Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-18
BRUNSWICK'S BIG BLAZE.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE
GIVEN IN FULL.
Negroes Suspected of Cutting the Hose
to Hinder the Firemen in Their Work
a Reward offered for the Arrest and
Conviction of the Incendiaries.

Negroes Suspected of Cutting the Hose
to Hinder the Firemen in Their Work
= Reward offered for the Arrest and
Conviction of the Incendiaries.
BRUNSWICK, GA, Nov. 17.-Evi-
dence of the refusal of the negroes
to help put out Sundays fire, fully de-
scribed in special dispatch to yester-
days NEWS, accumulates. There was
not only refusals to help, but oft repeated
cheers for Blame. Some negroes said to
others: "You carried a torch-light in the
Cleveland illumination, why don't you
now assist in Blaine's one?' A colored
man was seen by lady to stoop down,
and from the flow of water which imme-
diately followed she supposed that he
cut the hose. 1t is certain that five new
sections of hose, of 80 feet long and never
used before, were found with holes
in them each near the joints,
and the engineer says that he
had only go pounds of steam on. The new
hose was purchased this summer before
it was tested, but was warranted to stand
a 400 pound test. 1t is the same hose that
is successfully used in New York. The
Chief Of the Fire Department, S. G.. Little
field, believes that the hose was cut either
before using or when it was taken out for
use. The fire was seen shortly after it
was applied TO the southwest corner of
Friedlander q Co.'s warehouse, a one
story frame building, on OglethOrpe street.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
The lady who discovered it went to
wake up her son to give the alarm, and
when she returned the flame was as high
as the caves of the house. The breaking
Of the hose allowed the fire, which was
blown tiercely by the wind, to spread across
the street and thus change its direction.
Foreman G. H. Merriield, of the Fire
Department, says that when he found the
new hose damaged he put on the old hose,
and was making good progress with the
help he had in arresting the flames on the
buildings on Newcastle street, when the
water supply in the well on that
street gave out, and the fire
got so far advanced before
he could have water pipes made and run
from the artesian well to the water supply
well, that it was impossible to do more
than hem in the flames and allow the re-
naming houses to 90. 1t was suggested
to the Mayor to blow up the house on the
southwest corner Of Monk and New Cas-
tie streets as a means of saving the houses
east and south, but he failed to authorize
it, and all were lost.
FEARS OF A RIOT.
About daylight on Sunday Foreman
Merrifeld says the negroes around
were so insOlent and swaggerlng
that indications pointed to a riot, but it
was fortunately avoided. He says that
the fire company here is almost disbanded
because they have been denied the use of
the fire bell to call meetings of the COM
pany, that he has been denied on one eX-
cuse or another the use OF the fire engine
horses for drill, and that he made three
nrsA- TO- rrrN To fnG fhD firn
hose, but he could never succeed. At
meeting Of the City Council to-day
resolution was passed to offer a reward of
$500 for evidence to convict the incen-
diaries who started the fire on Nov. Is,
and after some opposition it was
passed. Another resolution Offering
$50 for evidence to convict parties of the
use Of incendiary language on the Occa-
sion of the fire, and like amount to dis
cover and punish hose cutting was so
vigorously opposed that the mover, S. c.
Littlefeld. the Chief of the Fire Depart
ment, withdrew it. One of the Aldermen,
who, with the Mayor, opposed the reward
for incendiary language, said afterward
that he believed that much of that sort of
language was INDUCED in, and that many
negroes had acted outrageOusly.
ORGANIZATION NECESSARY.
Many citizens are now convinced that
safety lies in perfect organization of the
white Democrats for their own protection
as well as to overcome the baneful in
fluence OF white Office-seekers, manipu-
Iating the colOred element for their votes
in the approaching election. AZ the
meeting of the Council to-day a petition
was rejected to allow one who was burn
ed out to put up a temporary rough plank
building in which to store his
property saved from the wreck and carry
on his business, the same to be removed
at the discretion of the Council. Not
only was the petition rejected, but it was
Enthusiastically indicated that the fire linn
it's would be rigidly adhered to, and that
the losers should borrow money with
which to improve their building lots if
they could. Several of the buildings will
be rebuilt as soon as the necessary ar
rangements can be made.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
Following is list of the losses and in
surance: