The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-19
J. w. TEEPLE BURNED OUT.
LARGE FURNITURE STOCK CONSUL
ED By FIRE THIS MORNING.

The Loss About $4,000 With Insur-
ance of sI2. 900 on StOck-The Place
"A Fire Trap Consisting Chiefly OF
a Corrugated Iron Shed With No
Brick Partition WaIIs-NaIuable
Time Lost in Turning in the Alarm
]. w. TeepIe & Co.'S furniture store. on
Broughton street, was burned this morn
ing, with a loss of between $1,000 and SEQ
CO., The stock is practically total loss
from damage by fire and water.
The fire was discovered about 1880
o'clock, or shortly thereafter, by parties
on Broughton street. Considerable time
was lost in turning in the alarm after the
fire was discovered. Several men ran 60
the box at Broughton and jefferson
streets, but none of them had key. The
box was finally broken in with
a rock by Morris Lepinsky.
Policeman Ungar came up at this time
and undertook to pull the box, but as he
did so the alarm was heard soundins
from box q, at Montgomery street ana
OgIethorpe avenue Policeman York HAD
seen the blaze. and turned in an alarm,
leaving the utIdillltil W lctdAG tllS Az Ns
The officer believed, however, that the
fire was in his immediate neighborhood.
The fire department responded TO box
2l and some time was lost on this ac-
count in reaching the fire. Arriv.
ing ON the scene, the firemen
devoted their first efforts to fighting the
fire from the rear in Broughton street lane,
using the large water main on State street.
The crowd gathered on Broughton street
could not see much of the work of the de-
partment from that quarter at first and
this caused various comments on its slow
ness. Parties in the vicinity Informed
a Morning News reporter that the fire had
been burning some time when the alarm
went in. Their opinion was that it orig
mated in a colored tailor's shop on Mont
gomery street.
The fire when first discovered was in
the range of one story buildings at
Broughton and Montgomery streets.
Some of these were rented as small
shops, including the harness and sad
dlery shop of Gen p. McGlashan.
Adjoining these buildings on east was
the two-story building, the property of the
late Robert Mcintyre. Mr.. Teeple occu-
pied the Mcintyre building as a furniture
store and the greater part of the Feeley
range as store rooms and stables. Three
horses and several vehicles were burned
in the stable, the latter being in a blaze
when the firemen arrived
The whole outfit formed probably the
greatest fire trap in the business section
of Savannah having been erected with
a total disregard of fire regulations. The
Mcintyre building was simply
brick front, the rest of the build
ing being a corrugated iron shed
with There
was no wall between the Mcintyre and
eeley buildings the corrugated iron
sheeting only separating them
The firemen put up a hard fight to keep
the fire in the Feeley buildings This
was practically impossible, however. The
building being filled with inhammable ma
terial the heat soon spread the fire to
the adjoining brick building. There was
plenty of water and a quantity of 1t was
poured into the building, apparently with
out much effect.
The aerial truck was placed on Brough-
ton street and used to pour a stream into
the second-story window. The fremen
seemed to be very awkward in handling
this machine which called forth consider
able unfavorable comment.
brisk wind from the east sprung up as
the fire progressed. This was in favor of
the firemen, however, as it drove the heat
away from other buildings.
The family of Mr. J. r. Herbert, in the
house adjoining the Teeple building on
the east, moved out all their belongings,
having no insurance.
The house was filled with smoke, but no
other damage was done. Several negro
families living in the lane hustled out
their belongings and scattered them
around the neighborhood.
At l o'clock the department had the
fire under control. with no danger of
spreading to adjoining buildings Active
work was continued for some time lon
ger, however.
Mr.. Teeple, who was early on the scene.
said to a Morning News reporter that his
insurance amounted to $4,000. The stock.
If total loss, might reach
$4,000 he said, as there was large amount
of furniture stored in the building. Mr..
Teeple stated that the greater part of the
building consisted of a corrugated iron
shed.
''It is very strange" said Mr.. Teeple 81
took look around the building and the
stable at II O'Clock, and there was no sign
of fire then"
Mr.. Teeple is in hard luck 1t is only a
few weeks since that his warehouse on
Williamson street burned with a consid-
cradle loss, Mr.. Teeple could not recall
the names of the egents with whom he
he had placed the insurance.
Mr.. Teeple was grap.ed permission hv
Council three or four years ago to erect
the corrugated iron shed i'm .he rear Of
the Mcintyre property. 1t was objected IL
at the time that the place would prove J
fire trap, and the prediction has been fuI.
filled.
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