The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-09
THE RUINS STILL SMOKING.
LOSSES By THE SAVANNAH GRO
Gerry FIRE FOOT UP 100000.

rIsm the Only Theory Advanced TO
Account for the Fire.
The hremen worked all OF yester-
day and last night on the ruins Of the
Savannah Grocery Company building. The
debris was still smoking at midnight,
though water had been poured on stead
lily for seventeen hours.
There was a heavy smoke all over Bay
street when the business men began TO
come down in the morning. The Morn
ming News building was filed with smoke.
although the windows had been kept clos
ed. and all through the business section
there was a smudge.
The only theory advanced as to the
origin Of the fire is that OF incendiarism,
and the only circumstance pointing to this
belief is the broken pane of glass in one
Of the Bay street doors found by Police
man Neidlinger. when he discovered that
the building was on FIRE
Mayor Myers and all the employees Of
the grocery company are positive that the
glass was not broken during the day,
and that the door was intact when the
building was closed for the night Mr..
}. w. Davis, the cashier, was the last
10 leave the building, at 800 O'clock. bic
smelled no fire Or smoke then. Mr. Davis
closed up the building and tried the doors.
and he Is positive that the pane of glass
in the eastern Bay street door was NOT
broken in. Mr.. Myers himself is Strongly
inclined TO the theory Of incendiarsm. He
said yesterday that ne did not know that
ne mad an enemy who would do such a
thing, but al the same time, taken in
connection with the broken glass, il was
the only explanation which could be or
fered. The lower half of the doors are
wooden and the upper half glass, two
paneS one above the other. The lower
row or panes is protected by iron net
work grating. 1t was the upper pane OF
the door which was broken. Mr. Myers
thought IL more likely that the incendiary
or incendiaries hid in the building during
the day and escaped by the broken door,
AFTER having done their nefarious WORK,
than that they entered from Bay street
and went to the extreme rear of the build
ing to set the fire.
Some of the policemen on duty at the
hre were OF the opinion that it had been
set by thief accidentally, who made his
escape by the broken door. The fire be-
gan on the lard floor on the river front.
and communicated to the floor above
extending across River street, where there
was large quantity of liquor stored 1t
had undoubtedly been burning for some
lime when discovered, as the smoke was
pouring in volumes from the front OF
the building when the firemen arrived al
though all the fire was then in the rear
HAD this fact been discovered Immediate
ly, and the whole force put to work on
the north side, the building might posi-
Dly nave been saved. Although this fact
was discovered shortly after the arrival
OF the hremen, and splendid work was
done there, the fire had already gotten
into the floor leading across River street
ana the inability to break into the iron
fire sure
After the fire got into the main build
ing all the fire departments in the state
combined could not have checked it. The
construction Of the building was one of
the worst from a fire standpoint that
there IS IN the city. 1t is difficult of &C
cess from the rear, and dangerous to the
lives of the firemen, while it was a practi-
cal impossibilfty to reach a fire.in the rear
from the front. The dangerous character
OF the building was pointed out when it
was first erected and again when re-erected
in 1884. 1t is very likely that the council
VIII take steps to prevent it's being rebuilt
on the old plan. The disastrous fire of
FEBRUARY, 1894, began in the same location
and progressed in the same manner.
The total loss by the fire is in the neigh
borhood of 100000, Sf<h insurance Of about
$4,000. The stock OF the Savannah Groc-
cry company, which is a total loss, is esti-
mated at between $4,000 and $3.50. 600. The
insurance on the stock and fixtures was
$lC25O all Of which Is placed through
johnson & Higgins of New York with the
exception of $1,000 with Kollock * Screven
IN the Northern Insurance Company, and
1850 with w. T. Green & Co, in the Essex
Mutual. The building, which was owned
by Messrs. Wilcox & Gibbs, was insured
for $4,000, with the following agencies:
Wilson & Grady
Charles F. Prendergast-
Queens ms. co. ....-...,......"........ 1900
Kollock & ScreVen-
Norwich Union Observation-Disclosures. 2 500
r. j. Davant & Son
Continental of New York ............. $500
w. II. Daniel
Commercial Union ....................5 600
j. f. Wheaton & Son
Delaware ms, Co. of Philadelphia -. $500
w. T. Hopkins
The Wilcox & Gibbs Guano Company al
so had 5000 insurance on the brick build
ing adjoining the grocery building on the
north side of River street, placed with
NJ. A. Cohen & Co., in the Orient. The
damage to this building is about 81 600
About 100 tons of fertilizer were stored
IN the building, which was badly damaged
Mr. Gibbs stated to a Morning News re-
porter that the burned building will be re-
iusted. The Savannah Grocery Company
has a ten years lease on the building
which is about half expired.
M. Ferst's Sons AZ Co., suffered consid-
cradle damage from smoke and from wa
ter which poured in from the roof at the
northeastern corner of their building 1t
is impossible to accurately estimate this
damage now, but in round figures 1t is put
at 5000. This, of course, is fully covered
by insurance.
The Savannah Grocery Company has
rented the building formerly occupied by
G. w. Tiedeman & Bro, at Bay and Bar
nard streets, and Will conduct business
there until their former building is re-
stored. A number of orders for goods We're
received yesterday, but We're, of course
not filled. Goods have been ordered and
the company will be ready TO fill orders in
a few days. Numerous kilograms of con-
dolence were received during the dav and
many friends also called to express their
sympathies.
The safe of the grocery company is still
standing in the burned building. its foun-
dation having remained firm and 1t is he
lieved that the books and papers contain
ed will be found unhurt. The key to Mr.
Myers safety deposit box at the National
Bank of Savannah is In the safe, and the
insurance policies of the company are in
the box, so they cannot be gotten at for a.
$4,000 and $3.50 of policies had expired in
the last few weeks, leaving the company
with that much less insurance
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHTS.