Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-24

A NJ lion Dollars Worth of Propertv
Swept Away at Atlanta, Ga.-The kim
ball House Burned.

A NJ lion DoilarS Worth OF Property
Swept Away at Atlanta, Ga.-The kim
ball House Burned.
ATLANTA, GA, August L.
Early this morning the Kimball House.
the best-known and largest hotel in the
Southern States, was totally destroyed by
I fire. The building covered block in the
very heart of the city, was six stories high,
and was the most snowy super-structure in
Atlanta. The entire loss will not fall short
of 81 5000 The hotel has national fame,
and its destruction is looked upon here as a
great public calamity. The origin of the
! fire is as follows: At the hour of 4:3O Cap
tain Flynn, of the morning watch, saw a
dense volume of smoke issuing from the
cellar department under the real estate
office Of George w. Adair. Flynn rushed
to the opening of the basement, but found
| it impossible to effect an entrance because
Of the binding smoke.
He was the first to give the alarm, but
before the notes of the bell rang out upon
the air Policeman T. s. Thompson had en-.
| tered the Office of the Kimball and informed
Mr.. Thad Hammond that the building was
on fire. Mr.. Scoville was at once sum-
moned. He proceeded with Mr.. Thompson
/ to the scene of the fire, and taking in the
situation at a glance coolly remarked: Its
gone" Accompanied by Mr.. Thompson,
SIR. Scoville fastened into the building
and at once set about arousing the guests.
Mr.. Scoville superintendent personally,
going from door to door with Mr. Thomp-
| son, his night Waterman, and others, and in
many instances beating on the doors to
notify his guests, and in some cases break
! ing the doors in with his own hands, lest
| obnfrlH ROf he full
be lost in the flames. All, even domestics
sleeping in the topmost story, were
awakened in ample time to dress and quit
| the building i'll safety. When, this mo-.
ing, Mr.. Scoville learned that not sis,:.
| life was lost, he exclaimed: 81 am tk6
| happiest man in Georgia." Just how the
dre originated no one can tell, but certain
i is it began in the basement, as above
| described.
The clang of the bells and the hurry
Ing and steaming of engines soon aroused
The whole city, and hoarse shouts of the fire.
men rose high above the general din. In
less than an hour from the sounding of the
alarm the streets leading to the hotel were
ihronged with people, gazing on the grand
.st spectacle ever vouchsafed to an Atlanta
audience. Before the flames had spent
| heir fury the heart of the building had
| been Tapped into nothingness, and in MANY
| places the outer walls crashed and crumbled
into the streets. At high noon the great
| 1Oiely DuJ SIOOu lOrtn the
| pride and grandeur of Atlanta, was only q
smoking ruin.
| The Kimball House was built by II, l..
| kimball, in the year 1870. 1t was owned by
i've men: DIR. Joseph Thompson, of At
lanta, owned one-third interest; Mr. John
Rice, of Hartford, Conn.,, owned one-third
| she other third was divided into three equal
parts, owned respectively by General Rob-
| srt TOombs, John T. Glenn, ESQ. and Mr..
James Thompson, Jr. The building yielded
| yearly rental from stores, offices, etc, of
$4,000. The furniture was valued at Sl2J..
| 300. The aggregate insurance carried by
| The owners will foot up about $685. 900; the
| elder Thompson, $4,000: the Younger
Thompson, S15, 900; John Rice, So, 900; John
I. Glenn, $1,000; Robert Toombs, amount
not known. 1t is claimed by many that
General Toombs had no insurance ON his
interest.
The efforts of the firemen were so well di
rected that the flames were not commune
Gated to any of the surrounding buildings
It is an unquestionable fact, however, that
the dead calm which prevailed Throughout
The burning alone saved the whole bushes:
portion of the city. Had wind sprung
up no earthly power could have prevented
general and most disastrous confagra
ton.
On the Wall street side the losses are:
Geo. w. Adair, real estate agent, complete
plats of the property of the city, covering
AihiSdbtlir5 lbS EiOnbhs bud'
eau not be replaced; w. b. Burk, old book
store, $4,000 worth of rare volumes, the
collection of many years, insurance s., 900;
I. II. Blacknall, agent Bull Durham To
bacco, office fixtures 5000, no insurance
Whitner & Sons, insurance agents, $500
covered.
On Decatur street the losses are: Goode,
tontaine q Elmore, real estate men, 81 600
books and papers saved; j. b. Daniel
wholesale druggist, $4,000, insurance ST.,
MI olcnn e prnc
ance $25 900; j. H. Gavau. city auctioneer
5000, no insurance; Big Bonanza saloon
loss 81 900; the Gate City National Bank
corner of Pryor and Wall streets, saved it,
books and current papers. In the safe in
the vault there were $50 900 in money anC
Sl,OOO,OOO in securities, which are thought
to be safe, but they can not open the vault
until it cools.