The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-07
TYBEE FIRE SWEPT.
TIE OCEAN AND BEACH HOUSES
AND FOUR COTTAGES BURNED.

h4LCuSn-Ll 6 lONaA LOSS
at s4o,ooo-The Ocean House In
sured for SIo.ooo-The Pavilions
of Both Hotsls, TobogZan Slide and
Smiths, LovelPs and MacdouelPs
Houses Burned-An Efforts to Con-
troll the Fire Unavailing.
Tybes was the scene Of big fire last
night. in which $4,000 worth Of property
went up in smoke. The Ocean House and
Its pavilions, Lanes Beach house, Smiths
Sea Breeze cottage, Lovells cottage, the
Macdonell Cottage and the toboggan shute
slide were wiped out by the flames.
The fire started in tho kitchen OF the
Beach house. All the occupants Of the
place were in bed when it was discovered,
about 10 o'clock, under a good Roadway.
1t was almost a miracle that Lanes chill
dren, who were sleeping In that portion of
the house nearest the kitchen. were saved.
The fire burned so furiously that there
was no time to think about saving any Of
the furniture From Lanes place the
flames jumped to the big toboggan slide.
which burned like finder. Smiths cottage
caught next, and then the blaze veered
south to Graham's Ocean house. The big
hotel proved a splendid feeder aud it
burned rapidly. FROM Smiths the fire
communicated to the Lowell and Mscdonell
cottages.
FIGHTING THR FIRE.
The fire brought out all the inhabitants Of
the island, and they worked manfully TO
stay its progress. A bucket brigade was
formed and the cottages in the path OF the
fire were kept saturated.
The fight to save Mayor Ulmer's house
was the hardest, and it was only by the un-
ceasing work OF the bucket brigade and
everybody at the place that the fire was
kept from communicating to it.
At ! o'clock this morning the Ere had
burned itself out and nothing remained but
the smolderingl ruins. A strong wind was
blowing from the south when the FIRE
started. and for awhile it looked as if every
thing would be wiped up clear to Furber's
point
The reflection of the fire was plainly WISH
bic in the city and the blaze could be seen
fromithe high buildings Several telephone
messages were sent to the city and the news
spread rapidly.
COULDN'T GET TRAIN.
Mr.. Charles +. Graham, B. Dub. James
Naylor, H. w. Greene. Abe Guckenheimer
and R. E. Pepper. with a detachment Of
fremen went to the Savannah and Atlantic
depot to secure a special train to the island,
but because of the absence OF the Central
officials from the city could not be
accommodated II fha s0acfal 3-.fn o-,,tx
have been secured to take the firemen down
the fire might have been got under con-
troll without doing so much damage
The origin Of the fire is unknown. Lanes
daughter said the first knowledge they had
that the hotel was on fire was when they
were awakened. The fire was then beyond
control and spreading rapidly. and they
only had time to grab up a little clothing
and get out.
The beach was strewn with household
effects taken from the cottages adjacent TO
the fire, and some Of the people remained
up all night. The Ocean house made a
fierce fire and presented a magnificent
spectacle while it was burning with the
flames darting from the windows aud door,
ways. They leaped high in the air and
Illuminated the whole island.
THE LOSSES.
The Ocean house and its pavilions, to-
gether with the furniture, was estimated by
Mr.. Graham to be worth S27,5O His in
surance is only $4,000 and is carried by G.
A. Reitze. There was s4O0 piano in the
hotel which was uninsured, as well as other
valuable pieces Of furniture.
1.-THE fire." said Mr.. Graham, ''falls pretty
heavily upon me. as the most OF my money
was invested in my Tybee property. Fig
uring on the coming seasons business.
which I will necessarily lose, at 5000, my
actual loss will foot up over 1000. lam
back again where was five years ago."
Lanes Beach house. with its furnishings.
was valued at &c. 600 and was uninsured.
Smiths cottage was valued at $4,000 and
Is only partly covered by insurance.
LovelPs cottage was worth about g.. 900
and wasn't fully covered.
The Macdonell cottage was worth about
$500, and it is not known whether 1t was
insured. The toboggan shute, next to
Lanes, was valued at 81 900.
THE NEWS IN THE CITY.
Considerable excitement was created in
the city among parties interested In Tybee
property when it became known that a fire
was in progress there. All sorts of rumors
were started aud circulated. The most
sensational was that incendiaries had started
fires at both ends of the island and that
every building there was burning. An in
Testigation will likely be made into the
causes which started the disastrous confiag-
ration.
WHERE TEE FIRE STARTED.
James Lane was seen at 10 o'clock by
Observer Evans. He said the fire was Of
incendisry origin. When he got up be
found several of the doors of the house
broken open and the door Of the kitchen
where the fire was started was also broken
open. As his servant girl was running
from the burning building some concealed
person struck her on the head. Lane te-
lieves that some one who had spite against
him set fire to his place.
There we're all sorts of rumors In the city
about the fire and the telephone operators
were kept busy answering inquiries con-
corning it. The MORNING NEWS was
besieged for information. Communication
WAS kept up with Observer Evans
in the station at Tybee until
2 O'Clock this morning when the