The daily gazette., 1883-11-01
SAY ANNAH'S BIG BLAZE
SEVERAL PEOPLE BURNED TO
DEATH.
A Il Oss OF OVER sl,ooo,oOo
Three hundred Houses Destroyed and a
Thoukand People Rendered Homeless
The Whole City Threatened.

sAvA SNAz, GA, Oct. 3l.-Three hundred
houses, covering half square mile of terri
tory, large cotton warehouse, containing
5000 bales, and other property to an amount
beyond estimate, are tonight lying in ashes,
in consequence of fire which had its origin
in this city shortly after noon to-day.
Fully l,50O people, mostly colored, are
homeless and must sleep as best they can
beside wood fir, which they have built on
the gropnd around the scanty effects which
they have saved from their ruined dwellings.
The night air Is damp and chilly, and their
suffering from cold and hunger, despite the
fact that they are closely huddled together,
cannot but be great.
A careful and not exaggerated estimate,
factb and figures being unobtainable TO-
night, fixes the loss at 81 ,00O, 900. The in
surance is also unobtainable at present, but
1t is mol probable, from the nature of the
property, that it will equal half the loss. 1t
is certain that three lives have been lost:
two Others are almost positively known to
have perished, and it is probable that the
total will not fall short of eight or ten.
While the starting place Of the fire is posi-
lively known, its cause is mystery. While
number OF men were rolling bales from
the mammoth brick warehouse of GaInett,
Stubbs u Co., flames suddenly burst forth
from one Of the bales AMI before it could be
pushed out of doors the fire communicated
to other, and, famed by strong draft, con-
verted the whole interior Of the building
into roaring furnace.
NAMES OF THE VICTIMS.
About one-half of the men knew of their
peril, and these, with a wild rush, made for
the doors, all escaping, 1t is thought save
five. To night the charred remains of three
bodies were found among the still burning
embers- A partly melted watch, q few gilt
buttons and half-burned wallet leaves no
doubt that one of the victims is James Cash.
white man of "a years, employed as
clerk ih the warehouse. He was well-known
throughout the state as this seasons short
stop on the Dixie Base Ball Club.
Another of the victims is Moses Castor.
| colored, assistant warehouseman and p. es-
ident OF the colOred Home Association of
this city A colored female named Green,
employed as q cotton picker, is the third
person whose charred corpse tells the story
of her fate. Her child, who was working
near her, and colored man, whose name is
unknown, also, almost undoubtedly per-
ished in the building. Several other per
sons, both white and colored, arc reported
missing at their homes, but no accurate
statement of the number burned will be
possible until the extinguishment Of the fire
affords an opportunity for careful search.
TRACK OF THE FLAMES.
The burned district lies in the western
portion of the city, and is known as Yama-
craw, the section in ruins being bounded on
the west by Canal street, and the north by
River street, on tile east by West Broad
street, and on the south by Farm street. It
was almost exclusively occupied by negroes
and the houses were nearly all one and two
story wooden structures, Interspersed here
and there with groggeries, small groceries
and small brick dwellings,
The strong wind which was blowing car
ried tho flames from one to the other of
these tlnder boxes with almost lightning
rapidity, aud every street was pathway of
fire before the fremeu had consummated
their preliminaries for the fight. They were
driven before the flames from hydrant to
hydrant In quick succession, and their
efforts 10 check the advance of the conflagra-
ton with water seemed almost foolish.
Only four engines were available, and the
department was, in every other way, utterly
incapable OF coping with the work before
them.
AID CONES TOO LATE.
Aid was asked of Charleston and AC-
gusta, but one engine and 1900 feet of hose
was the only assistance Obtainaole from
those cities, and it arrived too late TO be of
service, except as relief to the weary men
who were on duty among the flaming ruins.
lne ploWlDg up oil aDuildlDg was suggested,
but, although the safety of the whole city
was at cne time considered in jeopardy, the
expeditnt was not resorted to-
Fearing that the negroes would became
intoxicated and riotous, the mayor called
out tho military, and Gordon Of thou
sand soldiers was Established, No disorder
resulted, however.
PROPERTY WHICH WAS BARELY SAVED.
Several large cotton warehouses, full to
the roof, the Central Cotton Compress, the
Central railroad wha:yes and other wharyes,
crowded with valuable freight, were saved
only ly the most supuihumAn CXertions,
Shipping sought safety hl dropping down
the river. There were, of course, the usual
narrow escapes, pcrluus exploits aud other
similar incidents attendant Gu such cXteu.