The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-14
FIRE AMONG THE BALES.
BALDWIN 81 CO.'S COTTON WARE
HOUSE BURNED.

HOUSE BURNED
The Total Loss Close to 100000
3,722 Bales Burned in the Ware
house and IS Bales il the Street
The Warehouse Quilted and the
North Walls Down-The Origin OF
the Fire as Much of Mystery as
Former Fires-The Losses and In
surance.
Fire broke out ct 2:i5 o'clock yesterday
afternoon at the Central railroad cotton
SEEDS, on Wadley street. 1t started in the
north end of Baldwin g. Co.'S warehouse.
An alarm was turned in from box 40, but
when the firemea reached the scene Of the
coAtiagration, the flames had gained such
Roadway in the combustible material which
they had to feed upon, that all hopes of
| saving the contents of the warehouse, or
the frame work of the building, were aban-
doned
strong northwest wind was blowing,
and the fire soon communicated to The
cotton on the east platform which was
being shipped. and the intensity of the
flames was such that the greater part of the
Gotten in front of the Baldwin warehouse
about 100 bales of cotton belonging to the
Ralll Bros, which their shlppe Mr. Gee
gan, was shipping, all of which was saved
| except about twenty-five bales This was
upland cotton, and was valued at an aver
age of $i5 per bale
HAULING OUT THE COTTON.
There was the greatest activity at the
cotton sheds, and large force Of truckmen
was put to work removing contiguous cot
ton on the pla form, and a relay Of wagons
hauled great many bales across the Bay
street bridge, where they were hastily
dumped along Bay street from the bridge as
far east as Lumber street.
For time it was feared that the fire
would communicate to the Farley ware
| house on the south, as the metal roof of tue
Baldwin warehouse had nearly all melted
| in, and smoke was seen issuing through the
roof at the north end of the Farley build
| ing, but the firemen succeeded in drowning
| the flames there, by concentrating the
water at the danger point, while the ware
house force, with hose and buckets, materi-
ally assisted in combining the fire to ths
Baldwin warehouse by their efforts inside
the Farley warehouse. All of the cotton
In the warehouse was saturated with water.
to prevent its ignition from the flyinc
sparks and red-hot pieces of the roof which
the wind waited over the open space, while
| relays of truckmen removed the cotto
stored in the north compartment of the
threatened warehouse to safe localities
THE FIREMEN AT A DISADVANTAGE
There was some difficulty in readily get
ting an adequate water supply, and hole
were cut in the bridge leading to the Ocean
steamship wharves to let down the engine
''suctions" for pumping water from the
canal, over which two of t g fire engine
were stationed. The heat in the burning
building wa, intense, and it was danger
GUS and trying position for the hosemen, bul
| they went almost into the jaws of the fie
| and fought it step by step until they brought
ii under control, which was safely done b.
O'Clock.
For a time the Ocean steamship wharve.;
were threatened, as the wind veered little
| to the east, and sparks and burning cotton,
| floating out from the dense volume OF
| smoke which almost clouded the heavens
| were waited in dangerous proximity to thu
warves where cotton was lying in the open.
This cotton, however, was wet by the etn
| ployes who played streams of water upon it
| and thus lesSened tie danger.
| KEEPING BACK THE CROWDS.
| A force of police in charge of Sergeant
| Reilly was stationed on the River street
| bridge and kept ba k the hundreds of PEG
pie who from curiosity had gathered at the
| bridge and wanted to get nearer to the fire.
| and a mounted policeman and an officer on
| foot were on guard at the Bay street bridge
| The canal bank from River to Bay street
was crowded with people. Bay street from
Lumber to Wadley was crowded with cot
| ton wagons, and at the cote n sheds factors,
exporters and brokers were busy directin
the movements of those who were charged
with trying to save the cotton in the op-n
| spaces and on the platforms.
| The solid brick wall separating Baldwin
| & Co.'S warehouse from that of f. NJ.
| Farley, which adj lined it on tn
south, and the p entiful use of water
| applied to tho exposed cotton in the
| courts, is all thai saved the entire row
of warehouses from destruction, which
to cotton men, for the fire departing could
not have possibly controlled the fire if i;
had got hold in the warehouses south Of
the Baldwin warehouse.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
| The total loss of cotton is Appropriated
at $500, 900. fully covered by insurance.
| Baldwin & Co., Woods & Co. and Ha IL
nond, Hull & Co. are the prime al losers
| Baldwin & Co. are the hea lest losers. Th,
| firm had l $50 bales in the warehouse. Wood
a. Co. had $50 bales, including severa
| bales of sea island cotton. Hammond
| Hull & Co. did not have over forty bale
| stored. They we're the smallest loser.
L. M. Warfield had fifty bales for the Ark
| wright factory.
Baldwin & Co. were insured for sos, 800 in
the following companies: Hartfo d, Live
pool, London g. Globe, London q Ian
cashire, Phoenix, Georgia Home, Atlanta
Home, American, Norwich Union, Lanca
shire, Commercial Union, Connecticut an
| North British and Ne camille.
Woods &c Co. were insured for 5000 in
the Queen Insurance Company, Of England {;
Home, of New rk; Continental, Ph9 ak,
of Lordon; Pienix, of Brooklyn; Roya
| Insurance Company North American. 10 =
don and Lancashire. N-rwich Union, North
Bristol and Mercantile ard tho Savannah
Fire and Marine. Messrs. Hammond, Hui