The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-26
GROCERIES GO UP IN SMOKE.
SMITH BROS. AND DIXON & co.
HEAVILY DAMAGED.


Difficulty TO Handle and Required
Three Hours Hard Fighting-Ihe
Firms stock Almost Total Loss
and That of Dixon ~ Co. Badly
Damaged-The Total Insurance on
buildings and stocks SSO.3O0-The
building on the Corner Bay and
whitaker streets TO BE Rebuilt.
The flames got in their work in Savan-
nah again yesterday morning, The whole
sale grocery stocks of Smith Bros, a,
Bay and whitaker streets. and James Nj.
Dixon & Co, adjoining. were damaged by
fire ana water to the extent of $1,000
The buildings are owned by Smith Bros,
the one. occupied by the firm being con-
siderably damaged, and that occupied by
Dixon & Co. slightly damaged. Smith
Bros have $1,000 insurance on buildings
and $4,000 on stock, and Dixon & Co. $25,-
500 on stock. Both firms have moved
into new quarters, and Will continue to
do business as if there had been no in
corruption by fire.
The fire was discovered about 100
o'clock, when parties passing on Whitaker
building, noticed a thin line of smoke com
ing out of one of the second-story win
dows on Whitaker street, near Bay lane.
The store was just being opened, and the
smoke looked as If il might come from
cigar smoked by some one inside the build
ing. In a minute or two the line or
smoke increased in volume, and it was
seen that there was fire in the building.
The fact was discovered about the same
time by those in the building.
The store had been opened up only
short time and was being put in order
for the days business. Mr.. E. A. Smith,
the elder member Of the firm; Mr.. John
Burch, the shipping clerk; Mr.. Henry
Alexander and two porters were on the
lower floor. No one had been on the sec.
ond floor since the store was opened, Mr..
Smith said. The employees were startled
by noise as of some heavy object TALL
ing 10 the floor above, and some of them
ran up stairs to see what was the mat
ter. They found the second floor filed
with smoke and a small blaze in the roof
toward the rear. Mr.. Alexander ran
across the street to NJ. Ferst's Sons &
Co, and secured the key to alarm boz
No. and turned in the alarm. This box
brings out the entire department, and
the northern division of the department
was on the ground before the alarm
ceased striking
BY this time dense black smoke was
pouring out from under the caves Of the
roof and from the windows Of the second
floor. Some of the fremen made their
way to the second floor, and found that
the fire was about the center Of the build
ing, a little in the rear, and appeared to
be in the attic and spreading to the second
floor.
The building occupied by Smith Bros.
was one of the Oldest in the city, and of
peculiar construction. The roof, instead
of being fiat, was built with three sepa-
rate peaks, there being an attic under each
peak. On account of the limited space,
these attics had been used to store goods,
chiefly of light character, a large guam
tity OF willow ware being in one of the
attlcs. 1t was in this willow ware that
the fire is believed to have started As
there had been no one in the attic since
the day before, the fire must have smol-
dered there all night, to break out in the
morning, when the store was opened up,
and air given a chance to circulate
through the building.
The fremen were at work In a few min
utes, but by this time the smoke and heat
was too great for them on the second floor
Besides, 1t was a matter of extreme dam
ger, the building being old and the roof
likely to fall in. Chief Mcguire was also
warned that the walls were weak, and
that extreme care should be used in plac-
ing ladders against them There being no
nre wall between the Smith building and
the building occupied by Dixon & Co.
adjoining, Chief Mcguire concluded that
the department would be doing all that
could be required of ii If It confined the
hre 70 this building, a seriOua conflaera-
ton being imminent should the flames
spread TO adjoining property.
The property in the block was large
ana valuable and. in addition, had the
fire In the Smith building gotten beyond
the control of the firemen a change in
the wind would have swept the flames
across the narrow street and through the
windows of the Morning News building.
Just across Whitaker street Fortunately
the IRE did not assume any such threat
ening appearance at any time, but the like
iihood OF such a thing was enough to
Keep the people in the Morning News
building and those In the adjoining build
ings IN the opposite block in a nervous
condition until the fire was gotten under
control.
Acting upon the decision to confne the
nre TO the Smith building, Chief Mcguire
proceeded to deluge the building with wa
ter tremendous head Of pressure was
gotten up at the water works and for
the rate of 100000 gallons a day. the
highest record for any length of time
ever made by the works. The pumps
could not have maintained the pressure
much longer, but fortunately it was not
needed.
The fire proved very obstinate one.
only once or twice were the flames visi-
Die, but dense smoke poured out of the
second story in volumes. The fire being
located under the roof II was very diff
cult OF access, which accounts for the
length Of time il took to subdue H. The
Dixon building was especially exposed.
the windows of the third story overlook
ing the lower building to the west of Il.
Lines OF hose were carried up into the
building and played upon the roof OF the
building below while the streams on the
Whitaker street side played against the
walls OF the Dixon building as well as
into the second story Of the Smith build
Ing. The heat, however, caused the fire
20 break out M the ceiling OF the Dixon
building on both the second and third
floors and both chemical and water
streams were used there.
While az work on the second floor Of the
Dixon building, Fireman Lee Platshek no.
ffroT "a little efrfaur ~ crn,Ir, ..,...t...