Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-05-14
BIC ATLANTA FIRE
TWO SOLID BLocke IN THE BUsI
NESS SECTION WERE
DESTROYED.
LOSS REACHED sl,5OO,O0O
Low Water Pressure and High Wlns
Rendered Flremen Helpless to
Stop the Flames-No
Lives Lost.

Atlanta, Ca, May 9.-TwO solid
business blocks are In ruins as
the result Of a fire which threatened
for a time to carry its destruction
through the business section of the
city and perhaps wipe out the entire
downtown district. The fire loss may
be conservatively estimated at $1,000,
900.
The Terminal Hotel, one Of the larg'
est In the city, Is a mass Of bricks,
It had on its register 200 guests when
the fire started block away. Every
one escaped. Nearby were several
other small hotels, but in these there
was no loss Of life, nor was there any
In the Terminal hotel.
The fire started In the Schlissinger-
Meyer Baking company, Madison and
Nelson streets. at $3.50 Friday morn
ing and within few minutes the
building was in flames. The wagons
had just started away with their early
morning load of bake-stuft when the
alarm was given and an attempt was
made to start the electric elevator in
the Schlissinger building to awaken
the employees asleep there. The ele-
vator failed to respond to the start
ing mechanism and the fire authorities
believe the fire may have been due
to some defect in this electric ele-
vator. When the first fire company
arrived the building was mass Of
flames. Chief Cummings Immediately
turned in a general alarm. Flames
were Shooting from every window Of
the big building that ran the entire
block from Nelson to Mitchell street,
on Madison and were leaping high
in the air from the middle Of the
building. The water pressure was
poor and try as they could, the fire.
men could not get a stream that
would carry above the second floor
Half an hour after the fire started
threatening walls made 1t necessary
to remove engines on the Mitchell
street side of the Schlisslnger build
ing and 80 firemen with streams Of
water playing upon them dragged the
machines to a place of safety. Mean
while 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 fiue for the fire.
East of the Terminal hotel, on
Mitchell, was the Marion hotel, annex
and Childs hotel The fire stopped
after running the latter hotel. Across
the street postofiice station D, the
most important sub-station In the city,
the Southern Suspender company and
the Southern Handkerchief Manufac-
turing company, the Georgia Vehicle
company, the Piedmont Hat company
and McClure's 10-cent store all fell
away like SO many cigar boxes.
Mitchell street from Madison ave-
nue. to Forsyth was one great furnace,
flames shooting across the street from
either side with falling walls every
where and danger to life and limb
imminent, but the firemen stuck to
their work and did not draw back I'M
til they finally had to drop their hose
and run for their lives as the last wall
Of the Piedmont Hat company came
down, leaving a clear space across
whole block that where once was one
Of the busiest blocks Of the city. The
FIRE was not under control until after
eight o'clock.