The morning news., 1897-04-28
EVIDENCES OF INCENDIARIsM.
Little Doubt the kirkland Building
Was Burned by Fire Bugs.

Was Burned by Fire Bugs.
The fire which destroyed the building
and contents of the general grocery store
Of Randolph Kirkland at West Broad and
Congress streets early yesterday morning
proves to have been more disastrous than
was at first thought. Mr.. kirkland esti-
mates his loss on stock at fully $4,000 and
on the building at about 5000. He car
ried $4,000 Insurance, $1,000 on the building
and $1,000 on the stock
After an investigation yesterday morn
ing Chief Mcguire reached the conclusion
that the fire was incendary, and request
ed the police to take charge of the ruins
which was done. An investigation is be-
ing made by the detectives.
The circumstances upon which Chief
Mcguire bases his belief that the fire was
incendiary are that the regnants of the
2o-pound keg of powder, the explosion Of
which blew out the windows and doors at
the beginning of the conhagration, were
found in a pile of hay around the eleva,
tor shaft in the rear of the building In
stead of on the shelf at the front door,
where it is required to be kent by law.
1t was also found that the hay was piled
around large kerosene can. There were
a number of barrels of whisky adjoining
the pile of hay. Hay and whisky were
also stored on the upper floor. More IA
vorahle circumstances for a confiagration
could hardly have existed. The explosion
of the powder, which occurred immediate.
ly after the discovery of the fire in the
hay, scattered the fire, and blowing out
the doors and windows on the lower floor,
gave strong draft, with the result that
the fire climbed the elevator shaft and
communicated with the infiammable ma
terials on the upper floors. BY the time
the fremen got to work the whole build
Ing was in flames and the fire proved to
be one of the most obstinate with which
they had ever contended.
Policeman McCool, who turned in the
alarm, said that when his attention was
first called to the fact that the place was
on fire he ran to the door, and looking In
through crack, saw three bales of hay
burning. The crack was several inches
wide, but whether or not the door was
a1ar or unfastened he could not say. He
started across the street to turn in the
alarm. Before he reached the middle of
the street the explosion took place.
From all the circumstances, it is evil
dent that the fire was of incendiary orr
gin. There are few believers in the theory
of spontaneous combustion in Savannah.
The building had been closed for several
hours, and the position of the keg of pow
der and the hour at which the fire occur
red are sufficient evidence that there must
have been some human agency in connec-
ton with it, AS to whether 1t will ever be
discovered who set fire Is another ques-
ton.
The insurance on the burned buildings
was placed with Sullivan & Wilson, as fol-
lows; North British and Mercantile, 81 600;
Lancashire $780, Royal 81. 500 There was
also 5000 in the Palatine on the buildings
in the rear, 81 600 in the same company on
the buildings al 21 and 2l3 st. Julian
street old numbers, and 500 in the Pala-
tine on the furniture IN No. 2l4ia Congress
street The insurance on the stock was
$1,000, divided as follows: Il. +. Pepper
Liverpool, London and Globe. 81, 900; Scot
tish Union and National, S. 900; w c.
Fripp Greenwich. 5000
The insurance agents consider the stock
total loss. A Morning News reporter
who visited the place yesterday, was in
formed by one of the Messrs. Kirkland
that the stock Of whisky alone was valued
at 5000. A number Of whisky barrels
were I'm evidence. both on the first and
second floors. The general stock was said
to be large. A carload of flour and an
other OF hay had been brought I'm only the
day before Part of the hay was
stored on the second floor
and the remainder had been left on
the first floor. II was evident that the
stock was badly damaged. but there may
! be some salvage from tho whisky. Mr..
! Kirkland was unable TO give an exact es-
innate OF the loss or to state the amount
Of insurance. the papers and books, he
said, being I'm the safe. which has not
yet been eXtricated from the ruins.
Mr. R. Kirkland, who conducts. a hide
| business on 81. Julian street. is absent I'm
| Florida. The grocery business was con-
Quoted by his son, Randolph Kirkland.