The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-08
SIX STORIES N Ruins.
The Savannah Grocery
Co. Building Burned.
The Loss Estimated at
$50, 900.
INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED.
A Broken Window Caused the
Suspicion.
FeFSt'S Sons Grocery in
Danger.
THE LOSSES FULLY INSURED.
INCENOlARISM SUSPECTED.
THE LOSSES FULLY INSURED.

stock and building on Bay street were
totally destroyed by fire this morning.
The loss is complete, except as to the
walls of the building, part of which re-
main standing.
In the neighborhood of $4,000 of prop
erty was burned. and is the largest fire
loss Savannah has had since Feb. 8, 1894
when the same building. together with
that of N. Fersts Sons & CO., and the
Wilcox & Gibbes fertilizer factory, in the
rear were burned.
Mayor Herman Myers. president OF the
grocery company. estimates the value Of
the stock at $l25OOO to $4,000. The loss Is
covered by insurance. all of which is
placed in New York, with the exception Of
5000 placed in a Savannah agency. The
building was the property of the Wilcox
& Gibbes Guano Company, and cost about
$4,000 to erect two years ago. 1t is fully
covered by insurance placed in Savannah
agencies.
The only theory of the fire is that it was
of incendiary origin. 1t began in about
the same location as the disastrous fire of
1891, and its progress was Of much the
same character. The fire begun in the
lard room on the north side of River street
and reached the liquor floor above ex-
tending across River street before its true
location was discovered.
While the hremen were severely crti-
cised for their failure to check the fire
in the rear reading account of the
progress Of the flames and the work of
the fremen showed that little if any
balme can attached to them. The heavy
iron shutters and doors in the rear of the
building were the chief obstacles the fire
men had to encounter and prevented them
from reaching the fire at the only time
when it could have been stopped. The
construction Of the building. too, was the
worst, from a fire standpoint, of any In
Savannah, the extension of the building
across River street almost to the rivers
edge making it very difficult of access.
Hundreds Of people were attracted to
the scene. When. the flames burst through
the building the sight was a grand
and awe-inspiring one. and that whole
section Of Bay street was as light as mid-
day.
The fire was discovered at los o'clock
by Policeman Neidlinger, who was walk
ing on Bay street and saw smoke coming
from the cellar gratlngs He ran to box
No. at the Whitaker street end of the
row and turned in an alarm The depart
ment made a remarkably quick response
and got to work at once.
The smoke was pouring from the graft
ings and windows when they arrived. It
was naturally supposed from the heavy
smoke at the front that the fire was in
the lower floors at the front of the build
ing. The doors were burst in and streams
of water turned in through holes in the
floor and through the gratings.
Chief Mcguire Immediately after arriv-
ing sent in a general alarm. Assistant
Chief Mouro was already on his way to
the fire and his department from the
southern section arrived shortly after I'm
mediately on arriving the assistant chief
went on the River street side and found
that the seat of the fire was in that
portion of the building on the north side
of River street. Both the ground and sec
ond floors there were blazing. He com
municated this fact to Chief Mcguire and
was instructed TO put engines and 5
with the men of these companies at work
on River street. This was quickly done.
1t took some little time after getting
the streams to break into the windows
A ladder was run up TO the window OF
the second story of the annex. where the
Johnny Cooper Of No. hammered at the
window with an axe for several minutes
before he succeeded in getting it open
At the same time Foreman Jerry Murphy
of the chemical was dealing powerful
blows with an ak in the effort to open the
iron doors on the ground floor.
When an entrance was effected the
flames burst forth in volume, but three
powerful streams turned on by the hremer
showed an immediate effect. After abou
fifteen minutes hard work the fire in thi.
portion Of the building was under control
Evidently the fire had begun on the secont
floor on the north side Of River street ane
spread both up and down.
The fremen were in hopes that it had no
gotten up into the floors bridging Rivei
street but they were doomed to disap
pointment. a ladder was run up to tn,