
ton. 1t was sOOn found that the cotton ware.
house O thc Augusta Factory, on the cOrncrOl
Mckinnc and Fcnwick streets, was ablazing,
the fire I'm some mysterious way breaking out
In the centre OF the long building and rapid
~ extended through It's entire length and
breath, cnveloping the contents in q roaring
mass OF ilame. When the department reach
cd the spot blue Jets Of fire and black plumcs
of smoke shot up from the building, the
slate root having fallen In the ~crcviccs
through the brick sides were white with
shooting jets, while the iron door slides were
red and melting from their hinges. Three or
pump; but the Wheel OF this apparatus soon
broke, when their places were taken by the
streams Of tho steamers, which perforated the
warehouse from every side. On the corner next
factory.sevcral strcamerS were conferred to pre-.
vent the spread OF fire in that direction, but
the wind turned the whirling sparks and
flames upon Clark's flour mills, shower
Ing upon the ROOF, beating against the walls
while Il curling cloud OF smoke and cindcrs
swept under the archcd gateway of the mill
and seem ell to threaten the entire building.
On the corner too, II stream was stationed
which washed the burnint house on this side,
poured u vigorous strcrm over Clark's mill,
and u line of hose running up through, the
mn Nv Wv hS'PA "t'h N'N WI
The steamers were statiOncda along the waste
weir leading from Clark'S mills, one at the
head of the canal basin, while II fourth attack
cd the fire from " water plug OH Marbury
street. SO completely under way, however,
was the fire, that the water could not avail
much until portions of the heated walls Civ
Ing way, left bare the great stack of cotton
bales. through which the fire was spiked in
every direction. At u O'Clock ~(nidnight the
walls Of the southwestern corner of the bui Id
Ing fell with n heavy crash, while the south
ern extremity soon followed suit, but so dam
gerOusly uncertain was the state of the re.
maindinS portions OF the building that noonc
could approach them to handle the burning
bales.
There was In the warehouse n large supply
of cotton. between fifteen ami sixteen hun
drrd bales being In store, and how fire could
make It's appearance In the mass will perhaps
never be Known. The bales seemed to have
been securely bound with iron ties ami were
In this ordeal, SO that Il great deal OF the cot
ton will be saved and sold probably to the
pick cries and waste factories. The cotton was
valued at, about SA), UOO, upon which about
SjO, 900 Insurance was carried at the time OF
the contiaer,llon. OF this the North British
Insurance Company, represented In Augusta
by Mr.. j.. NJ. Burdcll, holds so, 900. The
southern Mutual, of Athens, represented
here by Mr.. +. rhiniZy & Co., has about go,
900, and companies of which Major j. '. III.
Allen is agent, carry also about so, 900 of tho
losses. TnetOtal loss sustained by the Angus
tn Factory will probably not be very heavy
Just how much cannOt o be estimated.
The warehouse was built soon after the war,
with brick walls, slate roof and iron door
ways, and was regarded as tlrc-prOuf and Sc
cure. 1t was about lU feet long and tlfly
uguStn Chronicle and C~UnStHWiOnutiSt,
January IL.