The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-01
A NIGHT OF FLAME
NORFOLK SUFFERS HEAVY Loss
By FIRE.
HANDSOME BUILDINGS BURN
THE TOTAL DAMAGE ESTIMATED
AT $9OO,O0O.

hC <htAAhttC tht LAEEe 0O-
lumbia Oncc Building, the AIber-
marie Flats and the Virginia Club
the Chief Buildings Destroyed.
Flames Burst Out i'm saloon at
1:5J a. IN. and Explosion of 1000
Gallons of whisky Spread the
Flames and Drove the Firemen
Back.
Norfolk, Va. Jan. 31.-A heap of
smoking ruins is all that remains to-
day of the Atlantic Hotel and the mas
sive Columbia office building, which
adJoined the hotel, the Albemarle flats
and block of stores in the center of
the city. The confagration, one of the
greatest in the history of Norfolk, broke
out shortly before 2 O'clock this morn
ing, and when finally subdued over half
million dollars worth of property had
been destroyed. The loss is believed to
be fully covered by insurance.
The flames started in the Columbia,
which is the largest but one of Nor
folks Office buildings. 1t was a struc-
ture six stories high, and was built in
1892 by Davis Lowenberg, it's owner.
The fire was first discovered at 1:55
o'clock this morning, and shortly after
ward over 1000 gallons of whiskey
stored in the building exploded with
terrific force, tearing out the front wall
The firemen were driven back by the
explosion and before they could get a
stream of water on the flames the en-
tire building was afire. Hardly fifteen
minutes later the north wall, which was
over seventy-five feet high, fell in,
completely annihilating the home of the
Virginia Club, which adjoins the build
ing on the north. From the outset it
was evident that the immense
Atlantic Hotel was doomed. j..
made the rounds of the rooms, and
aided by his assistants aroused every
guest in the building. To this is due
the fact that so far as known no life
was lost, although about 300 people
were asleep in the hotel when the
alarm was sounded. The little army
of hak-dressed men and women refu-
gees from the flames elbowed their
way through the crowded streets. In
their hands they carried such small
belongings as they were able to save
in their flight The flames soon spread
to the five-story AlbemarIe apartment
house. opposite the Virginia Club,
which was quickly destroyed, and then
to the entire block facing the Atlantic.
and running from Plume to Main
streets. Within an hour this block
was annihilated.
The flames were finally subdued
through the hard work of the fire de-
partment and the shifting of the wind,
which veered to the northeast just as
the fire had gotten a grasp on the big
department store of Watt, Rettew &
Clay Live Goals rained on the Mer-
chants and Miners, and Bay Line
warehouses, the piers and the whole
sale notion store buildings of Talbot,
Dodson & Grandy, and driving the
Western Union operators from their
office in the Dodson building All these
structures were saved The fire was
subdued at o'clock this morning
started In n saloon.
The origin of the fire is not known.
The blaze was first discovered in
Browns cafe, which occupies half of
the Columbia building. by a policeman
who Immediately sent in the alarm.
The whisky which exploded was in
this cafe. All the Atlantic Hotel
guests escaped. though j. o. Ready of
Brooklyn, N Y, had close call. The
wa h6ILeW 0 (ldy was
saved, although the stock was dam
aged by water.
In the Atlantic Hotel building were
the ticket offices of the Southern. Bal
timore and Ohio, and Norfolk and
Western railways. the offices of Not
tingham & Wrenn, wood and coal deal
ers; the Equitable Life Assurance
Company: Dodson's drug store; Ver-
millions liquor store, and Solomon
skys tailoring establishment. In the
Columbia building were the cafes of
C. r. Brown and Nedds, the offices of
Lowenberg, the owner, also numerous
real estate agencies. lawyers, physi-
clans, architects and contractrs.
In the block destroyed with the AL
bemarle were Iohnsons china store
Cary & Dean, tailors; Hatch & Dean,
furnishers; Mottu, Dewitt e. Co., brok-
ers; Stephenson & Taylor brokers' the
Norfolk and Western freight depart
ment, and the office Of the Virginia,
Tennessee and Georgia Air Line.
While in most cases valuable private
papers were saved, a large quantity
of personal property of unknown value
was lost. The loss to the owners OF
the Atlantic Hotel is about $3.50, 900,
covered by insurance; and of the Co
lumbia building, $90,OO0 on which
there was 5000 insurance. The Vir-
ginia Club was a fashionable insti-
tuition. and the quarters were hand
somely furnished.
The Loss Nearly ~ 100000.
The loss will approximate 5000, 900
possibly half covered by insurance. The
buildings burned were:
Atlantic Hotel, for which, with it's
site, c. M Randolph, who is associated
with r. Lancaster Williams of Rich
mond, in the Ocean View Railroad, re-
Gently paid $4,000.
Columbia building. which cost $50, ,000
Everything in the building offices was
destroyed. Loss. over 100000.
Albemarle apartment house, owned
by George L. Arps. valued at about
SIS 900.
The Johnston China Company, occu-
pied the ground floor and lost 100000
Building owned by G. w. Sans, valued
at $4,000.
Mottu. Dewitt g. Co, bankers and
brokers', occupied two floors OF the
building and lost valuable papers.
Building owned by Mrs. Sarah All
mond, occupied by Stephenson a. Tay-
lor, real estate and other tenants. Loss.
$4,000.
Buildings occupied by Hatch e. Dean.
mems furnlshers, $4,000.
L. Il. Carey. merchant tailor 10000
- IIt.ra Narfaf nd fhrpa blIlldf dfnra