The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-11
MILLION DOLLAR
FIRE IN AvrUSTA
Solid Block Of Business Houses
Destroyed
FLAMES BEYOND CONTROL
The Arlington Hotel Goes Up
in Smoke.
GUESTS WERE GREATLY EXCITED
Origin of the Fire is Not Known, But
1t is Thought to Have Started
from an Electric Wire in
Whites Store
GUESTS WERE GREATLY EXCITED

Augusta, Ca, December 1o-A fire, which
had its origin in "a dry goods store here
shortly after 2 o clock this morning, did not
cease its ravages until o'clock. A solid
block in the center of the business portion
of the city was laid waste and the damage
will approximate s1,O00,0O0. There were no
casualties. The flames were discovered in
the second story of the big wholesale and
retail dry goods store of j. B. White, and
by the time the fire department had re-
sponded to the alarm, the flames were be-
yond control. Chief Roulette sent In a gen.
eral alarm and seeing that the entire de-
partment would have great difficulty in
overcoming the fire, wired Macon and Sa-
vannah for help.
The Arlington annex and the stores be-
meath 1t, all part of the old Central hotel
property, abutted the store of ]. B. White
on the uptown side, and all were involved
in the first onslaught of the flames after
getting outside of Whites big store. Next
came Masonic hall, a handsome three
story building, occupied by Offices and lodge
rooms. Into this the flames ate their way
from the rear. Soon the structure was
thoroughly ablaze, and it was seen that
there was no longer any possibility that
the Arlington hotel could be saved.
Hotel Guests Escaped
AS soon as the fire was discovered the
guests of the Arlington were awakened.
There was much excitement in the hotel
Guests bewildered at the noise and the
glare of the flames, ran hither and thither
apparently dazed. All made their escape
by the stairways. Many commercial men
stopping at the hotel lost hundreds of dol
lars worth of samples which they had dis
played. The guests, however, managed to
save most of their effects. The smaller
buildings, occupied by John Dorr, a cloth
ier; Rice & O'Connor, furnishings; Frank
Meyers, cigars, and ]. M. Walker, furnish
ings, were quickly destroyed, and their
contents lost.
The fire soon communicated to the Schnei-
der building across Eighth street and on the
next block. The roof and windows ignited,
but the firemen, who had moved around to
this portion of the fire, after giving up the
main confiagration, confined the flames to
the Schneider building. After hard work the
progress of the fire was arrested here The
entire block bounded by Broad and Ellis
and Seventh and Eighth streets, was devas-
tated
1t being Sunday, insurance men and prop
erty owners did not go to their books for
accurate data as to their losses or the com
panies involved.
Estimated Losses
The following figures are the estimated
losses, made up by three of the leading in
surance men in the city, of the principal
firms burned out:
J. B. White, building and stock, $4,000.
Arlington hotel, 100000.
John Dorr, building and stock, $751;
Masonic hall, $4,000.
Rice &, O'Connor, 100000
Louis Schaul, jewelry, $4,000.
Mullarky & Sullivan, $4,000.
The losses of twenty-five other business
men range from 81 900 to $1,000 each.
The origin of the fire is not known, but 1t
is surmised by the fire department that an
electric light wire came in contact with
some wood work in the White store.
Chiefs of the Savannah and Macon fire
departments arrived after record-breaking
runs, but were too late to render any as
sistance.
Owing to the danger from live electric
wires the current was shut off and the city
was in darkness from o'clock until day.
light.