Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-19
A BIG FIRE AT ATLANTA.
ONE LIFE LOST AND SCORES I'M
PERILLED.

The james Block the Scene of the Con-
HagratiOn-Rescue of a Hotel PrOprie-
tor Surrounded by FIames-The Loss
$4,000, and the Insurance S31 900.
ATLANTA, GA, March 1s.-About 2:30
O'Clock this morning a dull heavy sound
suggesting an explosion was heard to
come from about midway in the lower
portion of the James Bank block, and a
few moments later sheets of flames were
lighting up brilliantly the interior of
the building. An alarm was sounded
and efforts were at once made to arouse
the guests of Mercer's European House,
which occupied the upper portion Of the
block, and the scores of dodgers who were
sleeping soundly in the remainder of the
block. The block was six stories high,
poorly constructed, badly lighted and in
sufficiently supplied with avenues of es-
cape. This made the danger to the in
mates considerable.
MERGERS RESCUE.
Mr.. Mercer, proprietor of the hotel, was
about the first man found. He was
lying in the centre of a wreath of flames,
and when dragged out presented most
pitiable sight. One of his legs was broken,
his head and body were cut, and his skull
probably fractured. The skin had peeled
from one side of his face, and his hands
and arms were charred and blistered.
Mr.. Mercer was removed to the National
Hotel, where he is under the care of
physicians. While his condition is con-
sidered critical, the attending physicians
say that the injuries are not necessarily
fatal. The flames spread rapidly, and
soon from every quarter cries for assist
ance were poured into the ears of the
crowd below. A room on the fifth floor
was occupied by /. V. Sims, wife and son.
FLEEING FOR LIFE.
When the terrible explosion came the
three rushed out of the room in their
night clothes. The smoke was suffOcat-
ing, but they managed to grOpe their way
to the door leading to the roof of lower
building, a distance Of about 16 feet.
When they reached the door they hesi-
tated. The leap was an awful one, but
looking back they saw the flames. They
jumped to the roof. After the jump was
made neither could run for few minutes,
being hurt by the jump. When once upon
their feet tSey ran to the lower edge of the
building and began calling, "Save us, for
Gods saker' The tiremen put up ladders,
but saw that they would not reach the
top, and hope of being rescued by the fire.
men died away in the hearts of the trio.
The husband grabbed the wire and began
tying it around the body of his wife.
DRIVEN To DESPERATION.
The crowd yelled to him for heavens
sake not to attempt it, but, at the same
time, piled mattresses upon the ground,
so that the fall would be easier if they
should attempt to- escape that way. The
wire was finally deserted and the almost
crazed people ran back and forth upon the
roof of the building. The fire was almost
burning them up, and they saw no chance
to escape. The tiremen carried their lad
| ders into the second story OF the building
and placed them up through the skylight,
and the imperil.ed family were brought
down in safety. All three were injured.
The father and son had their spines badly
injured by jumping onto the roof. Mrs.
Sims is suffering greatly. They are from
| Williamsburg, S. c.
A TAILOR's ESCAPE.
NJ. Abrams, a tailor, occupied a corner
room on the sixth floor. Three weeks
ago his wife gave birth to twins. When
the explosion came and the flames shot
up through the building, Mrs. Abrams
jumped from her bed and screamed, "My
babies, oh, my God" Her husband was
awake in an instant, and seeing the dam
ger, told her that they must escape at
once. "Let me have the babies," he said.
"NO," replied the mother. "If we are
burned to death the babies shall be on my
bOsOm," and taking the little things she
wrapped them in a blanket and pressed
them to her bosom. Her husband wet a
quilt, and, throwing it oyer his wife's face
and his own, started out of the room and
down the steps.
FALL ON THE STAIRWAY.
Through the dense smoke they felt
| While going down this the wife.
weak from sickness and suffocated by
smoke, fell. Her husband begged her to
let him take the babies, but she refused.
Before the pavement was reached she
fell three times, but still held her little
ones closely pressed to her bosom. These
two instances were among the many wit
messed at the cOnflagratiOn, going to show
the trying scenes. Fully so guests and
lOdgers were in the building. all of them
escaping with their lives, with one eX-
ceptiOn, this being j. II. Garfield, of New
York, cigar maker by profession, en-
plOyed by Clarke & Webster, of Atlanta.
Garfield turned up missing this morning,
and the worst fears were entertained be-
cause of his failing to report at his place
of business.
FINDING OF THE CORPSE.
This afternoon his body, reduced to
burned flesh and bones, was found near
a stable on a lower floor of the building,
he having fallen from his room on the
sixth floor. One-half of the block is COM
pletely destroyed, so far as the interior is
concerned, and good portion of the re-
mainder is badly injured by fire and
water. The entire block is valued at
S250,000. The total insurance is $4,000.
The entire buildiPg was not burned.
The part DESTROYED cost $50, 600, on which
there is an insurance of $31, 900. The end
destroyed was owned by Mrs. John H.
James, and pledged to the Central Bank
Block Association to pay the interest on
her husbands debts, through a contract
made when he failed recently.
THE EXPLOSION.
While there are a number of theories as
to the explosion, the popular one seems
to be that there was a large oil can in
the basement. The merchandise in the
stores of Delbridge, a bootmaker; An
drews, a dealer in gentlemen's furnishing
goods; Hutchinson, deaIer in drugs;
Tyler, gentlemen's furnishing goods;
Pope, halter, and the fixtures in twenty
or thirty offices were more or less injured.
The cOn1iagrati0n was the largest since
the burning of the Kimbali House.
BURNING OF DRY KILN.
EASTMAN, GA, March 1s.-The Amos
keag Lumber Cempany's dry kiln, con-
tanning about $4,000 feet of lumber, was
destroyed by fire to-day. 1t is estimated
that 5000 will cover the loss.
BURNING OF A PARAFFINE FACTORY.
ELIZABETH, n. j., March 1S.-The par
affine factory at Elizabethport was fired
this morning by the bursting of a still and
was totally destroyed. The loss is $780,
600 to S2CO, 600. There is no insurance.
The factory employed fifty hands. 1t was
owned by TheOphilus NJ. Marc, of No. 43
Exchange Place, New York.
uuRNING OF BUILDING.
LAWRENCE, Mass, March 1S.IThe
Packard Grammar School in ne olAIh
ward of South Lawrence was destroyed
by fire tonight. The building cost $4,000
ten years ago. 1t is a total lo SIS and was