The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-27
FOUGHT FLAMES HIGH UP.
ANDREW HANLEY CO.'S BUILDING
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION.

Pretty Wei Covered by Insurance.
Fears of Damage 10 New Public
Building and POstOniee.
Fire came pretty near wiping
out the Andrew Hanley Co.'S
store aud large stock of paints,
oils. sash, doors and blinds. at
Whitaker, President and York streets last
= night shortly after o'clock.
The employees had just left and Mr..
Hanley was about TO walk out the front
door, having given instructions to close
up, when somebody told him that HE place
was on fire He had but 10 walk around
the York street corner and look UP toward
the roof to see that about half the upper
story of the building was ablaze.
An alarm was turned in from box No. 10,
and the response of the fire department
was prompt and creditable one. 1t was
Just a minute and a half from the time
the alarm rang until the first hose was
coupled and a stream turned on the burn
ing building. There was a slight shortage
of water pressure at the start This, now
ever, was soon remedied and before the
fire had gained much headway twelve
streams were playing upon it, and the
building was flooded from top to bottom.
The fire was well fought and the fact that
three stories of the building were saved
IS evidence of. the successful work of the
1iremen.
The fire started In the southwestern cor
ner of the top story of the building, where
a lot of glass and knock down sash
were stored. Nobody appears to be able
TO account satisfactorily for its origin
1t is said there was probably some greasy
waste and light material left there by
some Of the workmen, which material Is
frequently responsible for fires from spon-
taneous combustion. Another theory Is
that it caught from electric wires. It is
difficult to tell, however, just what was
responsible for it.
The fire soon covered the top floor
and burst out through all the windows
There was little wind though, and it was
not aggravated The draft from below
urged it upward through the roof and
while the hremen devoted their attention
to the floors just below it spent itself in
that direction. The fire at times made
brilliant light and could be seen for con-
siderable distance. The smoke, too, from
the light material on that floor was dense.
A SQUAD of nine firemen under Assis-
tant Chief Mouro went up to the third
story just below that on which the fire
started, with two streams, and to their
efforts in a large measure, was due the
saving of the greater part of the property.
Wherever the fire burned through the top
floor they turned on the hose and checked
4feh I.,tarv arI mr.
ing was flooded from all sides, and the
fire had a difficult time In working its
way down
The consequence was that the top floor
was burned through in only one or two
places, and the stock on the third floor
was damaged only slightly by fire.
The fire was thus confined practically to
the top story of the building, though it
seemed from the start that It would al
most surely consume the entire structure.
Many of those who were standing around
watching the progress of the flames said
they expected to see the entire building
go The hremen however, gave them a
pleasant surprise, and before o'clock
they had the blaze pretty well under con-
troll. An hour later the fire was practt-
caly out, with the exception of a few
stray embers which had TO be hunted out
and doused
The stock on the third floor, just below
that which was entirely burned, consists
of blinds and glazed sash. on the second
floor there were doors, and on the first,
or ground floor. paints, oils, varnishes,
mantels, CRATES and other similar wares.
In the cellar were the heavy goods, such
as barrels of oil, paint and varnish, while
in a one-story building In the rear were
sewer pipe, sash weights ana mouldings,
The stock was all of such a nature that
the water damage Will be comparatively
light The building was undoubtedly
brf Of ba ctO
will be found practically as good as new
when the time to count up comes.
There We're some fears at first for sur
rounding buildings at time when it was
thought the fire would consume the whole
building. Some fears were expressed also
for the public building. which is just
across the narrow street from where the
fire was burning fiercely. The fire, how
ever, did not get hot enough 10 cause any
damage to the building, and no water was
turned on it. The streams of water which
We're thrown from the upper windows of
the public building were among the most
valuable of those used.
The crowd was held wen in check by the
police force, and little trouble was exper-
fenced. There We're no arrests made dur
ing the fire.
Mr.. Hanley has a carload of sash and
doors in the city now, and a lot of paints
and oils win arrive to-day by the steam
ers from Baltimore and New York. A car
of limo Is also here. He says, therefore
that his business win not be interfered
with and all orders VIII be promptly filled.
The books and valuable papers Were an
saved. The store had not been closed ana
the clerks who remained, assisted i'm car
rying them out to place of safety. They
We're first put in the postofiice and after
wards taken to one of the buildings at
Whitaker street and Ogiethorpe avenue
During the fire street car traffic on the
Whitaker Abercorn and Barnard street
lines was suspended for nearly an hour
The cars ran for a short time after the
hre started and then stopped. Crowds OF
people in the southern section of the city
were waiting 10 get to the fire, but they
had TO walk or wait until the car lines
started running which was a consdera BILE
time. The Whitaker and Barnard street
tracks were blocked by fire hose crossing
them. For some reason the travel on
Abercorn street was stopped too.
A gentleman who watched the fire sug-