The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-05-15

ATLANTA SUFFERS.
FIRE CAUSES BIG LOSS IN BUSI.
NESS DISTRICT.

| hIBh WMu anu Light w atCt Pressure
Rendered the Eircaghtcrs' wori
Harder.
One million and quarter is the
loss conservatively estimated Frida,
on fire which started at 3: 80 O'Clock
Friday morning and which swept two
blocks OF Atlanta business property.
Friday night the fire was unde,
control with ruined buildings in the
district bounded by Forsyth. Nelson
Madison and Hunter streets. Lat,
'riday the police and fire departments
dynamitcd what was left of the rae.
ged walls. Friday night half of the
| fire fighting force OF Atlanta was
playing water into dozen razcd
structures
How the tire started is a mystery
| 1t was discovered in the building oc-
cupicd By the ScheSsngcr Meyer com
pany, bakery From there il ran its
way in all directions until il struck
the Terminal hotel, one OF the largest
in the city, and guttcd that During
the early morning hours every one i'm
the Terminal hotel and in numerous
other smaller hotels in the district
had warning. There was no loss of
life and no serious injuries from the
|conilagraion
.e insurance on the property de-
Stroycu is placed BY insurance men
at $3.50, 1000. One Of the heaviest
losers in S. Nj lnman OF Atlanta. who
owned the entire block bounded bv
Forsyth, Mitchell and .>eIson streets
and Madison avenue. and in which
were located the Observation-Disclosures
company. Branch E Of the city post
office, the Liquid Carbonic company.
Il branch OF Central Trust G. Banking
company and many smaller concerns.
The fire was discovered in the ele-
vator shaft ofEthe Schlessinger build
ing and Isl suDnosd to have ol.i g. i,satesi
from crossed wires running to the
motor which operated the elevator.
by the time the tlremen had arrived
the flames had broken through the
roof Of this building and owing To n
light water pressure, ii was impossible
to check their progress. III a short
time this structure was completely
guttcd and the fire was eating its
way through the Station y Of the
Atlanta poStotlcc where mails re-
ceived from the terminal station Just
across thc square are distributed.
The employers OF the postonicc.
however. by quick work managed to
save all the mail and most OF the
equipment.
Jumping across Mitchell street the
tlameS made short Work OF the Ter
minal hotel the Terminal annex,
Childs' annex. al which point the
lircmcn succeeded in checking the
onslaught on the north side Of Nit
chcl street On the south Side, how
ever, the flames continued to sweep
everything in their path until Forsyth
street was reached. cutting the build
ingS occupied by McClurcs Ten Cent
store. the brach bank OF the Central
Banking and Trust company, tlc Par
agon Srspcndcr company, Moon Shoe
store and The Liquid Carbonir com
pany
The SchlcssnScr building extended
half a block on Nelson street and
from il the flames soon jumped 10
numerous structures Oh Forsyth street
and destroying the places occupied by
Alvcrson Bros, Grocery company, the
l}ingcrS Frame Manufacturing COM
pany, and he Walker Cooley Furni-
turc company. y strong west wind
famed The flames and scattered burn
ing cmhcrs over the whole business
sction OF the city, threatening for u
time to cansc even greater loss.
Tho hremrn had many narrow es-
capcS from falling walls, but no in
iuricS OF a serious nature are report
cd
The guests from the hotels and
rOoming houses in the burned section
succeeding in saving most Of thci'
effects having been warned in time
to remove their trunks, which were
piled on the plaza in front Of the Ter
minal station, from which point their
owners and many early riScrS watch
ed the progress Of the fire. Z"