The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-25
HEROIC WORK AT
 MILLINERY FIRE The Bynum Company Stock Is
 Totally Destroyed BENNETT PRAISES MEN Loss on Building and Contents About s5O,0OO-Dihicult to Keep Blaze From Spreading to Adjoin-
 ing Structures
BENNETT PRAISES MEN
BY JACK BETHEA

V. i'y nun nhiiiiCiy otOiSt eO thS <AiiOii building and prevented a possible loss of a million dollars to the Hood building and the hardware store of s. Spiro.
 The damage caused by the fire will probably amount to over $50000, as it will be necessary for the west wall of the Allen building to be torn down, as it is considered in a dangerous condition. The east wall will stand.
 The stock of the B. c. Bynum Millinery company was estimated at between $35,- GOO and $45, 900 by MT. Bynum. This stock was a total loss. The Allen building Is owned by B. M. Allen and was damaged to the extent of about s13,000, which will be increased several thousand dollars by the condemnation of the wall. The dam age to the fixtures of the store was $lO.0O0.
 The loss on the building is fully covered by insurance, the owner, B. M. Allen, having s22,5OO insurance on the building, which is a four-story brick structure. B. C. Bynum is not so fortunate. he hav- ing only $16,O00 on his stock and 5000 on the fixtures. according to statements made yesterday by MT. Bynum. The rea- son for the large damage was that MT Bynum had just received his spring stock and all four floors of the building were packed with inflammable material.
 Origin of Fire
 The origin of the fire is as complete mystery as was that of the skating rink fire Monday afternoon. The fire is thought to have originated in the center of the building either on the first or second fioors Chief Bennett stated that 1t would be impossible to ascertain the origin of the fire.
 The fire was discovered by Patrolman John McGeever at 80 o'clock and he inn mediately turned in an alarm. The cen- tral station responded to the call and was on the scene two minutes after the alarm was sounded. Chief Bennett rushed to the scene and at once ordered second alarm to be turned in which called all the stations in town. In 15 minutes the general alarm sounded and every station in the limits of old Birmingham came hurrying to reply. In five minutes after the first call 12 streams were playing on the fire in ten minutes IS were being used to fight the flames.
 Chief Bennett arrived on the scene three minutes after the alarm and the windows of the second story were crumbling from heat. The entire in terior of the building was a mass of flames and the chief at once despaired of saving the Allen building. He there fore directed all effort toward prevent ing the spread of the fire.
 Fortunately for the department they were fighting without wind, but un- der great disadvantage from the po- sition of the building. There was no way to get at the fire save by the ends of the building and from the roof Of the Hood building. No streams could be directed against the flank of the enemy and the center of the fire con- tinued to be on the first floor.
 Magniflcent Work Done By Firemen
 Never has more magnificent work been done by the fire department or Greater Birmingham than was done yesterday. Every man on the scene risked his life a dozen times without a thought save to prevent the fire from spreading.
 Owing to the early hour the streets were practically deserted and only small crowd witnessed the efforts Of the department. They looked on the towering fla mes and held their breaths as a daring fireman, closely followed by others, was seen making his way toward the top of the building Here, in a precarious place, he directed the nozzle into the flames and eventually na ssed to the top of the Hood building and to a safer position. While the gal 1ant fellow was on the wall of the AL len building 1t was thought several times that he would be overcome by the smoke and fall to his death. But. undaunted, the man made his way 10 a point of vantage where he was short ly Joined by other hosemen and the conquest of the fire was well started.
 Another band of intrepid fremen looked into the inferno itself at the call of Chief Bennett. The chief gave a hurried glance at the condition or the flames. Seeing that the only point of vantage was the second story win dows, he turned to the men and said: Boys she'll have to go."' Without a word, a ladder was hastily raised. A
  ladder sprang up and another hissing tongue was turned on the flames. The men were in deadly peril of their lives and the crowd below ceased breathing while watching the men battle. Had there been a sudden outward blast of the flames nothing would have re- mained of the men but their crumbled and blackened bodies. Fortunately. this did not happen and in an incredibly short time eight lineu were playing in- cessantly on the fire which began to show the effects of such constant ef- forts.
 The above transpired on Third ave- nue and in the meanwhile several crews working in the alley were strug- gling desperately to keep the flames from spreading to the Hood building. Almost suffocated by smoke and blind ed by flying sparks from the roof above they stuck to their posts without finch ing and after an hours herculean toll the building became mass of smoking ruins A large number of lines of hose were kcpt playing on the ruins to ex- tinguish all the nre. ~
 Fire Very Dangerous
 In the estimation of Chief A. w.. Bennett of the fire department the fire yesterday morning was one of the most dangerous that Birmingham has yet had to deal with. Had the flames broken out an hour later 1t is considered prob