Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-08
BIG FIRE At AUGUSTA,
Buildings Valued in the Aggregate
atS150,0OO Destroyed,
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.
Same District That Was Swept IN
~ Burned Over.
TELEGRAMs FOR ASSISTANCE.
Savannah and Macon About to Re-
spond When Informed That Confia-
grafton Had Exhausted Itself
Armory Among Burned Structures.
TELEGRAMs FOR ASSISTANCE
and Macon About to Re-
spond When Informed That Confla-
Armory Among Burned Structures

AUGUSTA, GA, June 1.-THE largest
fire Augusta has experienced in many
years burned over the same district that
swept seven years ago, when the Augusta
Chronicle was burned out. Several build
inGs that escaped at that time are now
smoking ruins.
The fire started in the drugstore OF Da-
venport & Phinizy. A negro was mixing
a pot of Venice turpentine, which Is nara
rosn melted and mixed with turpentine'
Fire got into the pot and the flames
spread so rapidly that employees in the
front part Of the store barely escaped
Smoke issued in dense volumes from the
back and front of the store. GIVING TO
the oil, paint, and chemicals in the STOCK
it was seen from the beginning that 1t
would be fortunate if the fire was con-
fined to this building.
FLAMES SPREAD RAPIDLY.
The flames made rapid Roadway, and In
a short while the following were burned
out: Kress e. Co., Five-and-Ten-Cent
store. loss $4,000, insurance $1,000; Lamkin
& Co. grocers, loss 5000, insurance 9,Oco;
Thomas & Barton, musical Instruments
bicycles. and furniture, loss $4,000, insur-
ance $4,000; Alexander Drug Company,
loss 81. 600. insurance $1,000; Davenport q
Phinizy. loss $4,000, insurance 22OO;
Stub & Co., liquor-dealers, loss about
500. insurance about 1900; Smythe
china store, loss about 5000, insurance
$1,000; William Schweigert, jewelry. loss
very slight. fully covered by insurance;
August DORIS Sons, tailors and furnish
ers. loss on stock $4,000, fully covered by
insurance.
The buildings burned were valued, in
the aggregate, at about $4,000. They
were insured for about $4,000.
SMALLER LOSSES.
Beside these there were a number Of
smaller losses, as the upper stories OF
the buildings were used a. Offices. making
the total losses in the neigpborhood
of $4,000.
Savannah and Macon were telegraphed
TO for assistance, and the Central rail-
way had special trains in readiness TO
bring engines and hose, when word was
sent that the fire had exhausted itself.
During the height Of the excitement
10000 round of cartridges in the armOry,
which was also burned, began to explode,
and for about an hour there was an
incessant fusillade of shots, that sounded
like a real battle.
BUCKET BRIGADES NECESSARY.
Great flakes of burning embers were
carried by high wind block away, and
two or three frame buildings were burn
ed. adding about 5000 more to the losses
Three cotton warehouses were on fire nj
various times, but were fortunately
saved before the flames got Roadway.
The entire department was hShtinS the
original fire, and had IL not been for
the vigilance of citizens In watching and
protecting their property, the loss would
have gone into the millions. Bucket
brigades were on top of every building for
several blocks around the scene of the
Gra