The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-24
Southern Paint Manufacturing
COmpanys Establish
ment Consumed
ESTIMATED LOSS $6O,OOOI
FIREMENS SPLENDID WORK
Thousands Jam the Streets-Rain of
Sparks-Most Serious Conflagra-
ton Since Chalifoux Fire.
Cause Is in Dispute.

The most destructive confederation
since the burning of the .Chalifoux build
ing two years ago visited Birmingham
last night when the building at POLL First
avenue owned by the Jordan estate and
occupied by the Southern Paint Manu-
featuring company was rendered a COM
plete wreck at a loss of approximately
100000. The uninsured loss will not ex-
coed $4,000 however.
The Southern Paint Manufacturing
company, headed by Ben Meyer and Da-
vid S. Meyer, lost its entire stock of
goods. consisting principally of paints
and brushes of various kinds, and oils
and varnishes. Ben Meyer, the senior
member of the firm, Is absent from the
city spending his vacation in Michigan.
David s. Meyer, however. was on the
streets during the confiagration. He
states that the stock of goods in the
building was valued at $50, 900 and the ma
chinery at $1,000. About $4,000 insurance
was carried on the. stock and fixtures,
according to his statement.
The building. as stated, was owned by
the Jordan estate. 1t was one of the
oldest in the city and stands this MORN
ing total wreck, having been destroyed
at a loss approximately of $4,000. This
loss is practically covered by the insur-
ance carried upon the building.
Whole Block Threatened.
That the entire block in which the
Jordan building was located was not
destroyed is a veritable miracle and only
to the magnificent work of the local fire
department under the direction of AS
sistant Chief w. p Walton can the sal
walton of one of the most dense and
most valuable sections of the business
district of Birmingham be attributed.
The highly inflammable contents of the
building coupled with the exceedingly
stiff breeze which blew up shortly before
the fire began contributed to make the
blaze one of the most formidable which
the fire ladies have had to fight in
years.
There was never any hope of saving the
building where the conflagration orig
mated. 1t seemed as If the Internal re-
gIons had turned loose with all their
fury right on the one spot and two min
utes after the blaze was discovered the
building occupied by the paint company
was doomed and the business section of
the city was seriously threatened.
OF Doubtful Origin.
There seems to be some doubt as to
where the fire originated and how 1t
started appears to be an unexplainable
matter. People who were on the scene
state that there was a blaze on the first
floor and that the blaze started there.
On the other hand some contend the fire
broke out in its first fury in the third
floor.
However 1t would appear that the trou-
BILE began on the first floor. The first
that was known of the existence OF the
treacherous blaze was when a tremendous
explosion occurred In the building, just
back of the kitchen of the Joe Wheeler
restaurant on Twentieth street between
Morris and First avenues. A barrel of
oil of some kind had apparently exploded
and 1t is believed that at that time the
interior of the paint company's building
was we'll fired. The fire alarm was turned
In from the restaurant
The fire gong was sounded at about
9:45 o'clock and all departments turned
out promptly. The forces from No. sta
tion were the first to arrive but when
they reached the scene great mass of
fame was belching forth from the top
floor of the building and 1t was evident
that the structure and its contents were
doomed.
Despite the excellent work of the fire
laddes the blaze spread among the OILS
on the three floors with almost incon-
ceivable rapidity. Before 10 minutes had
elapsed the walls Of the 50-foot building
were encased practically in a solid mass
OF flames.
Contiguous Property.
Outside of the splendid effort to save
the wimberly-Thomas Hardware COM
pany's building on the east side and the
American Trust and Savings banks
building on the west the fremen had a
hopeless battle from the start. Fully Is
or 20 lines of hose were set to playing
on the flames within the building, but
the water seemed only to spread the fire,
which ever increased in its fury.
When the ravages OF the fire demon had
continued for is minutes the flames were
leaping probably 100 feet in the air and
as the floors fell in thousands and thous-
ands of sparks were carried up into the
air before the white hot blazes and the
fiery shower descended upon the streets
for several blocks around. The building
assumed the nature of a veritable fur
mace and thousands of people who had
assembled were awed by the fearful
beauty of the scene
The Rain Of Sparks.
On account of the speed of the wind
the tongues of flame were licking in
every conceivable direction and the air,
for blocks and blocks, was filled with
a rain of falling sparks-myriads of tiny
particles of fire, while ever and anon a
burning coal, as large as a nut sailed
to earth.
On account of the falling sparks-scat-
tered widely by the wind-the danger of
contiguous buildings becoming ignited
was great. AS matter of fact, awnings
on several of the buildings around the
scene of the holocaust were burned.
The heat was intense. Window panes
wera cracked in tho surrounding huild-