The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-17
FIRE IN SEA ISLAND COTTON.
ABOUT 1900 BALES DAMAGED BY
SMOKE AND WATER.

Fire Caught Immediately Under the
SI<ylight of n Warehouse Compari-
mcnt Occupied by Messrs. Butler
q Stevens-The Compartment Not
Opened at All Yesterday-The
Damage to the Building Slight, But
About 100000 Worth of Cotton
VIII Have TO De Sold at Auction.
Fire was discovered in one of the COM
partments of a large warehouse occupied
by Butler & Stevens, just in the rear
of the Lower Hydraulic Press, shortly
before Il o'clock last night, the alarm be-
ing turned in from box No. %
by the Waterman at The warehouse of
W. w. Gordon & Co. just opposite.
The warehouse is large brick structure,
about 200 by 400 feet in dimensions, and is
divided into four compartments each OF
which is separated from the other by
thick brick wall. The fire was confined
altogether to the third compartment of
what is known as warehouse A.
when the department arrived thick
clouds of smoke were issuing from both
ends of the compartment and from about
the trap door in the roof The thickest
of the fire appeared to be in the center Of
the warehouse, and when the trap door
was removed quite little blaze was found
IN the cotton there. A couple of streams
were carried to the roof in short order, and
the fire there was soon subdued
The smoke, however, continued to roll
out in large volumes from either end of
the building indicating that much of the
cotton was still smouidering, and the COM
partment was flooded with water. Near
the doors the cotton was piled up pretty
well which made it difficult for the men
to get at the center of the building. FL
nally at the suggestion of Mr.. w. H.
Train, representing John f. Wheaton &
Co., which carried most of the insurance
on the cotton stored there, and Mr.. Robert
H. Lewis, who is with Butler & Stevens,
men were put TO work rolling the cotton
out on the platform. In a few minutes
the way was cleared pretty near through
the compartment, and the heavy smoke
began to abate somewhat The fire was
still smouldering in some of the cotton,
and the work of rolling it out went on.
Cotton fires are treacherous and though
at midnight the firemen had it well under
control, it still required careful watching
and investigation to prevent any further
started in a mysterious manner. The
warehouse was closed tightly and it is
said it had not been opened at all during
the day. Everybody was at a loss to ac-
count for its origin, but there were few
opinions expressed with regard to 1t.
The entire warehouse of four compart-
ments is rented by Butler g. Stevens from
the Lower Hydraulic Press, and 1t was
pretty well stocked with cotton. The
building was insured for $40 900. The dam
age to the building. however, was slight
There were LOCO or 100 bales of sea is.
land cotton in the compartment which
caught, but comparatively few of them
were burned. The majority of them were
damaged by smoke and water. The cotton
is valued at something like $50, 600 or $50, 900
and Is, of course, all covered by insurance
One policy of 5000 was renewed upon II
yesterday afternoon.
When the way was cleared through the
compartment shortly after IL o'clock, il
was found that the fire started right in the
center, or slightly TO the south of the cen
ter of the compartment, and right under
the skylight. 1t was there that the wors
DANA ge was done by the fire itself, and the
firemen found a large number of burned
bales there when they made their way
through.
The damaged cotton will have to be put
up and sold at auction. 1t is pretty wei
soaked and many of the bales are blacl
from smoke.