Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-29
COULDN'T STOP THE PRINTERS.
The Augusta Chronicle" Issued During q
Fire In the Building.

The Augusta Chronicle" Issued During .
Fire In the Building.
The greatest fire in the history of Augusta,
Ga, in recent years occurred Saturday morn
ing in the heart of the city. Over q quarter
million dollars went up In flames. The fire was
discovered about o'clock in the large three
story building occupied by Fleming Il Bowles,
furniture dealers. and Alexander Seed and
Drug Company >
Mr.. N. F. Walsh, night editor Of the Chron-
ic,e, which il situated two floors above. dis
covered the fire. An alarm was promptly
sent in, but by the time the fire department ar
rived the flames had gotten such Roadway that
Drug Company building was seen to be inevi-
table. So infammable was the material con-
tanned in the buildings that the flames spread
with the greatest rapidity both east and west.
Firemen a5cended to the roof garden of Con-
nelly's restaurant and began to fight the
flames, but owing to the intense heat, were
powerless to cope with the flames.
Smythe's crockery store took fire and Chief
Roulette ran streams Of water up the rearstair-
ways of the Chronicle Office and from the gang
way fought the flames, while the Chronicle
force was at work putting the news OF the fire
in type. The firemen seemed to hold their own,
but it was not for long.
Although the heat almost scorched the men
at work they stuck to their posts until the
story, briefly told, was printed and the Chron-
icte predicted its own fate. Smythe's store sue
cumbed. as did Thomas 4 Bartons great music
house. The Chronicle force worked to the last
moment 1t WAS a race between steam and fire,
utsteam won the victory, and when the press
ceased to revolve it had turned out the entire
issuo Of the Chronicle.
All the valuable files of the Chronicle, dating
back one hundred years, and which il lost could
"a N irat
teen minutes after o'clock when the floor in
the composing room Of the Chronicle collapsed,
and down came immense stone slabs and thou
sands Of pounds of type. making a deafening
sound. The walls came down with a terrific
crash. completely burying frame house in the
rear OF August DORIS store.
About o'clock the fire was got under con-
troll, and thanks to the thick wall between the
Chronicle building and the Dorr building the
flames could not pass further up the block,
which otherwise seemed doomed.
The firms burned out were as follows: Flem-
ing 4 Bowles, Wholesale and retail furniture
dealers, loss $40, 900; fully insured. The Alex
ander Seed aud Drug Company, loss $25 200;
insurance S15,000. Z. ID. Slnythe crockery,
loss $4,000; partially insured. b. W. Connolly,
European Hotel, loss $40, 600; insurance "a 600.
Thomas Il Barton, music establishment, loss
$40. 600: insurance 1000. Chronicle Pub
fishing Company, loss S65, 900; insurance $780,
OC0. The Hall photograph establishment, loss
above insurance $4,000 The Chronicle build
ing cost 5000; insurance $4,000. The
Miller building and residence $40, 900; insur-
ancs SIS, 900. The King estate building S45 900.
almost entirely covered by insurance. August
DORIS mems furnishing establishment. par
TALLY destroyed; loss $1,000; fully in
sured. Before the fire had been placed
under control an alarm was sent in. which
called the department TO the large brick ware
house in the rear of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company, formerly occupied by the
Robert Beer Brewing Company. 1t was dam
aged TO the extent of Sc 900