The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-15
A FIRE IN LOOSE HAY.
Il Wipes Out GuilmaTtinS Stables and
a -Four Story Building.

nan, Who Had No Insurance on Her
Furniture, Probably the Heaviest
sufferer-The Department Fought the
Flames Wen and Saved Much of the
Adjoining Property Property Be-
longs to the Estate of NJ. n. Marshall.
Two Firemen Injured.
n destructive fire got in its work last
night at the stables and stock yards of
J. +. Guilmartin & Co at South Broad and
West Broad streets. On account of the
infammable nature of the contents the sta
bles were entirely burned down and the
large four-story house just west of them
was almost completely destroyed, before
an end was put to the conAagration.
Three horses are known to have been
burned to death i'm the stables.
The fire started about $50 o'clock in the
front of the stable and near the corner of
William street, but just how. no one is
able to say. In five minutes time or less it
had communicated itself to great quanti-
ties of loose hay in the loft, and before
the tiremen arrived it had spread to the
building just south Of the stable and was
scorching the old Marshall residence
across William Street on the other corner.
The first alarm was turned in from box
81 a Montgomery and South Broad streets
and this was followed few minutes later
by alarms from boxes "a and 9. To show
how rapidly the fire spread gentleman
who was passing the stable on his way to
the Central depot had noticed no fire, but
was told when he reached the old Central
railroad building, less than a half block
away, that there was a fire behind him.
He turned back and saw the entire stables
ablaze.
The department answered the alarm
promptly, all the available force being
called out. The entire stable was afire and
the hremen turned their attention to saw
ing adjoining property, which they sue
ceeded in doing. Several streams were
put on the Marshall residence, the large.
four-story house on the northern corner
of William and West Broad streets, which
was burning slightly. This fire was kept
down until the flames from the stable were
unable longer to reach it, and the house
was saved, though considerably damaged.
The large four-story frame house just
south of the stable was burning rapidly
when the department arrived, and it's oc-
cupants were endeavoring to remove what
property they could. The firemen worked
nobly on this house, and not only sue
ceeded in preventing the fire from spread
ing, but managed to save the shell of the
structure, which was almost entirely
Quilted. 1t was occupied by Mrs. A. j.
Brannen as a boarding house. The house
had twenty-one rooms, all of which were
occupied, and in it were about fifty board
ers. including four families.
Mrs. Heaton, who has a room on the
side next the stable, heard the cry of fire,
and when she looked out the window the
flames were leaping up to the window of
her room and the house was rapidly catch
ing. Only a few of the boarders were in
the house at the time. and they began to
get out what property they could, which
was very little Most of them lost all they
had in their rooms. Mrs. Brannen owned
the furnishings in all but four of the
rooms and she saved very little from the
wreck Neither she nor any of her board
ers were insured, and her loss will probably
be the heaviest that occurred as re-
suit of the fire, on account of the fact that
almost everything else was covered by
insurance.
Mr.. Guilmartin said that his loss
would be between $1,000 and $780, He was
in the office writing a letter when the fire
was discovered, but managed to lock the
safe, and his books were saved He en-
deavored to drive out the horses in the
stable, starting from the front and driv-
ing them out the William street gate.
He succeeded in getting out all but three
of the animals, so far as he can remem-
Der, and it was thought that these were
the only ones that persisted. Two of them
were Mr.. Guilmartin's own property and
the other belonged to George Bartels.
Mr.. Guilmartins horses were in a box
STALL and it was impossible to rescue them
on account of the rapidity with which
the fire spread. Mr.. Bartels horses were
tied near each other, and one of them was
cut loose just as fire began to fall on them.
This one was so badly injured that he
was sent to a veterinary surgeon. The
other was burned to death.
The stables and yards covered a large
space and the flames had soon seized ev-
cry part of it. The carriages, buggies
and wagons were all destroyed, as there
was no time to remove them. Among
them were two fine trucks, one belonging
to Mr. Andrew Hanley and the other to
Peacock, Hunt & Co.
All the horses except those which were
burned, We're driven out into the street
and the gate locked so that they could not
return. They wandered off, but will all
probably be picked up to-day. Mr.. Gull
martins heaviest loss was the destruction
of the feed he had on hand which
amounted to about $1,000, the rest being in
vehicles, harness, stock and stable equip
ments He thought last night that he was
fully covered by insurance. He has 5000
with Mr.. c. +. Prendergast, which is on
that portion of the property destroyed, and
$1,000 with Messrs. r. J. Davant a Son,
though a part of this was on the stock, He
did not know what other policies he had.