The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-26
BIG BLAZE ON THE BAY.
j. C. TILTON q co. AND THE SEA
MEMS BETHEL BURNED OUT.

The Three-story Brick Building Nos.
SO and So Bay street Gutted-The
Fire Starts in the Basem ent Of the
Seamen's Bethel-The Total Loss rs
timated at $4,000, Partly Covered
By Ineurarce-Tne Firemen Had a
Hard Tussle.
The rice brokerage store Of J. c. Tilton 81
Co., No. IS Bay street, and the Seaman's
Bethel, No. Sc Bay, were Quilted by fire last
night The property was three-story
brick building, recently owned by the Dick
erson estate, and it was said last night to
have been purchased in the last few days
by P. D. Daff1n. The property was dam
aged to the extent of about 50 900, and
policies of insurance are held in the Savan-
nah Fire and Marine Insurance Company
and the London, Liverpool and Globe,
which will cover the loss
Tilton & Co. lost about $1,000 in stock
and furniture, pom which they have insur-
ance to the amount of s., 200 in J. n. John
son & Co. IS agencies.
Mai. Charles c. Hardwick, commission
merchant who had an Office IN the building,
loses $500 in furniture, fully covered by
insurance.
THE FLAMES WELL UNDER WAY.
The alarm was turned in from box No Z,
ct BAY and Drayton streets, at about 1880
o'clock, by Policeman II. NJ. Morgan, but
the fire was well under Roadway before it
was discovered, and when the chief Of the
fire department arrived on the ground and
saw how fiercely the flames were burning
be ordered out the entire department. 1t
was difficult fire to fight,
especially from the rear, and for a
time it looked as if the building would not
only be consumed, but contiguous property
on the Bay would CO. A strong southeast
wind WIS blowing, which drove flames
and smoke in the faces of the firemen, who
were fighting the fire from tall ladders
reaching TO the balconies of the third floor
under the bluff Two engines were sta
toned there, drawing their water supply
from the river and two engines on the Bay
supplied water for the firemen in front.
A HARD FIRE TO FIGHT.
It was midnight before the flames were
so far subdued as to bring q feeling of
security. One hundred and fifty barrels OF
rice in the basement Of Tiiton g. Co.'s store
made a smoke that was sitting, and more
than onca It drove the crowd of spectators
under the bluff to a greater distance. The
firemen worked hard, and as usual the fire
under the tin roof was the most difficult to
reach.
Inc fire originated in the basement Of the
Seaman's Bethel, in which there was lot
of old papers, and, burning through the
wooden partition, communicated to the
stock of rice and blazsd up rapidly. Mr.
Sutcliffe said this morning that he would
not have ca RED dollar of insurance if it
had not been for the Seaman's Bethel next
door, which was often left open with no
one about.
AFRAID OF TIE BETHEL.
He says there was no fire yesterday in his
department. and that half an hour before
the fire be had left the building, and the
doors Of tue Seamen's Bethel were wide
open, and apparently no one about.
The books and papers of Messrs Tilton g.
Co., and Maj. hardwick were in the safe,
and escaped injury as the Safes did not go
through the floor. Warren q Arson, who
occupied the building on the east, and Mai.
w. d. NAPLES, who occupied the Office on
the west, removed their books and papers,
but the heavy brick dividing walls pre-
vented the fire from extending in either di-
rection, and beyond the inconvenience and
damage from smoke no losses were sus-
tanned.