The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-08
SAL. SHOPS BURNED
TWO LOCOMOTIVES AND NEW MA
CHINERY DESTROYED.
CARS AND ENGINES SAVED
THE Loss ESTIMATED FROM $780,
600 TO $4,000.


Gus COmbustiOn-FIames Spread
Rapidly and the Buildings Were
AbIaze in Less Than Ten Minutes
switch Engines Saved Many Cars
and LOcOmOtives-Live Electric
Light Wires Made Fire Fighting
Dangerous-Turn Tables AbIaxs
Several Times but Was Saved-Of-
fee Building Was Not Damaged
Chemical Engine Could Not Reach
Burning Buildings Because Oi
Blocked Tracks.
The machine shops and roundhouse of
the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company,
west Of the city, burned last night. Two
locomotive. put in the shops during the
day for repairs were also burned.
The fire was discovered in a heap of
waste in the copper room" at 1o:l5
O'Clock and in ten minutes the entire
building was in flames.
The switch engines in the yards were
brought into service and cars and dead"
engines were rapidly moved TO places of
safety. One engine could not be got
out of the way .of the flames, and was
badly scorched. The men on duty in tho
yards saved this locomotive from destruc-
ton by constantly pouring water on it.
The two-story building used as Offices
just east of the machine shops, was not
seriously damaged. The wind was blow
ing from the east, and the building was
only slightly blistered by the heat
The large water tank caught fire
and lessened the water supply.
1t was completely consumed. The
turntable just north of the
shops caught fire several times and was
only saved by the heroic work of the
night men. The heat set fire to the wood
work and a force of men was kept busy
pouring water on the trestle. The water
had to be carried in buckets and the work
was tedious.
The electric light wires fell during the
early part of the confagration and the
ground was covered with live" wires,
making 1t dangerous 10 walk through the
yards. At broken points the wires sput-
tered and warned the ire-hghters of their
danger.
The stationary boiler in the machine
shops exploded half an hour after the fire
started. but no one was injured. The ex-
plosion was heard a mile away and shook
the ground.
All of the cars and locomotives in the
roundhouse were got out as soon as the
fire was discovered and only a worthless
cab, which stood outside of the building.
was burned. The cross-ties were burned
and the rails in the immediate vicinity
of the shops were warped by the heat.
A telephone message was sent to su-
perintendent Mcguire of the fire depart
ment and he went to the scene of the con-
Migration with the chemical engine from
NO. station on Henry street. The
tracks were blocked with cars and en-
gines and the apparatus could not get
within quarter of mile of the fire.
Superintendent Mcguire jumped over cars,
in the heavy rain, and watched the work
of destruction without being able to- rem
der any assistance. In an hour the work
of the flames had been completed and the
fire apparatus returned to the city.
At that hour none of the seaboard
officials had arrived on the scene and it
was difficult to obtain any estimate of
the loss. The men on duty were busy in
an effort to save property and appeared to
have no idea of the valuation of the ma
chinery that was going up in smoke. 1t
was stated that machinery had just been
put in the shops and that the company
had only just begun to get down to real
work. There were in the neighbour
aiOOu VI MY men on DUTY in the
yards when the fire was discovered and
they devoted their time to preventing the
destruction of cars and locomotives that
could not be moved by the switch en-
gines. One of those who discovered the
fire stated that, in his opinion, il was due
TO spontaneous combustion in a large
quantity Of waste in corner of the COP
per room. strong wind was blowing
and the flames spread with lightning-like
rapidly The heavy rain seemed to add
fuel to the fire and really handicapped
the workmen in their efforts TO save the
buildings. The ground was muddy. and
the men had 10 be careful to prevent
slipping and falling into a nest of live
electric wires.
Supt Gabbett is in Montgomery ana e.
Is was impossible 10 learn the company's
losS. A rough estimate puts the damage
at $4,000, but it may go higher than these
figures. II is understood. the loss is COW
cred by insurance, though no one was
able to say what amount is carried.
-e-@-S