The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-08
New Building on Avenue A and Twentieth Street a
 Mass of Ruins
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
 WILL NEVER BE KNOWN
Immense Crowd surged Through the Streets. Fire Spread With Awful Rapidity. One Fire
 man Was Injured.

Fire which originated about 10 o'clock last night completely destroyed the nVe- story brick building of the Moore ana uandlev Hardware company at Twentieth strset and Avenue A. causing loss or pe- tween $25O.0oO and s275,Ooo.
 A two-story building, part of which was formerly occupied by the Avondaie oteaii Laundry and part of which Is occupied oS the local branch of the Philip Carey Maii- ufacturing company, was also oes'ioseu' oausing an additional loss of about S25,ooo. This building is on the north sloe oi Avenue A, between Twentieth ana i"en- ty-first streets.
 If was impossible last night to get even an annroximate estimate of the insurance m inc Moore & Handley building ana stock hut B. F. Moore, secretary and treasurer of the company, stated .na' 'i'o loss was practically covered.
 The building on Avenue A was the prop- ertv of Bryan, Lyn & Hass, and was valued at about $12.o00, and pracucaiiy covered by insurance. The stock or lhe Philip Carey Manufacturing company was valued at about $12,0O0 and was also prao- tically covered by insurance.
 The Moore & Handley building cost abo,,t s75 5ooo. exclusive of the founda- lions. which were very deep and expen- sive It was completed about two years ago, or a year after the fire wnicn oe- stroyed a portion of the plant or the company on October 2, 1902.
 The origin of the fire Is unknown. TWO theories are advanced as to the cause. One is that a spark from passing en- zine was blown through one or the Win dows and the other is that defective elec- tric wiring was the cause.
 The fire originated on the third or fourth floor of the building in the southeast corner. When first discovered 1t had gained little headway and Night Watch man Simpson turned in an alarm immedi- Rtely.
 Fire Spread Rapidly.
 The fire spread more rapidly than any other fire which has occurred in the past four years. In less than ten minutes a1ter the alarm was turned in the entire rear end of the building above the second floor was mass of flames, and sheet of fire was rapidly eating it's way to the front of the building.
 series of explosions, none of which were very serious, served to spread the fire rapidly, and the flames shot high in the air as each of them occurred.
 The fire was one of the most spec tacular ever seen in Birmingham. The building burned like a finder box and the flames leaped high in the air, carrying with them myriads of sparks and inn mense volumes of smoke.
 James l.. Akin captain of engine house No. 4, was the only fireman injured at the fire, and his injuries are not of a serious nature. As he was descending a ladder, which had been placed against one of the buildings on Avenue A, nozzle attached to a line of hose got away from him and flew around and struck him on the face, badly bruising his jaw. He was carried to Hillman hospital in the am- bulance of Shaw & Son.
 A number of people reached the fire within a few minutes after 1t was first discovered. Several of them stated that when they first arrived, and before the fire department had been able to even lay line of hose, the fire had spread from a very small area until 1t covered practically half of the building on the rear on the third and fourth floors.
 Much of the lighter material carried In the stock was in the rear of the build Ing and that was one cause of the rapid spread. The flames soon reached the cart ridges which exploded for two or three hours, and which sounded like a sham battle. Cans of oils and paints exploded frequently with untitled sound, and oc- casionally there was louder and sharper explosion.
 The force of the explosions seemed to be downward, and after each one the flames would get lower and lower, and nearer the front of the store. Two ex- plosions occurred in rapid succession about 10:40 o'clock, which seemed to blow their way through the floor of the second story and spread the fire into the first floor.
 Force Downward.
 The first of the explosions was at 10 20 o'clock and 1t frightened the crowd badly. Reports were circulated that dynamite and powder were stored in the building, and the explosions caused the people to credit the rumors Members of the firm, however, assured the fremen and the policemen that there was no danger.
 About 10:30 o'clock, ov thirty minutes after the fire started, the flames burst from the front windows of the fourth