The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-05

caught the United States Life Insurance
Company's building at the northwest cor
ner of Broadway, numbering 259 and 26l
Broadway. The wood work on dozen win
dows was afire in a moment and from
that time on several streams we're played
on this building, to save it from destruc-
ton.
When the Warren street wall of the
Rogers, Peet & Co. building fell, at lO:S1
O'Clock, a dozen firemen were directly be-
meath the wall. Several of the men were
struck by bricks, but none were more than
slightly injured. Acting Chief PerIe fell.
bat was dragged to safety by some of his
men.
Just before Il O'Clock the Home Life In
surance Company's building. sixteen stor-
les high, at 256 and 257 Broadway, caught
fire. The firemen had their lines in this
building up to che seventh story. They
were greatly handicapped by the many
stories. flames had eaten their way
through the side walls in many places. The
elevators made trips up and down until
the men running them were compelled to
flee for their lives, and in this way many
of the effects of the offices were saved.
The three top floors were on fire from
the beginning. Flames shot high above
the roof and over the massive brown stone
Postal building on the corner below. All
the operators of the Postal building and
everybody at work in the structure had
been ordered out of this building long be-
fore. Desperate efforts were being made
to save it. The interior OF the Home Life
Insurance Company building was by this
time a furnace. From the windows of the
six or eight upper stories the flames were
pouring in masses. In the rear nine sto-
ries were afire and the fire department, so
far as this portion of the building was
concerned, was absolutely powerless.
At 11:15 the Postals building of fourteen
stories caught fire. Chief Bonner, who
had charge of the fremen, took the ele-
vator and went to the roof to give per-
sonal directions. At this time there were
a few operators, who had ignored the
orders of the fire chief, two or three
clerks and a few boys at work in the
building in the sitting smoke, and mes
sages were sent until the flames came and
all were forced to rush for their lives.
Chief Bonner had under his direction all
the engines stationed in the fire houses
below Twenty-third street. In addition five
hook and ladder companies, including wa
ter towers, were at the scene. Most of the
men worked in the lower parts of the
building to save adjoining buildings. Only
a few gangs were with the fire chief on
the top of the Postal building. They fought
with all their strength to keep the flames
back. But notwithstanding all their efforts
at l O'Clock this (Monday) morning three
floors of this building had been partially
destroyed. The fire was then working its
way downward Chief Bonner thought
however, that he had it under control He
did not expect it to get much below this
The fire started from three explosions.
What caused the explosions no one knows.
The firemen could not find out They
thought gas had escaped in some manner
in the basement, and so resulted in ex-
plosion and fire.
The Postal Telegraph Company officials
sad that all their wires had been burned
out, and that they had no connections
from their building.