Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-14
FLAMES IN A BARR00M.
KINDLINGwOOD, KEROSENE AND
WHISKY IN a BLAZE.

JOhn Greham's Place on Market Square
the Scene of an IncendiAry Fire-A
Basin OF Coal oil and Boxes OF Light
wood Found Under tho Mar and
Anoug the Liquor Barrels.
y young man Who was passing along
Bryan street, opposite the market, about
II o'clock last night discovered fire On
the first floor of No. l62. The building is
n 4-story brick. The first floor is occupied
by John Grehan as a saloon, and the
three upper floors are sublet as sleeping
apartments.
The Yelling Of the crowd awoke the in
mates, and they hurried out half dressed.
There was some delay in turning IN an
alarm, and quite crowd had congregated
before the tiremen arrived. The flames
seemed to I'LL all of the first floor, but the
blinds nj She windows prevented those on
the outside from seeing what progress the
Tire was making.
The upper stories Of No. 1854 Bryan
street are also occupied by q number Of
tenants, and they rushed down stairs
badly frightened. The outer door was
locked and those inside had no key. Sew
eral unsuccessful attempts We're made to
break tine door open before the hremen got
lhEAts W AAlt EoLAC vi t1cil Wei z GU AtiiiE
down the door others We're breaking
into the place which was
on FIRE. A stream of water was turned
on the flames. which seemed most fierce
around some whisky barrels that We're
standing on platform about the middle
OF the room. Chief Fernandez seized one
which was mass OF flames and rolled it
into the street. In few minutes the
blaze was under control.
The fremen kept the hose turned on the
barrels until the blaze around them was
extinguished, although they feared every
instant that the flames would reach the
spirits and cause an explosion. The
ceiling directly above the barrels was
just catching FIRE when the water was
turned up in that direction
Flames and smoke were issuing from
under the shelves on the west side OF the
room, where all Of the bottles are kept.
Under these shelves and behind the coun-
Ter are number Of lockers. All of these
were opened, aud three were found to be
on fire. In one WAS basin containing
quart or more Of Kerosene. The oil was
ablaze, and when the stream OF water was
turned or it the blazing liquid was scat
tered all around.
The whole place was filled with dense
smoke. In less than ten minutes the last
spark was eXtinguished. The floor was
covered with water an inch or two deep.
and, with the exception of the holes in the
ceiling, little damage was done to the
building The surroundings indicated in
cendiary origin. A can of oil was found
near the basin of burning kerosene, and
a pine box half full of charred lightwood
kindling was pulled out from under the
pile of barrels and beer kegs.
The iremen were of the opinion that
the place was fired in at least three places
under the barrels and in the lockers
which were closed but were on fire inside.
The barrels, with one exception, were
nearly empty. Some bottles and glasses
were broken but the most Of them were
not damaged. 1t was 1890 before
the proprietor of the bar ar
rived. He said that he had not
been about the place during the
day, and that he could not &C
count for the origin of the fire. Gas was
escaping from one of the burners, which
was turned on fun, but it was not lighted.
The stock and fixtures are insured
for $1,000 by Douglass & john
st0n. Grenan's loss is not
over $3.50. The building is owned by
Michael J. Doyle. The damage to 1t is
small. Among those who were asleep
overhead in the building were S. Silver
stein, wife and two children, Myer Banjo,
j. Fordenaki, and man named Plaber-
witch