The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-22
THUNDERBOLT BLAZE LIT
THREE HOUSES BURNED AND ONE
BADLY SCOROHED.

Walter Robertson and Philip NJ. Rus
sell the Principal Losers-Cept N. j.
Doyle's Stables Burned and Ills Resi-.
dence Narrowly Escapes-The Whole
Village Threatened-Fhe Total Loss
$5,ooo-start ofthe Fire.
Thunderbolt was the scene Of a big fire
last night Three dwellings and severs
outhouses and stables were burned.
Shortly before 10 o'clock Mr.. Walter
Robertson. the British vice consul, while
walking through the hall of his
residence to see If the doors were
securely fastened, stumbled and dropped
the lamp which he was carrying. 1t ex-
ploded as il struck the floor, and as the oil
ran along the boards it quickly ignited ana
blaxed up. Mr.. Robertson tried to eXtih>
guish the flames, but as the house was pulit
of Georgia pine he was UNSUCCESSFUL ne
got his family out as quickly as posslOie'
but the fire spread with alarming rapidly,
and he saved nothing but few pieces OF
clothing.
THE FIRE SPREAD.
In few minutes it communicated with
the adjoining house occupied by Miss Mary
Russell. The house was af1re before Miss
Russell awakened, and she saved but a
small portion of her furniture.
Immediately adjoining Miss RusselPs
residence was a new one just completed by
her father, Hon. P. NJ. Russell. II was
partly furnished and would have been
ready for occupancy in a few days.
The residents of Thunderbolt, who had
been aroused by the cries Of fire, formed q
bucket brigade and tried hard to save Mr..
Russelrs house. Wet blankets were spread
on the walls and roof, but the heat was 80
intense that the workers were soon driven
away, and the house. with It's contents,
went down along with the other two.
CAPT. DoYLE's STABLES BURNED.
The fire communicated to Capt. Doyle's
stables. and portion of them were burned.
At one time his residence was threatened,
and it was only by the hard work of the
bucket brigade and the pulling down of
fences that it was saved.
w. H. Rays house was badly scorched on
one side, and shift of the wind was all that
saved it from destruction.
The house occupied by Mr.. Robertson
was owned by Nicholas Lang aud was in
sured. Mr.. Robertson carried a small insur-
ance on his furniture, but it will not begin
to cover his loss, which he places at between
$1,000 and $500.
Miss Russell's house was owned by her
father and was insured, as was also the new
one adjoining. She had small insurance
on her furniture.
Capt Doyle's stables were insured.
THE TOTAL LOSS $4,000.
The total loss is about $1,000 The three
burned buildings were one-story cottages.
The only thing which saved the entire
village from being burned was the
absence of wind. Several magnificent oaks
along the avenue in front of the houses
were almost destroyed.
When MORNING NEWS reporter reached
Thunderbolt at 10 o'clock. the residents
were greatly excited, and the road was
strewn with furniture, most of those near
the fire having moved out everything.
A telephone message was sent to fire
headquarters in the city asking for an
engine, but as no good could DO done by
sending an apparatus to Thunderbolt, be-
cause of the lack of water facilities, no at
tention was paid to the request.