The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-14
FIRE BUGS BAD WORK.
THREE HOUSES AND $4,000 OF
PROPERTY DESTROYED.


Mr.. Burgmayer's House Twice Fired.
A Slight Blaze on Macon stree;
Calls Out Big Crowd.
Two clearly incendiary fires occurred in
the southern part Of the city yesterday
morning within a short distance of each
other.
A destructive fire broke out in the nearly
completed house of DIR. R. G.. Norton, at
No. 167 Anderson street, at o'clock,
and the house, a three-story frame
on a brick basement, was entirel
consumed, and the tTo-story residence of
Mrs. NJ. F. Behnken, adjoining on the east
at Barnard and Anderson streets, was so
nearly consumed that the portion standing
will have 10 come down.
Eugene E. Behnken, son Of Mrs.
Behnken, and his wife, had a
narrow escape. The shutters of
their house had burned off, and
the roar of the flames as they broke through
the windows and filed the hallway with
smoke, awakened Mrs. Behnken, who
aroused her husband, and with no time to
save their clothing they fled down stairs
and out of the building. Mr.. Behnken
hurried to the stable and turned his horse
and dogs out, and with the aid of the neigh
bors removed some furniture from the first
floor, but a strong south west wind was
driving the flames furlously from the Nor
ton building against the house, and very
little was saved.
A CHURCH IN DANGER.
The fire attracted crowds of people, who
thought great conhlgration was raging.
The aind was high, and only well directed
effort and energy upon the part of the fire.
men kept the fire from crossing Anderson
street. At one time the Anderson Street
Presbyterian church was in great danger
from the mass of sparks that swept over it,
and one or two houses were fired by sparks.
but buckets of water promptly applied pre-
vented the spread of the fire.
The firemen ventured even to the danger
point TO save the Behnken house from total
destruction, and its northern and western
walls are standing, although of ntiammable
pine material. The stable in the rear was
also saved, and about $500 worth of lumber
in the rear of DIR. Norton's house escaped
destruction.
THE BURNED HOUSES.
The residence of DR.. Norton was rapidly
nearing completion, and he intended to
begin moving into it this week The build
ing was originally the Kollock house, which
stood on the Guards armory prop
erty fronting court house square,
and which was moved TO An
intended to add verandas to the house, tin
roof the bay windows, and there were some
finishing touches to be added by the plas-
terers, but the building was so nearly
finished that day or two of interior work
would have fitted it tor occupancy. DIR.
Norton estimates his less at Sc, 500, covered
by $1,000 insurance III the London Assur-
ance Corporation, of which Davant g. Son
are the agents.
DeVaughn & Edwards the contractors,
had between $500 and $500 worth of tools
in the basement, which were destroyed.
They had no insurance.
he Behnken residence was one of the
handsomest buildings on Anderson street,
and was owned by Mrs. NJ. Il. Behnken,
who is visiting in New York, but her son
Eugene, with Dale, Dixon g. Co., and his
wife occupied the house.
HANDSOME HOME
The residence was a two-story frame
with bay windows, wide verandas, and
surrounded by beds of the rarest of flowers
The building was valued at $500, and it
was comparatively new, having been occu-
pied only year and half. It was hand
somely furnished, and as Mrs Behnken is
expert with the needle, some of her work
was quite costly, one of her quilts being
valued by her at $3.50. None of the bedding
pictures, or brc-a-brac were saved, and
very little of the downstairs furniture
The loss on household effects Mr. Behuken
estimates at $4,000, making the total loss
5000, partially covered by policies in the
Home Insurance Company of New York,
Footman u Co.'S agency. There is g., 500
on the house, and 81 900 on the furniture,
making loss of $250O over insurance.
THE WORK OF FIRE-BUGs.
The fire is believed TO have been the work
of an incendiary. Mr. Behnken is inter
eSted with his brother i'll grocery store on
Henry street, and, as is his custom, after
being relieved from duty where he is en-
ployed as clerk he goes to the store and
remains until closing time Saturday night.
He says that the store was closed at mid
night, but he remained probably half hour
later with his brother, and reached home
shortly before o'clock. Ever since DR.. Nor
TONS house has been building he has had
an underlined dread of fire, and yesterday
morning he took the pains to note if any
suspicious characters were about, but all
was quiet. When he retired he said that
he could hardly shake the feeling from his
MUD, and the barking of his dogs from
time to time added to his unrest; but, think
ing they were barking at the Waterman
employed to look after DR.. Norton's prem
ises, he fell asleep. The flames were fiercely
burning in his house when he was awakened,
the shutters having been burned off. At
that time the fire in DR.. Norton's house was
confined to the second aud third stories.
THE wATCHMAN ASLEEP.
The colored night Waterman, James
johnson, who was employed by Dr. Norton,
says that he must have been asleep when
the fire broke out. Shortly before the fire
he had taken a walk around the premises,
and especially to look after the pile of lum-
Der in the rear of the lot. After this round
OF the place, he said that he went down
stairs and lay down on the work 1ench
and, being tired, he must have fallen asleep.
When he woke up he saw the roof of the
house on fire. He started to give an alarm
but met the engines on the way to the fire.
He was badly frightened, but his employer
says that he is a trustworthy man, and has
been in his employ for five years.
The alarm was turned in by Mounted
Policeman Deignan from box No. Al and by
Mounted Policeman Masters from box IS
but neither the exchange bell nor the Big
Duke struck. The No. 3 and No. engine!
and two reels were called out.
MAY HAVE BEEN A SCHEME.
The relief had not gone in before fir,
was discovered on Lavinia street. CHIEF
Fireman Puder would not have an alarm
struck under the circumstances, as it would
have called out t g entire force, the relief
tap not yet having sounded. As the fir,
was almost out at Barnard and Anderson
streets, he sent engine No. and the No.