The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
DAMAGE BY SMOKE AND WATER
TIEDEMAN a BRO.'s WHOLESALE
STORE HAS A NARROW ESCAPE.

Fire Breaks Out on the Lower Floor
in the Center of the Buildins-The
Firemen Prevent Its Spread and
the building and Its Contents
Saved-The Loss Estimated at So
600 and l. Fully Covered by Insur-
ancc.
q. ". Tiedeman & Bros Wholesale
grocery at Bay and Barnard streets had
a narrow escape from destruction by fire
last night
Smoke was seen issuing from the build
ing about $50 O'Clock by the motOrman OF
a Barnard street car going south. He
called TO some negroes on the street by
the Harnett house and pointed out the
smoke. They began 10 cry fire and at
tracted the attention OF the policeman in
the market who turned in an alarm from
Box 81.
The fire department made a splendid
record for good time. A Morning News re-
porter was standing in front Of the police
barracks when the first tap sounded. At
the eighth stroke on the bell the engines
and wagons from headquarters shot ont
into South Broad street. and before the
second round was finished they were on
BrOughtcn street.
street were the frst to arrive, being near
est to the scene.
When the nremen arrived smoke was
pouring from every window in the building
and a tongue of flame was lcaping from
the transom over the Barnard street door.
There was an OpeuwOrk grating over this
door. and this was the only outlet the
fire hal, all the windows being tightly
closed. An attempt TO break in the iron
door on Barnard street was inenectual,
but the Bay street door was broken in by
minutes
their arrival Three streams of water and
stream from the chemical were quickly
put into the building. The IRE was round
nearly at the center on the first floor.
and was easily gotten at, the heavy smoke
being the chief obstacle to overcome. In
fifteen minutes after the front door was
broken in the fire had been subdued. The
building was so filled with smoke that IL
was sometime before the 1iremen were
able to open the windows on the upper
An examination showed that the fire
originated at the shipping clerks desk,
just in the rear Of the office, from which
the center of the store TO a stock Of
drugs on an upper shelf. On account
Of the lack OF air the fire must have
burned slowly and had probably been
burning some time when discovered. Had
IL been given a few minutes longer, it
would have reached the elevator shaft
through which 1t would have been COM
municated 10 the whole building.
Messrs. Tfedeman, who We're seen by
q Morning News reporter, said IL would
be impossible for them TO form an idea
of the loss until they were able to 20
through the building and ascertain what
damage had been done by smoke on the
upper floors, whore they have a consider
able quantity of fine goods. The stock
on the first floor Is badly damaged by
fire and water The amount of the loss
depends largely on the extent of damage
by smoke on the second and third floors
Mr.. G.. w. Tiedeman said that at a guess
the loss might be $4,000. The firm car
ried a large stock but is amply protected
by insurance, having $4,000 of Insurance
placed with the different agencies here.
The origin of the fire is supposed to be
from ashes from a pipe or cigarette drop
ped into a waste basket.