The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-04
FLAMES CONSUMED
LAUNDRY PLANT
LOSS WILL REACH $4,000.
WEDDING PRESENTS AND HOUSE,
HOLD EFFECTS WERE BURNED.

Entire Fire Department Called Out
EARLY Yesterday Morning to Fight
Blaze in Building at No. 10 Com
gress Street. West, Occupied by
Georgia Steam Laundry-Furniture
and Clothing of Secretary c. L..
CHH Consumed with other Prop
erty.
In a fire that threatened the bust
ness section of the city at $50 o'clock
yesterday morning, the second and
third floors of the building at No
ITO Congress street, west and No.
100 st. Julian street, west, occupied
by the Georgia Steam Laundry, were
entirely burned and the building was
badly Quilted.
Besides laundry machinery, valued at
about $500, the personal effects of
Mr.. c. l.. Cliff, the secretary and
treasurer of the company, valued at
$500, including two diamond pins,
We're consumed. Wedding presents,
furniture and personal effects of Mr.
Gregory, of Dawson, Ga, who came
to Savannah as an agent of the New
York Life Insurance Company, valued
at $1,000, were also consumed. The
flames We're famed by strong wind
but the fremen, by hard work, man
aged to keep them confined to the
building.
Until last Friday Mr.. Cliff and his
family were occupants of the third
floor of the building, and had they
still been occupying the rooms, Mr.
Cliff is certain he would have been
burned to DEATH When the firemen
reached the scene the two upper floors
We're burning fiercely and within a few
minutes the iron windows on the Con-
gress street side of the structure were
almost red hot. A general alarm was
sounded and the entire fire depart
ment was soon on the ground.
Iron shutters Were Red Hot.
Ten streams of water and the Hart
ladder pipe, connected to the aerial
truck, flooded the building and kept
the flames inside. Most of the fighting
was done from the St. Julian street
side of the building, the firemen find
ing it almost impossible to break
through the hot iron shutters on Con-
gress street. The fire was a stub
born one and for a short while it look
ed as If the flames would cross Con-
gress street and work their way over
to Broughton.
Besides the household effects of Mr..
Cliff and MIR. Gregory on the third
floor, there was a en-drawer dry-room
with shafting, betting and valves.
Nothing was saved on this floor. A
dozen laundry machines on the second
floor were also totally destroyed and
nothing on this floor was saved. The
damage to the machinery on the first
floor was not great. The flames did
not get below the second floor, but the
machinery on the ground floor was
damaged by water.
Wife's Troussenu Was Burned.
The loss of the laundry company is
| covered by an insurance policy of
$4,000. Mr.. Cliff only carried $500 in
| surance on his personal effects and lost
everything. Mr.. Gregory has a policy
for $500 that will only about half re-
| imburse him for his actual less. The
| articles themselves can never be re-
placed, since his wifes trousseau and
all of their welding presents were lost.
Mr.. Gregory only came to Savannah
| a few days ago and had stored his eff
| fects until his fiat at No. 21S Ogle-
| thorpe avenue. west. could be gotten
| ready for occupancy. 1t is at this adj
dress where Mr.. Cliff went on Friday,
| although, as has been indicated, he had
not yet moved his effects.
How the fire started is not known.
| 1t is thought to have begun on the
| second floor but both floors were en-
Veloped in flames when the fire was
| discovered by a patrolman who sound
ed the alarm. Mr.. Cliff did not leave
the building until after l o'clock, and
saw nothing wrong at that time. A
messenger got him out of bed a few
minutes after the flames were discov-
cred, but he was unable to save any
| of his property.
Had Plenty of Water.
The water gauge that was installed
| at the foot of Drayton street a day
| or two ago jumped fourteen pounds
| within a few minutes after the alarm
| was sounded. When the alarm was
| sounded the gauge registered twenty
| two pounds, and from that point 1t
| jumped to thirty pounds. The rec
| ords at the waterworks show that when
| the alarm sounded there was six feet
| two inches of water in the wells, and
| that later, when there were ten Streams
on the burning building, the depth of
the water in the wells was seven feet
| FIVE inches.
None of the laundry on the office
| floor of the building was damaged ex-
! cept by water and the company will
not be embarrassed by the fire. The
work will be done at the company's
place at No. 10 Lumber street without
any trouble. "Our patrons will not
suffer by our misfortune" said Mr..
| Cliff I'VE can look after all of our
customers without any trouble at the
works on Lumber street. The laundry
that was water soaked will be done