The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-12
THE LOWER RICE MILL BURNED
THE MILL PROPERTY AND 10000
BUsHEL or RICE 4 TOTAL Loss.

gfme Room-Ihc Viii Built IN AcsEb
and One of the Oldest in the COun-
try-A Historic Engine Gone-it
Was Built by James Watt I'm 1873.
The Savannah steam Rice NH. com
monty known as the lower rice mill. on
River street. al the foot of East Broad.
burned last night The total value of the
property destroyed is over $4,000. The
mill property was total loss and only a
small quantity CT the rice stored in the
mill was saved.
The mill and machinery were valued at
S72.008 and were insured for $500. Pc
tween $4,000 and $4,000 Of rice was stored
in the MILL OF which less than $1,000 worth
was saved. The rice belonged 20 different
owners, a great deal OF Il being rough rice
awaiting milling. Most of IL was insured
The fire removes an old landmark from
Savannah. The mill was well known IN all
the country around Savannah and was
very popular with the planters. II was
owned by the Savannah Steam Rice Mil
Company The total capital stock OF which
Is S72e0 T. r. Screven Is president OF
the company and T. 81. Cunningham sec
Rotary.
John Screven. Jr.. was manager Of the
mill and q. r. Drane was superintendent.
One-third Of The stock Of the company Is
owned by Mrs Wylly Woodbridge, one
third by the Woodbridge children ana one
third by the ScreVen family.
The fire was discovered shortly aIter
10 O'Clock An alarm was turned IN from
box T. The Waterman. James f1tzhenry,
was in the mill about this time, ana walked
out upon the wharf. Looking up ne saw
the. woodwork above the engine room
ablaze. He ran TO the telephone 70 can
for the fire department. but the fire had
already been seen from the blum above ana
the alarm was then being sent IN. The
fire had a good start when the W2fchman
discovered a. When the fircmen reached
the scene there was heavy black smoke
pouring from the mill and q considerable
blaze The engine room Wuete tle hfs
started was In the northwestern wing OF
the mill on River street. A high wind
drove the flames into the heart OF the mil
where they took rapid hold upon the wood
work and infammahle material stored
there. ,, d, - 81, .
time the fremen got to work 10 was seen
that they had little chance 70 eNungulsh
ahe blaze IL was difhCuit IRE to get
at the building being below the blum and
the seat of the fire being on the River
street side. The water supply was IN
sufficient also. there being only the small g.
inch mains on Bay and East Broad streets
TO furnish the supply, Which was insuIh-
cient for five engines. Some very good
streams were gotten on the front Of the
building. however. but those from the rear
were poor. The fremen fought the fire IN
a pluCky manner, their EFFORTS being
chiefly directed TO preventing It's spread
10 the lerllLEtT HntAs DElOuAANB 10 the
Georgia Chemical Company west Of the
mill The flames we're driven by the wind
in this direction, and II required long
fight TO settle the question whether or not
they would continue their destructive
progress.
The news that the old mill was on fire
spread rapidly, and crowds Hooked TO the
scene. Between three and four thousand
people watched the work Of destruction.
Bay street and the ratings along the blum
were lined with the people, and irish park
asrua or NfaA mt he a he
people back. AS the fire began TO consume
the contents of the mill tremendous clouds
of sparks were carried by the wind across
Bay street, driving the crowds back and
causing apprehension to the residents on
Bay and Bryan streets. The house occu-
pied as a bar by James Mcbride, at Bay
and Houston streets, caught fire on the
second floor, but the fire was extinguished
by the chemical before II had gained any
Roadway. Several other houses in the
neiBhborhood caught from sparks, but the
owners were on the watch and the fires
We're always eNtlnguished before getting
any Roadway. About IL o'clock IL was re-
ported that there was another nre in the
neighborhoOd. This was a false alarm.
The Waterman az Kehoe's foundry, seeing
the reflection, turned In an alarm. He
very soon discovered his mistake.
The western half Of the mill was envel-
oped in flames before the eastern half
started TO burn. Mossrs T. NJ. Cunning
ham, w. G. Morrell and John Screyen,
Jr., who were on the scene, through the
Eranary at least might be saved If the
IRE Eoulu De cut OH IN Nne open yard IN
the center Of the mill Chief Puder. how
ever, confined his efforts to the western
side. The buildings on the eastern side
were thoroughly heated, and burned with
did about II o'clock The Eranary was a
frame building, erected about ten years
ago. 1t was filed with rice. which made
a fierce blaze. BY direction Of Messrs
Morrel, Cunningham and ScreVen. the
eastern basement door Of the mill was
broken open and about 200 barrels of
milled rice, which was stored there was
rolled out by the crowd. This was an
that could be saved from the mill. with the
exception Of the books and papers. ana
the safe, which were taken from the Of
nee. which did not catch fire until over
an hour after the fire was discovered.
The destruction Of the mill was an awe
Inspiring sight Between u and u o. cioek
the IRE was al its hight Clouds of black
smoke. with bursts Of flame, driven by the
wind. poured up from the building As
the FIRE continued the smoke became less
and a grand panorama of fame, broken
by the bare walls. was offered 10 the view
OF the crowd. The roar OF the wind, the
shouts Of the fremen and the sounds of
falling walls contributed TO make the scene
one to be remembered. Looked at from a
dramatic STANDPOINT. only IL was about the
best exhibition OF the work Of the flames
which has been afforded the public in
many years. After 12:5D O'Clock the fire
began 10 decrease, and by / O'clock the
nremen had II well in hand, with little
danger Of spreading. II took a couple of
hours more work, though, before the lar
70 quarters, leaving only a detail to guard
the ruins
The mill was one of the oldest in the
country, having been built I'm 1896 Since
that time, however, mary additions have
been MADE to II, and Of late years IT has
been considered the best and most sue
cessful rice mill IN operation. Mr. W a.
Morrell said there was no doubt that II
would be national loss. 1t undoubtedly
did the best work of any mill in the
country, and had that reputation every
where. Some of its processes were en-.
tirely its own, and the success with
which they have been used has led their
originators to keep them secret, 50 that
ii was the only mill using them
The engine that did the work for the
mill Is the oldest steam engine in The
United States, having been built by Jamos
Watt in 1875. Drawings OF this old en-.
CINE were on exhibition at the canten.
NAL exposition in 1876 and at the world
fair al Chicago. The latest dre wing anr
a copy of that at the worlds fair has on
IL this statement:
.....Ninety-horse power engine built #
1915 by James Watt Lancashire. Eng.
land; cylinder, 81 inches in diameter
stroke Of piston. y inches; is revolu
tons per minute with eight pounds etear
PRESSURE common jet condenser and ~
inch air pump; feed pump worked from
beam 10 supply boilers. The crank shsf
and connecting rod are made Of cast iron
This engine was brought 10 Savanna
and erected AT the rice mill 80 49,