The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-07
LAID TO INCENDIARISM.
POLICE AT WORK ON THE MYs-
Terry OF THE FIRES.

| VI thC unknown.
Firemen Crippled by Double
Alarms and Exhausted by Over
WOrk-AH But One of Last Nights
Alarms Unexplained.
Is there band of incendiaries at work
in Savannah? Many people think so. If
constantly occurring fires, originating in
the same manner and apparently all
planned with the same ingenuity, are any
evidence of frebugs. then Savannah GER
tainly has them
The fact that the majority of the recent
fires have originated in stables or in
places where hay was stored would go to
show that the fire fiends were pursuing
q systematic plan Of searching out unpro-
tected places where the fire could be set
in a moment and would spread rapidly,
and the chances of detection would be at
a minimum
The fire which destroyed J. w. Teeple's
furniture store on Broughton street two
weeks ago and that which damaged Gull
martins stables on West Broad street and
the Graham Grocery Company's building
We're thought to have been set by the
| band of little Migrants arrested a few
| days ago at the instance of Chief Ma
! guire. The waits charged each other with
| these crimes, but no reliance could be
! paced in their stories. They were or
dered to leave the city, and are believed
! to have done So The recent fires are
| hardly attributable to them.
Friday night there were three fires in
rapid succession The first practically
destroyed the old frame building on Con-
| gress street, near Drayton used by Mr.
! Luke Carson as carriage warehouse, and
! endangered surrounding property. The
second was in the stable of Mr.. James
| Crotty in Bay street lane, in the rear of
the Georgia Brewery. match is sup
! posed to have been thrown into a pile of
! hay in the stable from the lane through
! crack in the wall. The third was in the
! store of Capt. NJ. j. Doyle, a match hav-
| ing evidently been dropped through a cell
lar grating into a pile of combustible ma
terial
Saturday night, or early Sunday MORN
| ing the Traub fire occurred, with a loss
| of $50 GOO. When discovered the blaze was
in the stock of hay under the wagon shed
| in the rear of the house. and also in the
! hay warehouse nearby. Last night the
! fire, originating in the Georgia and Ala
bama Railway warehouse, on River street,
| occurred, with immense loss. This too
! begun in lot of hay. The latter mate
rial appears to be the favorite with the
| hfeDug, II such there be, and his success
! certainly seems 10 justify his judgment.
About $50 o'clock fire broke out in the
stable of Mr.. NJ. E. Muhlberg in the rear of
! his residence, on Jones street. 1t was
discovered in its incipiency and was ex-
tinguished by Mr. Muhlberg. This was
! also in the hay.
While the department was fighting the
! Cathedral fire another alarm was turned
in from box No II, at East Broad street
aud Oglethorpe avenue. The chemical en-
| CINE was sent, but il was found that
there was nothing for the force to do
Some one had sent in the alarm through
spirit of mischief or some more con
demnable object. This was the fourth
alarm.
Tuesday night Mr.. j. H. Furber's stable
! man reported to him that he had extin-
| guished a fire in the hay in the stable
which he believed to be incendiary No
suspicion of incendiarlsm. however, at
tached to the Cathedral fire.
No such succession of fires ever oc-
Cured in Savannah before without human
aid, and there is hardly any reason to
| doubt that some of them were due to hu-
| man intention. Sill there is no clue to
! point to anyone. The general comment at
| the River street fire was that the West
| Broad street and River street fires with
| other recent fires were due to incendiaries
! That such belief is widespread does not
admit of doubt The only known evidence
! upon which to base such a belief however
| is the fires themselves. The frebugs leave
| no traces. Their ingenuity in hitting upon
hay as a material which requires no pre-
| arranged trap or plan 10 set into a blaze
| winch never fails to burn rapidly and de-
| stroys all evidence of the crime is an I'M
pleasant surprise. 1t is difficult to supply
| a motive. No particular class creed or
race is attacked, but the firebug ributes
his favors indifferenuy. Anywhere that
there is hay to burn seems to suit the
purpose. The motive cannot he th!eve~y
as but instance of theft he
progress of these fires has been reported
Enmity to the fire chief would hardly go
to this extent. There seems to be no suffi-
cient explanation Perhaps some crank is
| dlspleased that the insurance companies
! should have paid out so little money in
Savannah last year, and is seeking to even
| up the score.
These are the comments heard on all
sides. The police have redoubled their
| watchfulness with the hope of prevent
ing further loss and, if possible, get hold
| Of the incendiaries.
Dayoreak will find The iremen still pour
ing water into the ruins of the Cathedral
and the buildings on River street If an
| other large fire should break out the de-
partment would be in very poor shape 10
cope with il. The men are worn out with
loss OF sleep and hard work in wet cloth.
| ing.
The fire on West Broad street kent the
| department busy until daybreak and late,
The River street fire was enough for one
night, and when the Cathedral was added
they had more than their share A por
ton OF the department will have to be on
duty to-day pouring water On
The ruins and keeping watch
that the fire does not break ont
again. At least twenty-four hours are
needed to get men, horses and machinery
IN shape for another battle with the
| flames.
The Conklin building which it was
thought In the early part of the might
would be saved. is a complete wreck The
hremen at work there claim that the with
drawing of one of the engines and a DOR.
.lon OF tne force at work on the building
10 go to the Cathedral fire cripnIed tbnto
SO that they could not hold the fire in
check III