The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-19
THE FIRES CLEAN SWEEP.
Collins, CTaySOn & Co.'S Loss Be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000.

The Loss Only Partially Covered by
Insuranoe-Hum G Co.'s Stock Dam
aged About So, 900 by Water and
smoke-The Origin of the Fire a
Mystery-Collins, Grayson & Co. to
Resume Business To-day.
The stock not burned by the fire in
Collins, Graysou Il Co.'S store yesterday
morning was ruined by water and the
whole is total loss. Mr. Collins esti-
mates his loss at 81, 900. The FIRMS in
surance is just one-half $1,000. The
heaviest loss is on 4 900 boxes of lemons,
which were being held for a rise in price,
and on which there was no insurance.
A b. Hull & Co S stock suffered about
81, 600 damage from water and smoke. The
building, which is the property of the
Waldburg estate, is entirely Quilted from
the third floor to the roof, and about
s., 500 will be required to put it in good
condition. The building is fully covered
by insurance.
{ The origin of the fire, an account of
which appeared in yesterdays MORNING
News, is a mystery When discovered,
smoke was pouring out of the
street floor and cellar grating, and
when the firemen arrived the flames were
tapping up everything on the third and
fourth floors and reaching furiously into.
the fifth toward the roof.
AN UGLY FIRE
It was an ugly looking blaze,
and, fearing that the entire block
was in danger, Chief Puder rang
in a second alarm for the entire de-
partment. In a few minutes over a dozen
streams of water were pouring into the
store, but despite this tremendous volume
of water the fire did not yield to control
for nearly three hours.
Once when the roof and portion Of the
wall fell the fire ate into Hull & Co. IS
store on the fifth floor and was rapidly
spreading along the ceiling when Mr..
Hull discovered it and sent for Chief
Puder. A stream from the chemical ex-
tinguished the blaze just in the nick of
time, and a fireman was afterward kept
In Hull & Co. S on the watch until all
danger was over
The amount of water thrown on the fire
can be imagined by the fact that there
was over four feet on the first and second
floors, completely inundating everything
Boxes of lemons, barrel of onions, crates
OF cucumbers and beans and
other articles floated around
Tor hours until the water was turned out
through the doors into River street Mr.
Collins does not think there is a particle
of salvage in any article of the immense
stock his firm carried.
THEORY OF ITS ORIGIN.
Chief Puder's theory is that the fire
started in the third floor, in the lemon
section, as that was where it was
fercest, but no theory can be advanced
for its start. When Mr. Grayson closed
the establishment at II O'clock everything
was all right, and there was not the
slightest evidence of fire. In view of the
fact that burglars attempted to blow
the store safe recently, it is pos
siole they paid another visit
TO the place Saturday night and
fred the establishment to conceal their
crime. At any rate the building is so
completely Quilted that there is little
chance of ever getting clew to the orr
gin of the fire.
The firemen deserve praise for their
work. Everybody who saw the fire in
progress even an hour after the alarm
sounded felt satisfied that the stores of
both The Savannah Grocery Company
and Hull x Co. were doomed, but by
strenuous efforts and sSillful vancouver
ing Chief Puder and his men managed TO
contine the fire to Collins, Grayson Il
Co.'S.
The only damage sustained by the
bAoSIy SotHpaly was tHb breaking OF
a pane of glass in one of the front doors,
which let in little smoke. In forcing
an entrance into the street floor of the
burning building Fireman Owens of head
quarters cut bad cash in his arm. Sew
eral other members of the department
had narrow escapes from falling into the
cellar
Collins, Grayson & Co. do not propose to
let the fire stop their business. They
have secured new quarters at No. 1869 Bay
street and viii open up to-day.