The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-20
OLD HABERSHAM MILLS GONE.
lContinued from Eighth PACE

smoke throughout the western side which
LOT some minutes made 1t difficult for the
| h[eTcen to work on that side.
| When the condition of the walls became
| apparent the fremen were directed TO
LOOK after their apparatus, and the big
| nook and ladder was moved from the east
erh side of the building just in time TO
prevent It's being smashed by the wall
| "mch Tell on that side. The other APP
| paFatus was put safely out of the way
| ana the only damage was to between 500
| ana l,uOO feet OF hose, which was caught
| uh0er the falling bricks and practically
DESTROYED. The bricks were hot enough to
ourn the hose, and wherever 1t was caught
| pair.
| The western wall of the granary. to.
Ward river street, also fell with a heavy
| crash along with the others. and broke
! through the shed at the bottom of the
! building, setting it thoroughly ahre In
| TINS shed We're about 5000 barrels Of ce-
! iheht belonging to Bond Harrison q Co.
| upon which there was no Insurance 1t
was put in there a few days before. and
| was the only stock belonging TO that firm
| Whch was not covered. A gang of negro
| hahos was put to work and some 400 or 500
| barrels of the cement were rolled out ana
| INTO another building, but the balance
| was destroyed by fire and water The value
OF the cement destroyed was about s., 500
| or more ~-'''''
when 1t was seen that longer PLAYING
OF water upon tho burning mills was use
| iess attention was given to the surround
| ing buildings, some of which were in much
| Hanger To the west. but a few feet away.
| was q warehouse, back of which was q
! large shed, occupied by Bond. Harrison &
20. In this there was stored cement. plas-
| ter OF paris and in the shed coal and
| other materials. There were also several
| plies of coal in the rear of the min on
ule wharf These were pretty well satu-
rated with water, which probably accounts
lor the fact that they did not take fire.
| streams were also kept on the two bricis
| buildings right on River street. and ON
| the warehouse to the east of the mill. and
| these with their contents, were saved
| Even the small office, a light frame
structure, occupied by Mr. John Screyen.
| winch is but few feet away from the
| burning mill, was saved though at one
time It was thought ii would go on ar-
count Of the intense heat All or these
surrounding buildings belong to the same
| property, and are included in the insur-
ance which was carried
A men with her brood Of chickens was
housed In the large granary. Before the
| fire had progressed far enough to prevent
| It, one of the nremen went In and brousbt
her out with three of her little ones. They
| were placed under large basket In a safe
place.
The tugs Cynthia No. 2 and w. F. Nc
Cauiey came up shortly after the fire
started, and generously offered to furnish
Some water free If they were supplied with
nose. The hose was secured and four
streams were put on the flames from these
Two tugs. Considerable water was thus
pumped out Of the river onto the fire.
Inc hremen did some good work on the
huidlngs. They fought hard and with
the water they had did the best thew
could. The men suffered considera bly
from the intense heat and heavy smoke
which they could not avoid, but they went
through with It all bravely and their work
undoubtedly saved considerable property
Inc department was highly commended
by several of the insurance men who were
there.
For the last three years the rice min
properly has been leased from the owners
by Mr.. John Screven, Jr-, who has oper-
ated them regularly, and built up a good
business there. lie went there shortly At
ter the destruction of the lower rice mill
by IRE something over three years ago.
which he was operating a that time
Mr.. Screven said the mills had not been
running over three weeks. There were
stored In the mill between $50 and 200
barrels or clean rice, the value of which
Is about $3.50 a barrel or nearly 50 800
worth of clean rice. Besides this there
was between 5000 and 4O0O bushels Of
rough rice in the granaries, which Is
worth from a15 to c130 a bushel, so It
|
rice in the mill and granaries, all of which.
with the exception of a few bags carried
out at the beginning of the fire, was to-
tally destroyed Some of the rice belong
ed to Mr.. Screven, some to the Savanna
| Grocery Company and other parties. II
was all covered by insurance.
The mill buildings, machinery, and all
the buildings belonging to the property
were insured for $23, 900. It Is said the In
surance was reduced last year by several
thousand dollars An exact statement Of
the insurance could not be secured YES
terday but it was learned that the build
ings destroyed together with the machin-
cry were insured for somewhere between
| $4,000 and $4,000 The machinery I'm the
mill building was insured for $1,000 alone,
while the engines, boilers, etc, were in
sured for $500.
The insurance stands in the names Of
r. Il. Coleman, who lives in Pennsylvania
heirs Of Mary B. Habersham, Mrs. Helen
Blake of South Carolina and DR.. c. c.
Schley, and the loss is made payable 70
Mr.. William Neyle IIabersham as agent
for the owners
The burning of The old Habersham mills.
| located on what were formerly lots 3 and
west of West Broad street, recalls to the
minds of those connected with them In
times past many interesting historical
facts connected with the early days of
Savannah.
There were in all three Of these mills.
Mil No was built about 1925 and is now
standing on the west side Of the yard.
Mill No. was butt In 1884, and was de-
stroyed by fire In 1855, but was rebuilt two
years later. In 1857. Mill No. was bunt
some time in the 40s, and was burned sew
eral years before the destruction of No. 2,
but rebuilt in 1854 or 1855. The mills were
all large three and four-story structures.
built in plain old style, of brick, and
with slipping roofs terminating in a ridge.
The interesting history attached to this
old property has been given to the Morn
ing News by Mr. William Neyle Haber-
sham, In the possession of whose family
the property has been for more than a CEN
fury. The property upon which the burn
ed buildings stood was granted by the
crown in 176l to John Gordon, and was
sold first to James Graham, and afterawrd
in 1863 to John Rae, whose sister, Isabella
Rae, married the Postmaster General TN
der Washington, the Hon. Joseph Haber-
sham. From the RAGS, who lived al a
splendid country seat three or four miles
above Savannah, the prOreprfy wont 10