Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-13


wing presents, as did also Mrs. Nc
Goodwin. Mr.. Reagan had $1,000 in
surance, but dropped $500 few DAYS ago.
Much of the baggage was badly injured
by being thrown out, many trunks falling
from htth-stOry windows TO the street and
bursting open. \ few mattresses and pill
lows and other articles were also thrown
out. but hardly enough to be mentioned.
While there seemed to be time enough to
remove much valuable property. the
smoke filled the building and made it dan
gerOus to go about the upper floors, and
no ladders We're put up. The fire escape
with its four baskets at hand was not
used at all.
Just as some Of the merchants begun to
bring the show cases out of the stores the
servants upstairs commenced throwing
out coal scuttles, chairs, ETC., which
created confusion and prevented the saw
ing of more valuable goods from Tyler q
McGOOdwin's and Daniels drug store.
There was lack of any cool organized
system or well directed effort to save
property in many instances.
ON PEACHTREE STREET.
On Peachtree street the two story block,
including the Big Bonanza saloon, was
saved, but some parties moved out and
suffered loss in damage to goods and fur
niture. Among these were HaygoOd's law
JOYS book store and MOreR's drug store
NJ. c. and j. T. Kiser, wholesale dry
goods dealers on Pryor street, also moved
out large amount of stock, but did not
suffer much damage in handling.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
1t being Sunday there is no way to as
certain accurate losses or insurance.
The kimball House cost originally
S65O,OO0, and was owned by j. H. Rice. of
Chicago, who sunk several hundred thou
sand dollars in the enterprise, and Dr.
Joseph Thompson, 4. j. Glenn, joseph
Thompson, Jr., of this city, and General
Robert Toombs. The House sold few
years ago for about $4,000, including the
furniture, and was valued with it's later
improvements at $150,0O0. 1t is said that
DR.. Thompson and Mr.. Rice each had
so, ,O0O insurance, and MeSsrs. Glenn and
Joseph Thompson $4,000 each. General
ToOmbs two years ago dropped hIs policy
Mr.. Scoyille, the landlord, had a very small
insurance and loses over $12, ,000 Charles
Beerman, who had just gone in with him,
loses about $4,000.
Mr.. Kenny, who kept the bar and bill.
lard saloon, lost nearly everything.
There are, however, losses that cannot be
estimated, as i'll the suspension of busi-
ness, etc.
A THEORY OF THE FIRES ORIGIN.
One theory of the fires origin is that a
lighted lamp exploded in the fruit store
in the basement, where there was plenty
of banana straw and lemon paper wrap
pers and other trash to start quick and
dangerous fire. At all events, it pushed
its way from that low position across the
entire block and to the highe st tower. and
at O'Clock this morning the charred
walls began to fall in the centre. Not
many minutes later the tiremen, under
charge Of the building inspectors, COM
menced pulling down the rest Large
gangs of men have done this work, and
from two to five thousand men, women
and children have all day long witnessed
the scene. Despite the depsity of the
thrOng, no accident has occurred. The
ruin is complete, and the whole square,
except the Peachtree street side, will be
impossible on the sidewalks for many
months.
FUTURE PLANS.
1t is not thought that the preseat owners
will rebuild, but Il movement will be
made tomorrow to form IL Joint stock
company to build Il 100000 hotel on the
same spot within year. Others favor a
location more removed from the noise Of
the depot. a new hotel project is, how
ever, almost certain of success. There
was great excitement here all day. The
journal issued an extra edition, and the
Constitution is giving away a bulletin
sheet. 1t viii issue four page extra for
mailing in the morning.
A LATER ACCOUNT.
ATLANTA, August II, II :3OP Mt is
now stated that the fire was discovered at
O'Clock, and soon, the flames getting be-
yOnd control, Mr.. ScOville, the proprietor
ordered the guests to be awakened
Guards then went through the Railways
breaking open doors where necessary to
insure the safety of the guests. The fire
having originated in the rear of the build
ing, was favorable to the escape Ofall, and
within twenty minutes the hotel was
empty OF its guests, and within
one hour the structure was razed to the
ground. The hotel was built by Ii. l.
kimball, and cost $500, 900, and its furni-
ture was valued at $l25,000. The insur-
ance is only $4,000, scattered among
many companies, the names of which
cannot be ascertained, owing to the
absence from the city of the par
ties who are informed there
on. The Gate City National Bank is
among the losers. The total loss is ST.
100000, and the insurance is not over
5000 900. The fire is claimed by Mr.. Cul-
berson, agent of the company, to be of
incendiary origin. In the vaults of the
Gate City Bank were 5000, 900, the safety
OCCUPANTS OF THE STORES.
The following is the directory list os the
firms doing business under the hotel, with
the streets on which their stores faced:
Pryor Street.-Goode, Fontaine a. FL
more, real estate; Francis FOntaine d Co.,
loan agents; Tyler ~ McGOOdwin, gents
furnishing goods; Kimball House barber
shop; j. a. Sims, agent l.. Il n. r. R.: j.
y. Ansley Il Co.. real estate; j. w. Hol-
man, mining engineer; j. +. BrannOn.
fertilizers; f. d. Bush, agent L. & n. r.
r.; James Maloy, agent E. T., V. 81 G. R.
r.: A. B. Wrenn, agent Mckenzie Route:
+. Nunan, agent NJ. Il c. r. r.; r. d.
Mann n Co., ticket office; b. X. Freeman.
Commissioner of Deeds.
UaU Street.-Oflice Atlanta Water
Works; q. w. Adair, real estate; Atlanta
Bible Society; w. b. Burke, old books:
ii. Broun, barber; 0. Moreland, shoe
maker; office Gate City Planning and Lum-
Der Co.; T. a. Frierson, real estate; G.
l.. Bona, shooting gallery; office Cincin-
matt Southern Railway; John A. Whit
ner Co., insurance agent; John c.
Whitner & Co., insurance managers;
Gate City National Bank.
Decatur Street.-M. HaralsOn Bros. &
Co., wholesale tobacco and cigars: j. B.
Daniel, wholesale drugs.
THE MAGNIFICENT HosTELRY,
the 'H. |. kimball House," as the hotel
was titled in full, was built in 1871. and
was the largest hotel IN the State, if not
in the South. 1t had a frontage of 210
feet on Pryor street, with wings on De-
catur and Wall streets of 1853
feet in length, and was six stories
high with a basement 1t
contained over 800 rooms, and was erected
on the most improved plan. 1t has been
the favorite resort of people visiting the
capital, and was for years the headquar-
ters in all political campaigns. To At
lanta it was the RialtO.
The hotel was built by Mr.. II. |. KIM
ball and associates in the closing year of
the Bullock regime, and has ever been as
sOciated in the minds of the people with
those troublesome days reconstruction and
reconstruction. Some years since the
property was sold tojan Atlanta syndicate,
who, we believe, owned it at the time of
its destruction. 1t is said that as busi-
ness investment it has never paid, and if
this is true there is but little possibility
OF its being rebuilt. Its destruction will
be a great loss to Atlanta, as it gave that
city the means of entertaining large
crowds of visitors in a tirst-class hostelrv.
VINEYARD HAVEN DEVASTATED
Fifty Acres in the Heart of the Resort