The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-09
RACED Ut THE STAIRCASE.
Waldburg Building Was COnsidera-
bly, Damaged by Fire.

The Waldburg building. the first of the
block on the north side of Bay street west
of the city exchange, was badly damaged
by fire early yesterday morning. The ex-
tent of the loss could not be estimated
though Chief Mcguire says it will not be
found to exceed 81. 400. The building was
fully covered by insurance
1t was ten minutes after O'Clock when
the alarm was sent in from box No at
the foot OF Whitaker street. The eight
strokes always bring out the entire de-
partment the experience in the past hav-
ing been that fires rung in from that tox
generally amount to something. The pre-
caution of having the whole force out
counted In this instance, for il was good
work of the fTemen that saved the bu.fd-
ing from destruction.
Accounting fer the fire is a dir
ficult matter. Fire Superlntend-
ent Mcguire and number
Of others made an investigation after The
flames were subdued which was not until
after they had been fought for three or
four hours. 1t was discovered that the
fire had started on The ground floor Of the
building, away back on the river street
side. Superintendent Mcguire accounted
for the fire with the sunposition thai IL
had been caused by defective electric wiz
ing. An engine had passed along the rv-
er street track some Ten or feen minutes
before the fire was discovered, and !. was
thought it may have caused a break In TIE
insulation by vibration. Others hit upon
the explanation of a spark from the pass
ing locomotive having caused the fire.
Supt. Mcguire is an impict believer in
defective electric wiring as a fruitful
cause of fires. He believes in this instance
as confidently as that there was a fire,
hat to no rfrfa faa
floor. In proof of his claim that wires
frequently cause fires, he cites a number
that were clearly and undeniably the re-
suit of the electricity getting in its work.
Among those he mentioned were the fol-
lowing in 1898: The Palmer hardware fire,
the Guckenheimer. the Moynelo office, the
fruit stand at the corner of Macon and
East Broad, the Hugh Logan and that at
the superintendent own home. This year,
in addition to that of yesterday, he cites
the Metropolitan Clothing Company fire.
At ali events. 1t was plain 1t had started
on the ground floor. From there ii took
them all in, climbing up the stairway,
which runs from floor to floor. Burning
out the stair leading 10 the second floor,
the flames attacked that leading to the
third. and so on until il reached the top,
where the greater damage was done. 1t
was only in the immediate nighborhood of
The stairway that the interior work on the
building was totally destroyed. In other
parts il was damaged. though not to such
an extent that repairs may not be made.
New stairways win have to be put in
when the workmen commence to reft the
building, and a great deal of other work
viii be necessary. A new roof will be
among the necessities
The Waldburg building is owned by the
Waldburg estate, for which MIR T. NJ
Cunningham is agent. The occupant were
Mr.. w. F. Penniman, Capt. A. F.
Churchill and T. T. Chapeau & Son
Messrs. Penniman and Churchill had just
been installed in their quarters Both lost
office furniture. as did also Messrs. Cha
peau g. Son. The books of all three Of
fees were saved Messrs. Chapeau & Son
moved at once to an Office in the Board of
Trade building.
Had the fire occurred some weeks ago
its damage would have been vast. Stored
in tne building were medical supplies and
hospital equipments owned by the govern
ment that easily reached $l000,000 in value
They had all been removed and the build
ing was bare. Had the drugs and chemi-
Gals been on the several floors, they would
have furnished material of the most in
fiammatory sort for the flames. and there
would probably have been no stopping
them until the building had been con-
stunned. The government carries no insur-
ance, so that the loss to 1t would have
been heavy