The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-04
BRUNSWICK AFTER THE BLAZE
STEPS FOR REBUILDING BURNED
PROPERTY ALREADY TAKEN.

A Total Insurance of S15O.OOO Car
ried by the Downing Company
The Plant system Property Fully
Covered by IDsurance-EXciting
scenes and Incidents of the Con-
aagratiOn.
Brunswick. Ga, April 3.-The big IRE OF
yesterday, in which $4,000 worth OF prop
erty was destroyed. will not soon be FOR
gotten by those who witnessed it. As
scenes and incidents connected with IL
were so impressive that its memory Is
permanently stamped on the minds Of eye
witnesses. From the first outbreak Of
the fire there was dread felt by those who
witnessed the big dock fire Of 1880, ana
when the wind continued blowing at sucn
a terrific rate in the direction of 60OO
pine crossties, cotton sheds warehouses
flled with infammable material, it was
seen that no human agency could save
the water front
Downing's docks and yards. filled with
fully 5000 barrels of rosin and 1000 casks
of turpentine. were within fifty feet OF
the Plant system cotton sheds and soon
caught II was then fully apparent that
immense damage would result 10 buildings
on the Bay and probably to the entire
CITY. unless the wind either changed or
abated. 1t did neither, but blew terrific
ally forward, sweeping Downing's place
and taking his wholesale supply ware
house, covering over an acre Of floor
space, altogether, within fifty minutes.
The wind blowing toward Brunswick, beat
the flames across Bay street, and almost
simultaneously ignited the Scarlet, Brie-
senick and Hoyt warehouses and whole
sale stores, and the three-story ocean
hotel a wooden structure. When the
hotel fire was blazing at its hight, nylns
sparks ignited the county court mousse
roof and a mad rush was made TO save
The records. The fire was put out by
volunteers, as in two other instances
when Il caught
The showers Of sparks, SCOT and dust
from the fire and street covered every
one on the business streets and men,
women and children were blackened ana
smoke begrimed for hours, while stand
ing on the streets watching the hames.
As the fire progressed TO the hoyt HaIu-
ware Company, up Monk street. the wild
rush that had prevailed on the Say
few hours previously changed to New
castle street, and all merchants began 10
pack up and cart away their goods. one
and two-horse teams OF every uSsCllp-
ton were brought into service and were
sent back and forth at fearful speed IN
their haste to save property. rms added
10 the excitement, and turned the heads
"
period In the meantime the falling sparks
began to ignite residences here and there,
but volunteers did good work, and no
damage was done. Every man or family,
either personally or by hired help guard
ed his property and several buildings were
saved by these precautions. Chiet Green
and men did splendid service in lighting
the fire and deserve unstinted praise.
Many citizens who assisted them without
reward also deserve credit but are too
numerous to secure list 81. Alderman
Mason and Reed as soon as the fire
reached the Plant system cotton sheds,
realized how the fire would sweep and
began telegraphing Savannah, Jackson
VILE and Waycross for aid.
In addition to the insurance losses wired
last night are the following, in Bur-
Macon FireEOn Downing stock, 5000;
Ocean hotel. $1,000; Hoyt Hardware Com
pany 81, 900; Kaiser Bros, $1,000; total loss:
Lott, $500. partial loss. Total insurance
carried in Macon fire, Sl0,500.
st. Paul-Lott, $1,000 partial lossi Hoyt
& Co, 81. 900; Kaiser. 81 900; Downing, $1,000;
total loss. Total insurance carried by st.
Merchants and Traders-Downing office
fixtures, $3.50, partial loss.
The insurance in Wright's agency named
in last nights dispatches is merely float
ing and distributed among different COM
panies by policies in the hands of various
persons. No correct estimate of this can
be arrived at, but every agency has sim
The funeral OF Watchman Smith oc-
Cured to-day. He leaves a wife and four
children without support and efforts will
be made by the citizens to aid them.
The work of rebuilding the burnt dis
trict began this morning on the Plant
system docks, and the other burnt struc-
lures will be rebuilt as fast as the ground
cools off
AS the day increased the num-
Der of sight-seers increased, and
sufficiently, large gangs of men were put
to work on the main thoroughfares clean
ing away the debris. About 100 men We're
thus employed and in addition to these
streams of water were kept playing on
the burning mass of smoldering ana
flaming ruins. Smoke arose all day in
dense clouds, making the atmosphere ex-
tremely disagreeable to breathe.
AS early as O'Clock a force of men
were put to work on the end of the Plant
system dock that was not destroyed, ana
two pile driver engines were put to work.
Several carloads of piles had arrived and
were being unloaded and the docks were
lively with workmen rebuilding the burns
portion. Other men were put to work
grading and building tracks to the burnt
district occupied by the former Downing
docks. In an interview a Plant system
official high in authority, who is here
to-day, authorized the Morning News cor
respondent to make the following official
statement: Our loss is about $50 900. We
are fully insured. We will rebuild at
once, and on better lines than before. We
have as much use for all our
property m, now :. as there was
here and at work deepening our en-
tire waterfront to "a feet which, when
completed will enable the Plant system
TO load any draught vessel at the docks
that can be brought over Brunswick's
outer bar. In addition to the dock being
rebuilt as formerly, they will now be
filled in solid against substantial bulk
heads, and this important work will be
pushed as fast as possible. The freight
warehouses; Offices, etc, on the docks will
also be rebuilt, and, if possible, better
than before"
The Downing Company, the next heavi-
est loosers, have rented offices in the old
general office building of the Plant sys-
tenn, and in this building the Plant sys-
tenn officers are now also located. The
Downing Company have rented the old
Mayer & Whitman building for whole
sale warehouse. Secretary Connolly of
the Downing Company said to the Morn
ing News correspondent: ''As soon as it
became apparent TO me that the fire
would spread l ordered all fixtures and
records out of the office, and believe all
are safe. Our business will continue with
only slight temporary interruption. The
material for rebuilding all the dock and
warehouses thereon for the handling of
naval stores has been ordered and work
viii commence on its arrival. In the
meantime we will load vessels from the
Ellis, Young & Co. dock and yards and