The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-12
IA FIRE AT NEW EXCHANGE Two Floors of Kitchen
 Annex Damaged. WILL NOT DELAY OPENING Loss is Between $l0.000 and $l5,- 900 and is Insured. Doors Connecting Annex With Hotel
 Proper Were Closed and Their
 Fire-proof Quality Was Dem- onstrated.

tel kitchen annex, three story build ing. were completely gutted by fire early yesterday morning. The main bl1idluu was not harmed in the least. and practical demonstration was made of the absolute proof against fire Of that part of the building which the guests will occupy, when the hotel opens April ].
 The loss will not be definitely an nouneed until insurance adjusters reach Montgomery tomorrow. It Is va riously estimated as between SlO.O0O and $15, 900 and Is fully covered by in- surance
 The cause of the fire is mystery. There were fires in the boiler in the kitchen apnex.s but 1t Is not believed that the blaze which gutted the fnte- rior of the two stories of the annex was originated by this source. The theory is advanced that tramps were probably seeking shelter in the new building and they caused the fire while some argue that spontaneous combust- ion was the cause.
 The kitchen annex is to the north os the hotel proper and fronts on Lee street. The first two floors damaged by the fireNwe used as a kitchen and boiler rooms. while on the third floor there is laundry machinery, and quar- ters for servants. as yet unoccupied. The alarm of fire was sent in at 3;22 o'clock yesterday morning, but the building had probably been on fire for an hour or more. The watchman was in the hotel proper and the blaze was discovered by Police Captain Miles Smith and several pedestrians.
 Some time prior to the discovery of the fire persons down town had noticed tho unusually heavy clouds of smoke in the air, but they were of the opinion that the smoke was from an ice plant or a candy factory, which are in the vicinity of the hotel
 When the fire department arrived on the scene. the first two floors were a mass of flames. The annex Is located over fifty feet east of the sidewalk and line of hose had to be run that extra distance. Entrance on the east side was finally made by running lines of hose through Commerce street stores. Six streams were playing on the blaze. but water seemed to have no effect on the fire, so great was the start of the flames on the firemen.
 James IA Montgomery. architect in- spector of the building was one of the first on the scene after the alarm was turned in. He thought immediately for the safety of the hotel proper and en- tered the main building. Mir. Mont gomery promptly closed down the fire doors connecting the annex with the building and not only did he relieve the fire department of working on the new hotel but saved the interior of the handsome hostlery from damage by smoke
 Hotel Is Fire Proof. The claims made by the hotel con tractor that the building proper is ab- solutely fire proof were amicably dem- onstrated Even the connecting hall way between the annex and the hotel was not damaged in the least. Undoubtedly the fire originated on the ground floor of the building. Here was the mammoth range which had on- ly been recently installed and the fine equipment of cooking utensils with which Managaer J. D. Hickey had fit- ted out his Kitchen. The kitchen floor was made of concrete and encanstic tiling. The big range was placed on wooden supports and when these sup ports had caught fire and burned rap idly it caused the kitchen floor at the north end of the building to give way, The floor had fallen when the firemen arrived.
 A great crowd gathered at the scene of the fire notwithstanding the un- seasonable hour of the morning and expressiohs of keen regret were heard on all sides on account of the blaze striking the new hotel, the pride of all Montgomery. Qualification was like wise expressed on the fact that the main building entirely escaped from the fire.
 The fremen worked steadily through the morning hours and by 6:30 o'clock, the blaze was under control Although the firemen did not return to their sta- tions until about Il o'clock.
 Loss is Fully Insured.
 The building was fully insured. Mich oIas liner, contractor for the building had S15O,00O builders insurance on the building. This insurance was placed through Holt & Strauss and II. c. Davidson. Manager Hickey also had insurance on his cooking apparatus
 The work of the contractor on the hotel and the annex is practically com pleted and the building was to have been turned over to the lessee, MT Hickey tomorrow Contractor 1tner reached Montgomery last night for the purpose of making the transfer
 Although the interior of the two hrst floors of the annex is badly damaged, the walls were not injured. careful examination was made yesterday 10 discover some weakness but the gratl- fication of the hotel owners IL was found that with the exception of the handsome walls being discolored by smoke, they were not damaged.
 No attempt was made yesterday 10 estimate the loss by either the hotel men or the insurance agents. The in- surance adjusters will reach Mont gomery tomorrow and will immediate ly begin work, figuring on the actual loss. Until they arrive, the building will not be disturbed. As soon, how ever, as this inspection Is completed an extra force, will be put in the an- mex and the work of renewing and re- pairing will be pushed as rapidly as possible. It is hoped by Manager Hickey to have the hotel opened as an- nounced on April 1.
 Nothing definite has been decided as to what steps will be taken, should the annex not be repaired in time for the date of the opening of the New EX- change If it is not repaired by April 1, the hotel will probably be opencd | on the European plan and operated as q | European hotel until the kitchen and l boilers are ready for business. The | fire only affected the utility quarters of the hotel
 Manager Hickey was. of course, l greatly disturbed by the fire just as he was preparing to open the most modern hotel in Alabama and probably one of the best in the South. He will do everything in his power to have the
 opening of the hotel at the earliest
 possible moment
 The fire department was generally commended for confirming the fire tC