The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-25
Midnight Fire Does Damage
 Estimated Al $2OO,OOO
Roberts and Son Printing Establishment and Loveman Joseph Loebs Furniture Store Third Avenue Are Probably Totally Destroyed of Fire Unknown Entire
 Block in Danger for Time-Are Heavily Insured

$50. coo, but the amount of insurance upon the structure could not be learned. as it is said that the building belongs to the Bragg estate of Montgomery and that a MT. Marks of Montgomery Is man. ager or executor of the estate.
 Compliments upon the work of the fire department were plentiful, as it seemed when they reached the fire that nothing could save the entire block south of Third alley Generalled by Chief Bennett and his captains, however, the firemen were soon at every point in the building wherehuman endurance could possibly stand the heat. In the case of the sl- ways difficult task of putting out a big fire, the firemen were confronted with another hardship. A. fierce biting cold was felt, the mercury registring almost highest, icicles could be seen clnging to the ladders and wagons, where water had fallen from the hose Several firemen who had been. drenched, and who had not been reached by the heat of the fire, were cold and shivering.
 In spite of the late hour great crowds soon gathered along Third avenue and on the opposite side from the fire they lined the sidewalk from above Nine teenth street to below Eighteenth street The flames leaping from the top of the Roberts 6 Son building gave out a great light and persons were easily recognized at times when clear across the street.
 It did nc. take long for the fire news to spread through the Hotel Hill man and soon every window in the south side of the great hotel was filled with guests watching the flames. The burning building was just across the alley and a little to the west of the hotel. It afforded a splendid spectacle from the hotel windows and the guests did not even once seem to realize that they were in a very dangerous place.
 The fire itself as seen from Third ave- nue was not particularly spectacular but when the eye swept in the surroundings it thrilled the onooker The windows to the burning building looked like the open doors to some gigantic furnace. The ho- tel windows, full of people, who could be seen as if it were day, might have been taken for a freat Greek amphitheatre filled with pleasure seeking crowd who were watching tremendously interest ing scene in the arena. And interesting it was, for the shouts of the hremen could be heard above the roar of the fire as they scaled high truck labbers and shot white, hissing streams of water onto the flames, climbed the front wall of the Majestic theatre and from the roof threw more streams onto the top of the DufnlnS DulluinS, nefe the scream or the siren on an ambulance or there the throb ping and roaring of a fire engine as it duivered and worked beneath the han of red hot glowing cinders from It's own flues
 Human interest stories abounded around in the crowds at the fire. One man, in the frenzy of his haste and excitement, rushed to a fireman While the fire was at It's brightest ard exeTaimed Where s the fir'e7~ In politest tones the fireman directed him to the Terminal depot, stat Ing that the fire was in Tuscaloosa and that they were pumping them water through 8 pneumatic tube. The nasty gentleman beat a retreat to the sidewalk and watched the fire, along with other sane individuals.
 While excitement reigned supreme in the Majestic theatre, adjoining the burn ing building. woe-begone looking way farer rushed into the lobby and asked Say gimme a match will you?' How he passed the rigid fire line established by Chief Bodeker is still a mystery.