Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-23
GREAT FIRE In ATLANTA
HALF A MILLION IN ASHES.
Destructive COB1sgratIOn on Ala
bsma Street.-The FIremen Power
less Through Lack of Water
Costly Buildings OOnaumed-The
CITY Almost AT the Mercy OF the
FIames-LOases and Insurance.

Costly Buildings Communicative
CITY Almost aT the Mercy Of the
Flames-LOsses and Insurance.
ATLANTA, January 21.-The long antici-
pated conf lgration has at last arrived, and
Atlanta loses three times the cost Of new
water works and paid fire department.
two of her long felt wants.
About midnight a general alarm was
sounded, and it was discovered that Frank E.
Blocks extensive cracker and candy factory
was IN flames and beyond the reach of the fire
department. 1t was large four story brick
building, with a handsome front on Ala
bsma and Pryor streets. and was built for
Mr. Block last year, by Governor Brown on
the site of the old American Hotel. The
front rooms, on second q lOr, were occupied
by Brsdstreet's Commercial Agency, which
was entirely burnt out. The fire was under
such besdway that little progress could he
N de to stay fits ravages, and as the fire.
works and powder exploded the firemen
had little chance to operate, which caused
| the flames to spread in AL directions.
Back OF Blocks, on Pryor street. two
! story brick store was destroyed. and on the
right, down Alabama street, John ephans'
large grocery house was swept away. Op-
pOslte, Captain Henry j. eksnn's fue three
s'orv brick bnilding, occupied by A. Haas
81 Co, the Dun Commercial Agency and
other parties, was consumed, with store
adjoining, occupied by the large grocery
| house OF Dunn, Alexander 81 Co. Also,
| WrllhOuse Il Co.'s paper warehouse.
This brought the fire close to the Union
Passenger Depot, hut, being constructed Of
iron, It escaped. But the National Surgical
T. T. L..fI !
| OccuDied on the first floor by G.. 7. 81 P
Dodd's grocery house, was several times on
fire, but escaped any serious damage.
Not so, however, with the opposite side
OF both streets, PRYOR and Alabama. The
| Wilson House, a handsome fOur-stOry brick
hotel, rapidly fell before the onward pro-
gress Of the flames, and the rear block back
to the police headquarters was also con-
sumed, Including W. Clifford Neff's soap
factory office.
From the Wilson House up Alabama
street the flames swept away two or three
two story brick stores, but were stopped
near the centre of the block. OF course
there were many stores and buildings, in all
directions adjoining the last one destroyed,
that were greatly damaged by fire and
water, or thoroughly soaked bV the heavy
rain that has fallen since 10 o'clock this
morning.
L. is impossible to estimate the loss of
property owners at this. time, but every
building burned is a total loss, beyond
amount of insurance. The occupants have
all, probably, suffered Losses even IL iusur-
ed, as much damage was done to furni-
ture and stock removed.
The night was dark and a heavy fog pre-
vailed, which with the mud knee deep In
the streets, made 1t hard work to rescue
property and carry 1t to a safe aud dry
place anywhere without great damage.
Under the Wilson House, and above It
were Howard, Wood & CO., tobacco; L.
Cohen, whisky; John Merchant, groceries;
Frank Potts, liquors; Benz amin B~others,
tobacco; also, some parties IN Easements
and s. cond stories, all OF whom have lost
heavily.
HAD the fire occurred in dry season, or
with heavy wind and no fog prevailing,
half of the business part of Atlanta would
have been swept away in less than twelve
hours. The water works were entirely TOO
weak to supply sufficient water and power,
and the noble little band of volunteer fire
men were unable to cone with the flames
until they reached less II Fl fammahle material
and could be more easily controlled.
Atlanta never before saw such an awful
night. Darkness and fog overhead-dense
aud beavy-snd mud and slush everywhere
under foot, and the lurid 4 4mes bursting
forth, now from the fireworks, then from
paper WdIOuONoNc3 AuO tuCu lIOu WHISKY
stores, one explosion following another in
quick succession, and towering walls, full
OF windows that weakened their strac1th
constantly falling about the spectators.
Books great candy and cracker factory
gone, both mercantile agencies DESTROYED a
| d I'm merchants burned out, and one OF
Atlanta's neatest hotels IN ruins. Included
in this Oss Is two elegant new brick build
ngs on opposite corners OF Alabama and
Pryor streets. Half a million OF dollars
will not cover all the losses and put Atlan,a
and the sufferers where thev were when
business closed last night This city has
had no such calamity since sherman's army
left It In ruins.
The principal losses are as follows; JOS.
3 Brown, building, $38 900, insurance 500,
COO; Harry jackson, building, $40. 600 in
,urancp $4,000; the Wilson House owned
hv Bepi Wilson, S25 900, insurance $4,000;
W. W Simpson, builcing, insurance not
known; Mrs. F. NJ. NJ Kenney, building,
$40, 600, insurance not known; Block, can
dies and crackers, loss on stock $75 600.
| insurance $1,000; Howard, Wood g. Co,
tobacco. stock S20, 900, covered by iDsur-
ance; Wenhouse q Son, paper ba0s,
stock $2OO 600, insurance $l1 600:
John Stevens, groceries. stock 800, 600. in
suranee not known; l.. Cohen & Co. liquors,
stock $25 ,OO0, insurance not know; John
Il. Merchant, groceries, stock $40 900, in
sursnce not known; Benjamin Bros, gro
Gers, stock and insurance not known;
Campbell q johnson, liquors, stock "a 600,
insurance 50 00O; W. c. Neff q Co soaps,
stock So 600, no insurance; A Haas 81 Co.,
provision brokers, loss slight. Bradstreets
Commercial Agency occupied the Brown
building and Dun q Co. occupied the Jack.
son building Both were destroyed. There
were many other losses. The fire was not
subdued for three hours, during which time
it had full sweep at all the buildings In the
locality where the fire originated.
James Wickham, drover, Of Fluvania
county, Virginia, a guest OF the Wilson
House, was burned to death. portion Of
his body was taken out from among the
debris about o'clock this afternoon and
an inquest was held thereon.
The following are the losses of the differ
ent insurance companies Liverpool and
London and Globe, SIS 600; Lancashire, OF
England, IS 300; VIRGINIA Home, $4,000;
Williamsburg CITY, $23 600; Westchester,
$4,000; Niagara, $l2, $50; Mechanics, So
500; British American, SIS 100; Royal, of
England. $40, 500; Scottish Union and Ma
tional, So 600; Western, OF Toronto, Sc, 600;
Columbus Insurance and Banking Company
Of Mississippi, 4,5OO; Watertown, SO, 250;
Merchants and Mechanics'. of Richmond,
SSS 81 SW' contiont Plenty Of LondOp, sl5-
81, 900; N. 7. Underwriters' Agency, $l4, 200;
Queen, Of Liverpool, $l4 900; Fire Associa-
tlon, Of Philadelphia, $500; London Assu-
rance Corporation, $4,000; Hartford, of
Hartford, H,000i Georgia Home, 50 500;
Southern Mutual, 81, 600; North British and
Mercantile, $500; Home, of New York,
$4,000 The agent of the London and Ian
cashtre, Norwich. Union and Lion says his
companies sustain a loss of $4,000. The
total loss is about $2d0, 900. go