The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-13
oUITMAN SWEPT BY FLAMES.
THE TOWN HAS A NARROW ESCAPE
FROM BEING WIPED OUT.

From store to store and House to
House with Uncomfortable Fury
and Rapidity-TuII IAst of Che
LOSSES and Insurance.
Quitman, Ga, March 12-The most de-
structive fire ever seen In Quitman occur
red this afternoon. The fire alarm was
sounded about 3 o'clock, and In few min
utes the whole town was at the scene.
The fire started in the large wooden
building occupied by the Blount Turpen-
tine Tool Company. and the tower ma
chine and handle factory, the Renfro grlst
mill and Badgers blacksmith and car
rlage factory. The building was a reg
ular plunder shop. and 1t required only a
few minutes for the flames to consume it,
A stiff wind was blowing, and for time
it looked as if the whole business portion
of the town would go.
The fire started from an improvised dry
kiln, owned by G. Nj, Nadger. He under
took to dry some lumber in the building
/ From there 1t went to the residence Of
Miss Dora Waters, two-story wood
building In the rear, which was consumed
in few minutes.
From there It jumped to the residence Of
G.. NJ. Badger This building melted away
| as If it was turpentine.
Thence it leaped to the livery stable Of
| Harrel & Co. This was one of the largest
wooden buildings in town.
From this building the fire jumped the
| block of store buildings on Screven street
and caught the Marie hotel and DR.. J. $.
| N. Shows office, on the north side OF
| Screven street. The Marie hotel caught
| in several different places on the top and
on the roof of the second-story piazza
| Dr. Shows office, which is between the
Jelks block of stores and the Free Press
| Office, is a total loss.
The Marie hotel was saved by the su-
| perhuman efforts OF the hotel force and
| outside assistance.
From the livery stable the fire commu-
nicated to Groover & Co.'S insurance COM
| pany building. Grower & Co. s insurance
| office, occupied by Clayton and A. l..
| Grower, and a building formerly occu-
| pied as a livery stable, were consumed in
| a very short time, both being frame build
| ings. These structures were owned by II.
A. Grower of Jacksonville, Fla. They
were not insured, and Mr.. Growers loss,
| at conservative estimate, will amount
| to 5000.
The two brick stores adjoining the prop
erty of Mr.. Groover were saved by the
| heroic efforts of Messrs. Wade, Sweat
and Jelks Mr.. Sweat sustained consid-
cradle loss, as he transferred his entire
stock to the streets and adjacent build
| ings and from all appearances many were
| free In helping themselves and proved
conclusively that they were full fledged
| anti-prohibitionists The landlords of
Messrs. Sweat and Wilson are indebted to
| them for several hundred dollars, for
| great was the crowd they controlled and
| used TO effect.
The angry flames leaped over these two
| = - L. Nl...a t1asesae BORN
| direction. In spite of the praiseworthy
| efforts of the white and colored citizens
| under the able direction of Mayor Stanley
| Bennet and Town Marshal Jesse Wade,
| and his able assistant, John Hunter, the
building occupied by the Misses Monger
was destroyed This was millinery es-
| tablshment and ii and the wooden build
| ing I'm which Mr. Price did a general mer-
| camille business were burned to the
| ground.
| Messrs. Wade and Powers, the most en-
ergetic brokers OF the town, lost the build
ing they occupied. The two buildings in
| which Messrs. WXde and Powers and Mr..
Price did business, we're owned by kinch
Williams.
There was great activity on West Wall
street when the fire got under good head
way on East Wall, and the wind indicated
| danger. Taylor Dukes, manager OF the
| Young warehouse took every precautlon
|
| other material in his keeping.
The force of the Bank of Quitman closed
| the doors of their fire and burglar proof
vault, containing thousands Of dollars, and
| entered actively with the other citizens
IN the effort to conquer the flames. Frank
| Spain, Jr., very popular attachee OF the
bank, by his untiring work won many
nattering comments.
In the upper story of'the building occu-
! pied by Humphreys & Edmondson, one Of
| the most prominent law firms In South
| east Georgia, great activity was shown.
| These gentlemen, assisted by j. f. Till
man, the well-known attorney, soon had
| their library, worth at least $3.50, placed
| beyond danger, and they then prevented
| the window and door castings from ignlt-
| ing When their building was out Of dan
! ger they did heroic work for any and every
| one threatened.
! The residence Of John Avery had lar-
| row escape, and IL seemed for time II
| looked as IL the magnificent Hotel Marie
might be reduced TO ashes.
The fire. coming from Wall street. south
| of scriven street, caused at panic, AMI
| every storekeeper on Scriven street NOV
| ed his goods to the middle Of the street
Several hundred thousand dollars worth
Of goods could be seen piled around the
| horse racks in the middle of the street.
The losses are as follows:
]. +. Hail. agent, SIS; no insurance.
Joseph Mabbett. 300; insurance, 5000
| on stock
]. Tyler. agent, 5000; no insurance.
X. IL williams, 81 800; insurance, $1,000.
Walker Bros. g. Co. on building, $1,000;
Insurance on stock. $500.
q. w. Averett, on stock, 800; on build
ing. g.. 600; insurance 5000 on property.
Wade & Powers, $75; no insurance.
@. l.. Lilly. $1,000; insurance on stock
81. 800.
sweat & Wilson, $500; no insurance.
Harrei & Co. 5000; insurance $500.
Miss Waters. 1920; no insurance
]. o. Morton, 5000; insurance $500.
Creech g. Tharin, on building 5000; In
surance on stock 5000.
Dr. ]. 8. Snow. 500; no Insurance.
The Free Press, 500; no Insurance.
Misses Monger. $1,000; no insurance.
w. NJ Hunter, on building, 5000; in
surance on stock, 5000.
j. w. Hopson. on building, $50; insur-
ance on stock. 5000
Grower a. Co, 5000; no insurance.
l.. s. Price. 81 800; insurance $1,000.
Valdosta played the gallant. and forty
minutes after the fire started a special
train with forty or lfty men and plenty OF
H. ga~Isf