The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-06
MAR 4 BLOCK N RUINS
FODT Hundred Thousand DOII0TS Of
Property wiped OUL
FOUR buildings BURNED
FHrSt'S Sons & Co. the
Heaviest Losers.
THEIR BUILDING A TOTAL LOSS
The Savannah Grocery Co.'s Loss
$3.50, 600.
both FIRMS WELL INSURED.
Wilcox g. Gibbs Caught
Heavily.
THE BURNED BUILDINGS THEIR PROPERTY.
The Total Losses $4,000 and
Insurance S31S,OOO
Wilcox & Gibbs Caught
Heavily.
THE BURNED BUILDINGS THEIR PROPERTY.
The Total Losses $4,000 and
Insurance S31S,OOO.
NEW BUILDINGS TO GO UP.

In three hours yesterday nearly $780,
900 of Savannah property was destroyed
by fire. Two of the finest grocery build
ings in the south, with nearly their entire
contents, were mass Of ruins and other
property suffered heavy damages.
Three-quarters of the entire block of
and 6-story buildings on the north side
of Bay street, from Whitaker to Bull,
were burned. The Savannah Grocery
Company, Nos. 1872 to 1874; the Wilcox &
Gibbs Guano Company, No. 1873, and NJ
Ferst's Sons & Co, Nos 1873 to 144, front
ing Bay street on the south and running
back to River street, and two of the
Wilcox g. Gibbs Co.'S warehouses north
Of River street are total loss.
One of the most remarkable
things about the fire is that all
the losers are heavily insured
all are continuing business without
hardly the loss of moments time, and
the burned buildings will be replaced
with equally fine structures in the short
est possible time
THE LOSSES.
Nj Ferst's, Sons & Co., are the heavi-
Noe AboNAS. 1lCiA lOSS On luelE grocery
stock is $3.50, 600. The Savannah Grocery
Company's stock is $4,000, Wilcox &
Gibbs Guano Company grocery buildings
$4,000, on guano company's stock and
buildings S15, 000 making the total loss
for the three companies $50 900, besides
smaller losses to neigh boring property
owners.
The insurance is as follows Savannah
Grocery Co, 1926, 900; NJ Ferst's Sons &
Co., 1929, 500; the Wilcox & Gibbs Guano
Co, on buildings $41 800 on stock Of fer
filters $4,000, making total of 1914 800.
Collins, Grayson & Co. were also dam
aged by water. They are insured for
$3.50.
The fire was the worst with which the
Savannah fire department has had to con-
tend since the big fire of 1889, and the
flames spread with the same fearful
rapidity which marked that disaster.
So rapid was their advance that al
though the fire began in the extreme rear
of the grocery company's building the oc-
cupants Of the building barely had time
to escape with their lives and it was pos
sible to save nothing except few of the
most valuable papers.
START OF THE FIRE.
The fire started on River street within
twenty feet of the river, but whether in
the Savannah Grocery Companys build
ing or the Wilcox & Gibbs Company's
building is not known. A shed in the
rear of the grocery building used for the
storage of salt Immediately adjoined the
from shed of the guano company
where lot of sacking was stored. The
fire begun right at this wall, but on
which side or whal started it cannot vet
be told
Mr.. H. D. Osborne, of the guano COM
pany, was at work on the wharf when he
noticed smoke pouring up from this point.
1t was in considerable volume, showing
that the fire had been under way for some
time. MIR. Osborne at once sent the
watchman to give the alarm. He then
tore of the doors of the guano shed and
threw them into the river, and tore down
the door of the grocery shed in the hone
OF locating the fire, but was driven away
by the smoke.
THE FIRST ALARM.
The smoke was seen on the river by the
revenue boat Discover. which gave the
alarm.
The tug Jacob Paulsen, which was
near by, went at once to the scene The
Paulsen, however, went past the fire
down 10 the slip at the foot of Whitaker
street before turning on her streams. Ii
is thought that ii she had put in at the
right spot she might have extinguished
the fire with ease. The tugs Regis and
Cambria also came up and were at work
when the fremen arrived.
u was a q few minutes after q.3O
O'Clock when Mr. Osborne discovered the
fire. The occupants Of tine buildings up
on Bay street knew nothing of their
danger and were proceeding with their
business in ignorance Of the blazing mine
80 near them.
Mr. J.. Y. Gibbs was sitting in the Of
nee Of the Wilcox So bibDs Company on
me hoor extending over River street
when bis nephew. MIR James West. who
had seen the smoke from the street rushed