Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-02
S0WN IN A FIELD OF FIRE
FLAMES HARVEST FERRY & cos
SEED ESTABLISHMENT.

DETROIT, Jan. 1.-Shortly after 8 o'clock
this morning smoke was observed Issuing
from d. NJ. Ferry & Co.'s mammoth seed
establishment on Brush street, between
Croghan and Lafayette streets. An alarm
was quickly turned in, second and third
alarms following in quick succession,
there being q promise Of big cOnfiagra-
tion in the heart of the business part OF
the city. The fire department turned out
IN force, and soon surrounded the burning
building with hose. The flames had
started in the packing department on the
corner of Lafayette and Brush streets and
soon envelOped the whole building, which
was a mere shell, having but one solid
wall inside of the outer walls.
AN UPHILL FIGHT.
Bravely and intelligendy the tiremen
kept at their work, but all efforts seemed
futile, the flames spreading rapidly until
at one time there was probability Of the
whole district in which the burning build
ing was situated being doomed. The
buildings on the opposite eide of Brush
and Croghan streets caught number Of
times, but the department managed to
keep the flames from totally destroying
them. Across the alley from d. M. Ferry
s Co.'s building IN the same square and
facing on Randolph street were Whites
grand theatre, the WessOn block and
small building used as restaurant. The
flames leaped across the alley and began
to eat into the theatre. First the roof
caught and soon fell in with crash, fir
ing the whole interior of the building, af-
ter driving away the men who had been
working at the Ferry block through the
windows Of the theatre.
INCREASED FURY.
The crashing wLRdow glass was the sig
nal tor increased fury of the flames, which
seemed to laugh at the efforts Of the nre-
men. An immense crowd blocked the
streets in every direction and at times
were in the way Of the tiremen. BY 10
O'Clock the Ferry block was mass of
! flames and the walls had commenced to
! fall, creating something of a panic among
| the thrCng of idle spectators. Numerous
narrow escapes occurred among the fire
men who worked close to the flames
wrapped in repeatedly soaked but rapidly
| driving clothes. By 1890 O'Clock Whites
| theatre had been seized by the fire, and by
/ II O'Clock the tiremen were compelled TO
I turn their attention more to saving the
! buildings on the opposite side of Randolph
street, although still keeping numerous
streams playing on the burning building
FIRE CAPTAIN KILLED.
At II o'clock the men of No. 3 Fire Com
| pany raised a ladder in front Of the thea
/ ire to get a better chance al the flames,
/ finding that the rapidly advancing fire
would prevent any effective work at that
! point. The men were descending the lad
/ der and had about reached the ground
when several feet of the cornice fell on
! the ladder wagon. Capt. Richard kilbin
! was struck on the head by bricks and in
stantly killed, and Fireman White was
/ badly but not fatally injured. Soon after
ward the flames spread to the WessOn
/ block, on the corner Of Randolph
and Croghan streets, and that
/ building was soon enVelOped
/ in flames. Although the buildings
across CrOghan street were threatened
and caught once or twice.
KEPT WITHIN TIE SQUARE.
The department managed to keep the
/ fire within the square named, and
by Y o'clock it was fully under
| control. Tonight the flames are
still raging iercely but have been
confined within the walls Of the buildings
| already mentioned. During the worst Of
the fire the wind bad been from the South
and the single building on the corner OF
Lafayette and Randolph streets, was not
seriously injured, but all tho rest
| Of the buildings on the square
are total loss The burned
Brush estate, having been the site OF the
/ old homestead. d. n. Ferry IL Co., built
| their mammoth establishment six years
kago. Whites theatre was originally
built to accommodate the Peninsu-
lar SaeDgerbund Michigan oil
shoot Of the North American SHngerhunG.
/ The company was organized in 1880, and
this music hall WAS built AT that time. he
ing opened with an annual feast on Aug.
30, 1850.
A MAMMOTH BUILDING.
ID. NJ. Ferry Il Co.'s building occupied
half a square, being one OF the largest in
the city. Their seed business was prob
ably the largest in the United States. In
the building burned to-day 400 people are
usually employed, besides i00 more em-
ployed on their immense farms outside the
city. II was prOydential that the IRE oc-
CURED on "A holiday, as otherwise the loss
of life would have probably been very
great. d finite figures Of the losses can
not be given, but the total will reach not
less than 81 100000. The stock alone in
y. Nj. Ferry & Co.'s ia estimated 10 nave
been worth from $l.O00p1p 10 $l.2Q0,0OO,
and their building vas valued at 92JO.O0O
THE ORIGIN uNKNowN.
AS to the origin Of the tire there are no
wcll.de6ned theories. Some Of the en-
ployes hint at inceud iarisn. claiming that
there were no fires I'm the part Ot the build
ing first attacked by tno DANES, and that
some outside agency must have been re.
sponsible for the ire. The officers OF the
company are completely at loss 30 ac-
count for the origin ~ tnl fire.. The nsur.
ance on the Ferry property aggregates
$4,000 one policy in the lion company
OF England is for $.00I0. The remainder
is distributed ir SUMS ranging from $lO,.
600 down io s 600.
BURNISG or WAREHOUSES.
COLUMBUS. GA. Jan. Fire tonight
In Opcllka. Ala, burned Hudmon's ware.
house, said TO contain about 1000 bales Of
cotton.
MoSrUosE, Mo, Jan. THE large
warehouse Of Johnson A. Buck and an
otner building occupied as store rooms
were destroyed by u % yesterday, and live
dwelling houses were torn down % pre-.
vent the destruction Of The entire husi
moss part Of thn village. The loss On
buildings and stock Is .Oo0. Theinsur.
snce BE- s21,0O0.
BURNING on A STORE.
NV ORLEANS. Jan. LA special dis.
patch reports The burning Of nr. G.. ~,
-itman & Co.'s store and stock at Greens.
burg, la. The loss r. $1,000.