The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-27
nue1NEss BLOCKS BLAZING.
Girls Forced 20 Scramble Down Lad
ders and Fire Escapes.

derS ana Fire ESCAPES.
COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 36.-The most dis
astrous fire that Columbus has ever ex-
perlsnced occurred this morning in large
block Of buildings at the northwest corner
Rich and High streets. A small blaze
started about Z: 40 o'clock in a large build
ing at the corner, and before noon the en-
tire block from Rich street 10 Walnut, and
from High TO Wall had been Quilted By the
flames. The blaze in its incipiency
did not appear TO amount TO much, but 1t
soon gained Roadway ana in an incredibly
short time it was seen that the buildings
were doomed. A large pressed brick build
ing on the corner of Rich street was the
first to 60. IL vas entirely burned out with
all its valuable contents, and the only por-
tIon Of the building left standing was the
front.
AN OPERA HOUSE BURNED.
The next building TO go was the Metro
polltan opera house building, the fire catch
ing in the fourth story and working down
ward rapidly, in spite Of the efforts Of the
fire department to save it. The fire here
first started in the portion OF the building
occupied by II. c. Godman's leather store,
and in a short time the entire
building, including the opera house
proper, was in ruins. There were
escapes, and with the large force Of women
employed about the building it is miracul-
Gus that the death roll does not mount up
high. The shoe factory OF Goldman employs
204 persons, 1872 of whom were girls, 90
men and - boys The factory oc-
cupied three floors. The spectacle Of the
girls going down the fire ladders and
escapes VITA aprons over their heads was
one Of the thrilling episodes that caused the
haarra - 20 ota nd eel Tbaoa ,yfo ina
we're driven out OF the building by the
fierce flames, and had not even time to get
any Of their wrappings, the fire spreading
so rapidly.
ONLY THE WALLS LEFT STANDING.
At noon nothing but the bare walls Of the
building, occupying fully half a block,
were standing 1t was impossible TO get q
complete list of the losses and insurance,
especially the latter, as 1t is so extensively
distributed through the agencies. A rough
estimate is made that the total damage will
be about $500. 900. The insurance is $500, 900.
All the people were taken from the build
ing without injury. though there we're some
narrow escapes. The firemen and others
carried several children from the top floor
down the fire escapes In almost nude con-
dition and delivered them to places of
safety. The weather was cold and crisp
and the water thrown by the fire depart
ment froze In sheets OF Ice on the walls OF
the building, making the scene most DESC
late one.
OIL WORKS BURNED.
ELIZABETH, N. j., Jan. 26.-The extern
sive plant OF Borne, Scrimser & Co., lubri-
eating oil manufacturers, at Elizabeth port,
was almost entirely destroyed by fire to-
night. An explosion of one of the stills
occurred soon after the day force had left
their work. The works are In the su burbs
where there is a lack of water supply and
this made the efforts TO qusnch the flames
Intellectual Still after still exploded, and
in a short time much OF the plant was
mass Of flames. The blazing oil foated out
on the surface OF Staten Island sound, and
endangered the tug boats which had steamed
to the scene to be of assistance. Staten
Island meadows were fired and iGnitsd the
trestle Of the Baltimore and Ohio bridge
which spans the sound near this point.
The oil works covered ten acres with
450 feet frontage on the sound. The
wharves along the full length of this 'front.'
age Hwere consumed and also the cooper
shop and barreling and pump houses.
Forty-fve thousand new barrels, many
thousands of barrels of manufactured Off
and six immense stills are destroyed as we'll.
The loss aggregates 100000 and is partly
covered by insurance.