The San Francisco call., 1908-05-09
BAKERY STARTS
ATLANTA BLAZE
Two Business Blocks Wiped Out
by Fierce Fire in Georgia
Metropolis
Whole City Threatened With
Destruction Because OF
Poor Water Supply


business blocks of Atlanta. are in ruins
today as the result of a fire which
threatened for a time TO carry Its de-
struction through the business section
OF the city and perhaps wipe out the
entire downtown district The fire
loss may be conservatively estimated
at sl,5oo.000. The Terminal hotel. one
bricks. 1t had on its register 200
guests when the fire started block
away Everyone escaped
Nearby were several other small
hotels but in these there was no loss
of life.
The fire started in the Schlessinger-
Meyer baking company, Madison and
Nelson streets, early this morning.
The wagons had just started away
with their morning load of bakestuffs
when the alarm was given and an
attempt was made to start the electric
elevator in the Schlessinger building to
awaken the employees asleep there.
The elevator failed to respond to the
starting mechanism and the fire au-
thorities believe the blaze may have
been due to some defect In the electric
elevator. When the first fire company
arrived the building was a mass of
flames. Chief Cummings Immediately
turned in general alarm Flames
were shooting from every window of
the big building that ran the entire
block from Nelson to Mitchell streets
on Madison, and were leaping high in
the air from the middle of the building.
The water pressure was poor and try
as they would. the firemen could not
get streanla that would carry above
the second floor.
DEPARTMENT RESCUED
Half an hour after the fire started
threatening walls made 1t necessary to
remove the engines on the Mitchell
street side of the Schlessinger building
and so Arenaen with streams of water
playing upon them dragged the ma
chimes to a place of safety Meanwhile
high power trolley and electric light
wires were falling everywhere. parts
of walls were dropping out and with
the high wind prevailing the flames
were shot across the street to the
Terminal hotel, which acted as sort
of f1ue for the fire.
Floor after floor of the Terminal
hotel was soon ablaze. The firemen
were fought back until they were in
the rear of the Terminal building,
where lack of water again retarded
any effort to check the fire. Within
half an hour the walls and the roofs of
the hotel had fallen In. Spreading
from Madison street TO Nelson street,
tiS ie dtc us way IO llt LlQutQ Car
bonic company's structure, five story
building to the east and within a
short space OF time there were two
terrific explosions which seemed to
carry all retaining walls and the roof
of this building to the basement. Next
to the Carbor1ic company's building was
the Inulan block. which faced on For
sythe street This building was three
story structure, extending from Nelson
81 m -
and contained nine or ten business
concerns. narrow alley separated
the 1nman block from the fire and 1T
was soon a mass of flames and fire
company after fire company was drawn
away from other spots and their COM
bined forces applied here. for 1t was at
this point that the fire was to be
Forsythe streets and burning farther
into the city.
HOTELS DESTROYED
East of the Terminal hotel, on Mitch
ell, was the Marion hotel annex and
the Childs hotel. The FIRE stopped after
running the latter hotel ACROSS the
street the postoffice station D. the most
important substation in the city, the
Southern suspender company and the
Southern handkerchief manufacturing
company. the Georgia Vehicle company
the Piedmont hat company and Nc
Clure's 10 cent store all fell away like
SO many cigar boxes.
Mitchell street and Madison avenue
to Forsythe was one great furnace.
flames shooting across the street from
either side with falling walls every
where and danger to life and limb Inn
minent, but the firemen stuck to their
work and did not draw back until they
finally had to drop their hose and run
T0r tni, 1fxr4c Jou A.
Piedmont hat company came down,
leaving a clear space across whole
block that where once was one of the
busiest blocks of the city.