The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-28
The CATHEDRAL IN RUINS.
NOTHING HUT THE WALLS wEHE
LEFT on THE Old EDIIICE.

Domus of the Roman Catholic Dio-
ce-~ Of savannah swept Away in
an Hour-Thc FIRE started Ina the
organ Loft-The Firemen Power
less 60 check It's Rcientiess
swccp-The bishops Residence
aud St Vincent Convent rs
caped-Thc Loss S25o,0oO wtth
About SOn. eco Insurance.
u2epuntsd from tho Morning News OF
Feb z. 1881
The Cathedral of 81 John the Baptist.
yesterday one Of tine most magnificent
900 which ycars OF toll ard thousands OF
dollars have been spent is a mis-. ~
ruins. and nothing remains but as lr
wallis and the lndestrucilble parts OF It's
two tan spires
The conaagration that swept u away
before the hour o. midnight was frightful
ia It's grandeur and pitiahle In us mag
uiaccnce. IL seemed 90 blot cut In a mo-
mont the work OF years
The most pitiable feature was the help
lessness Of those who stood around TO
make one effort even to save the struc-
ture Two or three miserable little
streams Of water that would scarce so
across a twenty foot stree, were all 20 be
had Tho entire department was then
at work on the River street fire and ev-
cry available engine was there attached
TO a fre-plug ondeavoring TO quench that
connasration. In the meantime one or
savanuah's most valuable structures was
going rapidly
II was fuzzy three-qulrters of an hour
before an engine could be gotten. Then
TWO were sent from Bay etree, aud
streams were thus secured TOT the pro-
ter lion OF adjoining property. u was i'm
possible then 10 save any portion of the
building IL was at that cine almost
the moss Of ruins that % rs now, though
burning like fearful furnace.
The wind fortunately wac blowing 70
the southwest. across the square, through
which much OF the valuable surrounding
properly was saved. The breeze was a
slight one. Il Is true, but had u been In
any other direction. the destruction would
have been largely augmented.
As soon as the roof mad burned on the
powerful draft created by the intense
heat carried upward thousands and hun
dreds OF thousands Of sparks large and
small. most Of them falling IN the eastern
sde 81 the square. Part OF the time the
wind was somewhat toward the south
ami carried these sparks onto buildings
just across che street from the Cathedral
which were protected with difficulty This
shower like a magnificent fireworks dis
play lasted for an hour or more. and
shortly before midnight, when the fire
In the towers was nercest the sparks
poured forth from them with seeming
renewed intensity Some 81 them were
verltahle Goals OF FIRE. falling here and
there sometimes upon the hat or coat OF
spectator who stood too close
The fire was first seen about ten minutes
before n O'Clock. II was then issuing from
the front OF the building. spreading rap
iiy. From the description Of IL then, II
would seem that nothing short Of the i'm
mediate presence OF two or three engines
and several strong streams OF water would
have saved a. The discovery is said to
have been by motorman OF the city ana
Suburban Railway. who was just coming
through the square with his car. The cry
q FIRE. Of course, attracted the attention
81 others az once. and the alarm was
turned In very quickly from box No. q.
| AZ Price and Harris streets
| When the alarm came Ia there was no
| apparatus Of any moment az any Of the
engine houses 20 respond Two or three
| nose wagons answered at once, and the