Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-04
BOLTON STREETS BLAZE.
TWO DWELLINGS BURNED TO
THE GROUND.

Fire EnVines Stalled in the Sand and
the Department Delayed I'm Getting to
the Fire-A CODfiRRrAtiOn that Threat
ened to Destroy q Whole Neighbor-
hoOd-Fireman Thompson Falls From
n Second story Veranda and Escapes
With Slight Injuries.
A few minutes after O'Clock yesterday
afternoon fire broke out in a 2-story
double frame tenement on Bolton street,
between Burroughs and Cuyler streets,
totally destroying the tenement and
threatening for a time the entire neigh
borhOOd. The house where the fire origi-
mated was occupied by Henry Rain, col
ored. The adjoining house was occupied
! by Edward Wicks, colored. Both
| houses were under the same roof,
and we're burned 10 the ground. The fire
communicated to a small twO-storY frame
house west of RAINS, occupied by Charles
Harris, colored, but was got under con-
troll before the building was much burned.
The neat two-7tory house of James Will
liams, cOlored, is Just east Of the burned
| tenement, and adjoining it. The flames
caught the roof and burned away the cor
nice and part OF the siding, but did not
burn through,
An alarm was turned in from signal
box No. AZ, at Duffy and Montgomery
streets, almost as soon as the fire was
discovered. The deep sand and heavy
condition Of the streets delayed the de-
partment, and the fire was Well under
way before the engines arrived. The hose
reels, being lighter, were on the ground,
but the engines were stalled in the sand
and extra teams had TO be procured to
haul them out.
The houses were all wood, and burned
rapidly. There Was no wind blowing,
and the flames were kept from spreading
by the efforts of the 1iremen. AS soon as
the engines arrived and were got
IN operation every effort was made
TO save the houses adjoining those
where the fire originated. The occupants
had removed everything OF value and
streams were played through the win
dows and upon the roofs and sides of the
buildings. In few minutes after the
hremen got to work the flames were under
control. The fire had gained such mead
way that 1t was impossible to save the
first tenement. Ia nall an hour the roof
fell In and in short time nothing was
left but the cbimnles and foundation. The
occupants saved their furniture and
most of their effects.
The origin of the fire is unknown. 1t
started in the second story of the tene-
ment occupied by RAIN. All of the
houses are owned by their occupants and
all are insured. The total loss is about
$4,000.
During the progress of the fire, John
Thompson. call member of the depart
ment, broke through the floor of a second
story yerandah and fell to the ground, a
distance of about 10 feet, striking on his
face. He was stunned for a moment
and was picked up and taken into an ad-
joining hOnse. DR.. r. q. Norton was on
the ground and applied restoratiYes and
bsndaged the injured mans head. He re-
covered in short time sufficiently to re-
turn to the fire. 1t was
feared when be Tell that be
bad sustained serious internal injuries.
Thompson is In the employ OF A. }. Miller
q Co., and when be fell was at work with
Chief Fireman Fernandez endeavoring to
save one OF the houses adjoining that in
which the fire originated
The fire created a big excitementin that
part of the city w0ere it broke out. The
people rushed wildly about, fearing that
the entire block would be destroyed be-
fore the fremeu would arrive fhefurni-
ture was removed from most of the houses
in the neighbOrhOOd and was piled up in
the streets and in the vacant lots. For
time the fire threatened to be a second
1amacraW on a smaller scale.