The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-16
Buildings at 2lO5 and 2lO7
Are Partly Destroyed
FIREMtN Do QUICK WORK
Standard Grocery Co., Shareholders
Grocery Co. and Omaha Packing
Co. Are the Heaviest Losers.
Covered by Insurance.

Fire which was discovered about 1918
O'Clock last night destroyed the fourth
floors of the buildings at POS and 21o7
Morris avenue. occupied by the Standard
Grocery company. the stone-Rodgers
Grocery company and the Omaha Pack
Ing company The loss on the stocks is
hard to estimate, as the damage from
water will be considerably more than the
loss by fire. The loss should not be over
s15,oOO The loss is fully covered by insur-
ance.
The buildings are owned by Maj. Jo-
seph Hardie, and front twenty-five feet
each on Morris avenue. The roof of both
Is burned off and the fourth floor badly
damaged. The loss on the buildings Is
probably $1,000, covered by insurance
The origin Of the fire is unknown.
Smoke was discovered pouring out of the
front windows on the fourth floors of the
buildings by Policeman Hurry at 1o:lb
O'Clock and he turned on the alarm. He
went back to the place and tried to enter,
but the smoke drove MIN BACK.
Under Control in an Hour.
The fire was under control by 1880
o'clock and an hour later the tiremen
were leaving BY very hard work it had
been confined to the fourth floor of the
buildings and was not allowed to spread
in any direction. Chief Mullen is very
much pleased with the work of the men.
81 1a a
pany is valued at about $4,000 or $4,000.
Most of it was on the first, second and
third stories and only. light inhamable
material was stored on the fourth floor
The loss to the stuff on that floor will
be light probably not exceeding 500 or
$780, as well as could be estimated last
night. On the floors below there was a
quantity of canned goods and evaporated
fruits. The canned goods will only be
damaged by having the labels washed
off 1t is expensive to replace these, and
the cans will have to be returned to the
| factory.
The evaporated fruits, of which there
was large stock will be totally ruined
| by the water 1t is In this that the heav-
lest loss will be felt
The total will hardly go over 100000
which is covered by insurance to the
amount of $4,000.
Shareholders Co. Loss.
The stock of the stone-Rogers company
is valued at about $11 900 and the fixtures
of the store at about $1,000. Their loss
from the fire will be light, but water will
probably bring 1t to about $4,000 or possi-
bly, $4,000. They have a stock which is
as easily damaged by water as that of
the Standard company. They occupied
most of the building at 2107 Morris ave-
nue., but portion of it was sublet to the
Omaha Packing company, which carried
a stock valued at about $6OOO It's loss
will be small, probably not over $500 or
5000, caused by water.
The fourth floor of the building was
used by the tone-Rogers company,
where a large portion of the lighter part
of their stock was kept. The stock and
fixtures are fully covered by insurance,
the amount of which was not known.
The Omaha Packing company carries
'blanket Insurance." which covers the
erire loss.
w. B. Leedy Is agent for the buildings
and stated last night that they were val
ued at about $780, 600 and that $4,000 in
surance was carried on them. They are
two four-story brick buildings.
Other Slight Losses.
The Collins Grocery company occupies
the stores at 21O1 and 2iO3 Norris avenue,
and will probably suffer a small loss from
water which leaked through on the stock
of tobacco and cigars. The loss will be
slight and is covered by insurance.
The Birmingham Paper company occu-
pies the building at 21O9 Morris avenue.
It's stock is not thought to be damaged
| in the slightest by the water.
The fire was well fought. When the
alarm was turned on it looked as If II
would be almost impossible to save the
buildings. One of the difficult features
was the fact that the buildings were on the
railroad and it was hard to get to the
fire from the rear. Three streams were
sent back there and one was played on
top of the buildings from the Twenty
first street bridge. The most effective
stream was on the extension ladder, which
was placed in front of the buildings. On
this ladder were Firemen Akin. Brown
and Milton, and it was due considerably
to their work that the fire was quickly
under control. Two streams were play
ing on the front of the buildings and two
were carried up the steps and on the
| fourth floor The men on these lines had
the hardest time. as they were forced 10
face the smoke, and several of them
were almost overcome.
Fireman Has Back Wrenched.
In a tussle with an engine stream in
the fourth story window Fireman Akin
had his back badly wrenched, but was
not seriously injured. He stayed until
the fire was well under control, and was
then sent home by Chief Mullen.
There was no trouble about the water
pressure last night, and the fire was
| subdued much quicker than was thought
| possible. -Four engines were pumping
water. Chief Mullen says the extension
| ladder, which allows the men to get with
| in few feet of the fire and still be out
| OF the smoke and danger, was what saved
the day, and that If he had had another
to put at the rear of the buildings 1t would
have been easier.
|
The Age-Herald will give TO all new
puha~rihers On rural routea a rural