Evening journal., 1890-10-27
MOBILES FIERCE FIRE.
The City Swept by a Disastrous
Conhagration.
THE LOSS WILL EXCEED s5oO,ooO.

Macy Cotton Warehouses, Three Steamers,
Freight Cars, an Oil sIin and other
Valuable Property Licked Up by the
Vlames-The Worst TIrs since the War.
MoBILE, Ala, Oct ga fire began
about 1e,4o o'clock Sunday afternoon and
tion that Mobile has had since the war.
The fire began in a shingie mill and factory
near the river front just outslIe the north
ern boundary Of the city limits. a strong
wind from the northeast, perhaps twerty
mile breeze, WAS blowing, and the flames
soon communicated to the cotton ware
houses which line the river front from
Beauregard street, the northern boundary
southwark six blocks, and from the river
front westward TO Magnolia street, three
blocks From TIE shingle mill to Good
mans warehouse, on the block bounded
by Front, Beauregard, Water and Lips
comb street, the distance is aboutG00 yards,
and almost as soon as smoke was seen issu-
ing from the roof the cotton bla2ed up.
Hundreds of Cotton Bales Ablaze.
In Goodman's there was stored about
GOO bales Of cotton, and the sparks from
the cotton, carried by the wind, next com
municated the flames to Browns ware
house on Lipscomb and Water and running
back to Magnolia street to the south
west to the Mobile mills, which was next
south on the east side of Front street, and
to the wharf front of the Mobile and Bir-
mingham Railroad company, which front
ed on the water from Beauregard to Lips
comb street The inhammable character
of the material which fed the flames and
the fresh gale OF wind that was blowing
caused the fire to spread with lightning
like rapidity, and before o'clock in the
afternoon it looked as if the fire would
spread from end to end of the water front
of the city. Before the Mobile Oil mills
in that companyis water slip were tive
steamers, the Jewel aud the Mary Eli "a
beth, and also the steamer Helen S, the
tug Margaret Lunhard and the govern
ment snagboat Warren, Halt a dozen
men got the boats out of the slip into the
stream, saving all but the Jewel aud Mary
Elizabeth, which burned rapidly to the
waters edge. The flames swept on down
the wharf front OF the city.
Water Front Yharves Wiped Out.
At next slip, front-g near the foot Of
Adams street, were the river steamer
Ruth, two naphtha launches and four or
five cotton and timber tugs, all Of which
were got into midstream with only slight
injury, except the steamer Ruth aud the
uaphtha yacht Gen. Fowler, which were
destroyed in q few moments. The water
front wharves were entirely burned from
Beauregard street on the north TO St
Louis street, the flames leaping the wharf
slips as hurdle racers leap the stone wall
"A large amount Of cotton which was close
ly packed in the warehouses and presses
amid the inflammable character Of the
material which fed the flames, made the
fire an intensely hot one. The fire de-
partment was powerless.
They Fled for Life.
The fire burned rapidly among the cotton
warehouses and presses. When Good
mans warehouse was in blaze smoke
was seen issuing from Browns cotton
warehouse roof, a square away on the
northeast corner of Water street, and at
the same moment the Gulf City Oil mill
on the east side of Commerce, between
Adams and Lipscomb streets, with ware
house which was stored full of cotton
oil, oil cake and meal, blazed out, the fire.
men and the large crowd or spectators
which had gathered in the vicinity had to
flee from the advancing flames. There
was now no stop to the flames except by
dispensation of Providence. Almost inn
mediately the flames spread from build
ing to building until Gage & Lyons arti-
fetal ice factory on Commerce and st.
Anthony streets and the Merchants press
were destroyed
The Property Destroyed.
The property destroyed is $3.50 bales OF
cotton, three steamers, one naphtha launch,
eleven freight cars, grain laden, belonging
to the Mobile aud Ohio railroad company;
five empty box cars of the Mobile and Bir-
mingham road, two wood and coal yards,
three cotton compressers and eight cotton
warehouses, the Gulf City Oil mill and ware
house, the Mobile Phosphate and Chemical
works. the Gage g. Lyons ice factory and
numerous ether small business places in the
locality. So far there has been no casualty
reported. The wind died away about 5 p. IN
and the fire department got the fire under
control When the ammonia tank in the
ice factory exploded 1t seemed TO stay the
progress OF the flames to the southwark
Is is estimated the total loss will exceed
100000.