The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-07

was not on duty and had ample time to Sc
cure everything he had, but he directed
his attention to saving the property of
others, while his own was being reduced to
ashes. Mr. Sternheimer, estimated his loss
at $1,000. Most of the occupants of the
houses burned srcceeded in getting nearly
everything out before the fire reached
them. The residences of Mrs. Scanlan and
Mr. Dorney, carpenter, in the rear of the
Whitfield building. we're burned also. The
grester portion OF the contents OF
the houses were removed, however
THE WHITFIELD BUILDING THREATENED.
Shortly after the fire spread down State
street, and, crossing over on the south side
Of the street, caught the two small houses
in the rear Of the Whitfield building and
the large three-story establishment
of Andrew Hanley. Attention was directed
at once to it, aud the firemen
worked vigorously to save it, but the heat
from the other buildings drove them back
and the falling sparks upon the roof rend.
cred it almost impossible to do anything
and the structure was fated to 60 After
igniting more than half dozen times, the
flames leaped up and the firemen were soor
forced to leave the building. large
quantity of oils, paints and othel
combustibles in the building exploded
as the fire reached them, and in q short
while the structure was q ruin. The ex
plosions were distinct. The loss of thii
store could not be intelligently approx
mated last night. 1t is supposed that il
is covered by insurance.
The Whitfield building, although sur
rounded by flames, stood the intense heal
and is believed to be undamaged.
FLAMES CARRIED BY SPARKS.
Having kindled the Odd Fellows hal
into an uncomfortable fame, the vino
veered to the northwest again and blew
ste d.ly in that direction. The heat anC
clouds of burning Goals fired the frame
buildings on York street. Embers varying
in size from a rain drop to that oi
mans hand were carried in
a southeasterly direction over the city as
IdT bouDu as NTdSbOu bbTbEl, Wullb Ll6 SIX V
was filed with smoke and fiery sparks. Tne
path of the sparks lay between Bull anc
Abercorn streets, and the greatest vigi an I
was required to save all shingle roof build
ings, which caught fire in the winds path
as far south es Taylor street.
At 7:10 the tower of the Independent
PRESBYTERIAN church was discovered to bt
on fire. II was a blaze not as large as
mans hand, bat there was no one stationed
there to guard it from danger. A tin cup
full of water would have saved the ujlding
Ten minutes later the great bell in th'
tower rang s<st 'st'ts
failing sparRs drove the sexton from hi
post
THE OLD BELLS LAST TAP.
The bell had rung for the last time. Al
7 :25 the hands Of the clock in the stesple
came to a stand-still. Five minutes latel
they had melted away. The tall toweS
burned flercey with never a spray O
water upon it; at six minutes of S o'clocl
the tower, which was a molten mass, fell
southwark, and burned with an intense
hest, setting fire to the Sunday school build
ing, a marvel of architectural beauty.
AS the flames c'ept up the tower of tbs
church before it fell regrets were heard o.
every side that the costly edifice wal
doomed, and 50 it was. The firemen were
too busily engaged trying to prevent The
spread of the flames elsewhere to offer aux
relief to the church. Given its own way
he tower crnmbied in fiery piecemeals
dropping blazing timber below and com
municating to all that was combustible ii
the interior until soon the stately
ediace was a fiery furnace The
windows on the north melted
with the fervid heat and the wind rushed ir
and famed the flames
The wreckage of the tower burned in
South Broad street lane without a drop oi
water to check it, and the flames ran ND the
towers of the Sunday school building
crept under cornice, melted the windows
aud soon its destruction was as inevitable as
that Of its parent structure. At l0:1C
o'clock the eastern wall Of the Sunday
school building fell into Bull street with q
loud crash.
Meantime the brick residence of Capt.
John Flannery on Hull street, east Of the
Sunday school building and south of the
church, was burning fiercely and the flames
communicated to the frame addition the
west, which with the residences Of j. w.
McIntyre and DR.. Knorr, were gutted
Here the fire department made a brave
fight and stayed the progress Of the fire on
the west.
RACED WITH UNCONTROLLABLE FURY.
On the north sid. Of South B DAD street
the fire ragged with uncomfortable fury,
and not house was left In the block except
that of Dr. Hopps, on Bull and South
Broad. This was on fire in the rear several
times, but a corps Of citizen volunteers ex-
tnguished the flames from time to time
and saved the building.
The fire ON the south side Of York street
from Whitaker eastward was intensified
oy the heat and flames from the Hanley
building, and burned eastward. destroying
all the buildings from Whitaker to, and
including the ree story brick building Of
Thomas Henderson, occupied as an under
taking establishment.
The Guards armory took fire Mt
O'Clock, but the contents OF the building
had been nearly all removed, and when the
fire broke through tho roof, half hour
later, all the property Of the Guards had
been taken out except some ammunition,
which falling sparks rendered danger
Gus 10 attempt to remove, aud
at 10 o'clock the fire communicated
with the magazine, and the explosion OF
cartridges caused the crowd to scatter in a
hurry. The inaammabe character OF the
interior wood work made an intense heat.
The firemen, by keeping tbs KollOch resi-.
dence on the east wet, prevented its destruc.
ton, although IL was on fire several
times. At II o'clock the north wall OF
the armory fell into President street, but
the firemen, who had a few minutes pre-
vi usly got stream Of water playing /
the building, checked the fire so that it was
confined 10 the ermory and contributed TO
saving the residence on tho east.
THE ENTIRE CITY THREATENED.
The sparks from the Presbyterian chur rch
fired the three-story frame building at No.