The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-09
FURIOUS FLAMES.
Congresses, Bales and Ware
houses Gone.
THE TOTAL LOSS S4OO, 900.
Everything Ablaze as Quick
as a Flash.
AWATCHMANS RACE FOR LIFE.
Six Steamships III Peril.
but All Saved.
THE TOTAL LOSS $500, 600.
A WATCHMANS RACE FOR LIFE
Six Steamships i'll Peril.
but All Saved.

A puff of smoke as black "a ink, followed
Immediately by a tongue Of flame that wa:
instantaneously famed into a lurid
whirlwind, were the natal fore
runners of conhagration that between 2
and O'Clock this morning destroyed the
Lower Hydraulic cotton press, the Tyler
compress, five brick warehouses, 1850 bales
Of cotton and other property running the
aggregate of value up TO 100000. The
burned property had wharf frontage of
fully $50 feet and an equal exposure
along the eastern extension of Bay street
from point short distance below Gas
House hill The fire burned from its west
ernmost point to the timber basin at the east
ern extremity Of the warehouses, and stopped
there only because there was nothing more
for it to feed on. The fact that the ware
houses were low and the wind was
east instead of south was all that pre- vent ed
the flames from leaping across Bay street
aud licking up the warehouses along its
north sides
THE STORY OF THE START
TWAS just 2 o'clock, and the Waterman
at the Hydraulic Press was sitting by the
door on the river front of tho warehouse
No. 2, when he smelled smoke As he
turned TO see whence it came he was hor-
rified to see burst Of fame from a bale In
the center Of the building. I'm
PEELED by an impulse he started to
run back to fight the unwelcome red mon
ster that had SO suddenly leaped into the
building. Hose was stretched along the
floor, and everything was in readiness for
the emergency. The furious swiftness with
which the flames ran from bale t.
bale, however, rendered all prepara-
ton useless IL it had been following
a trail Of gunpowder the fire could not
have spread with more lightning-like rapid
ity. In an instant the warehouse was
filled with roaring flames and an impene-
trable cloud of smoke as black as soot
Instead of bee ming fire-hghter the watch.
man became fugitive for his life. He
did not get out second too soon. One
instant's delay would have sealed his fate.
Rushing to fire box 81, he turned in
an alarm and brought the department
TO the scene.
LIGHTING UP THE SKY.
The bells had not rung two alarms be-
fore the flames were bursting through
the roof of the warehouse and
lighting up the sky. A policeman
had passed along the Bay street front of
the warehouse hardly moment before
the Waterman discovered the flames, but at
that time there was not even a SUSPICION
OF the coming outburst. Relieved of the
combining tin roof, the flames paved the
way for the spreading by sending skyward
a shower of sparks that fell among
the bales in the adjoining yards,
and in less than half an hour
after the beginning of the flare-up three
warehouses and both compresses were
in flames. The firemen ran lines of hose
along the Bay street side, but the streams
turned on the fire gave
no outward evidence Of effectiveness.
At least two OF the steamers were woefully
lacking in volume, and we're hardly strong
enough to reach the top of the low walls.
The draft formed by the flames ran east
ward with uncomfortable fury, and the
efforts of the men who were irving
to check its progress were entirely
unavailing. Men on the roof of
TIE warehouse west Of the westernmost
boundary OF the burned district were
largely instrumental in saving that struct-
ure, which, but for their efforts, would un.
doubtedly have succumbsd to the intense
heat.
ALONG THE wHARvEs.
The fire was the fercest on the river
front. The paint on tde iron bulls of the
steamers moored at the wharyes
Yves clustered, and the masts
and rigging were scorched.
The ships crews were brought down and
everything was got ia readiness to pull
into the stream. The wharves were
scorched in places, but they
we're kept wet Several hundred bales Of
cotton were piled in front of the Hydraulic
Press, ready to be loaded, but the falling
walls and smoke-stacks ignited it, and in
ten minutes after the fro started il was in
blaze.
The draft was tremendous, and the
flames swept and whirled in the wind, leap
ing from one building TO another until the
sntire row Of sheds was mass Of flames.
TIE SHIPPING IN DANGER.
Just opposite the Lower Press the British
Steamship Carlton was moored, aud on the
outside Of her The Cyprus. which arrived
yesterday. 10 tho eastward Of them was
raAaI .I..