The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-26
19 Houses Destroyed and About 20 Damaged n
 East Birmingham
TOTAL DAMAGE WILL
 REACH $22,000
Fire Started Yesterday Morning About 11:30 O'Clock and the Fire Department Was Powerless
 to Check Flames

Fire. which nearly reached the stages l of a confagration, almost wiped East Birmingham off the map yesterday when 19 homes were destroyed and between 16 and 20 others were more or less seriously damaged The loss of the totally de stroyed homes is estimated at about s21,- ooo. with about half of 1t insured. The loss on partly damaged houses will not amount to over 5000 or $500 at the out side.
 The total damage will reach about s220OO
 The fire was discovered at about 11:S0 o'clock yesterday morning at the home of R. J. Pearman. S1S North Forty-ninth street. The fire was caused from a de- fective fue and Mrs. Pearman states that the house was almost in flames when she discovered it. The alarm was turned in. the Avondale station being the first to respond As the fire spread, in rapid succession fire companies began appear ing on the scene until stations 1. 5, 6, g., 10, Il and 12 were there. Chief Bennett, Commissioner Culpepper Exum, Assistant Chief Walton and Secretary Albertson were also at the fire. Commissioner Exum spent about two hours looking the situa- tion over.
 High Wind Blowing
 Aided by high wind the flames rapidly spread to adjoining houses until there were nine ablaze on North Forty-nlnth street between Ninth and Tenth avenues. The firemen battled for an hour or two with the flames here until some one re- ported that the fire had broken out in the vicinity of Eleventh avenue and Forty-eighth street, three blocks away. The fire fighting force was split and half of it went to the new quarters but be- fore they could get the flames under con trol 10 houses were doomed. Others in both quarters were damaged more or less, the losses of the partly damaged houses ranging from s10 to S100, according to figures given by the occupants to Sec retary Albertson.
 Homes Destroyed
 In the district where the fire started the following houses were totally de- stroyed:
 R. J. Pearman, S13 Forty-ninth street, frame house; total loss, $l2O0; house part ly insured; no insurance on furniture.
 Robert Pogue, sl4 Forty-ninth street; frame house; total loss, $10Oo; whether any insurance was carried could not be ascertained.
 J. J. Grim, SO9 Forty-ninth street; frome house; total loss $1000 Insur- ance was carried but amount unknown.
 N. D. McMullen, S15 Forty-ninth street; frame house; total loss $2000; in surance on house and furniture $1200.
 Mrs. J. D. Tarrant, SIT Forty-ninth street! frame house; total loss $17oO; total insurance $500.
 J. F. Pogue. S19 Forty-ninth street; frame house; total loss s1200; amount of insurance if any could not be ascer- tained.
 w c. Buck, S21 Forty-ninth street; frame house; total loss $120o; whether or not there was any insurance could not be ascertained.
 s. NJ. McMurray. S2S Forty-ninth street; frame house; total loss s12oo; not known whether there was insur- ance.
 A vacant house at s22 Forty ninth street, belonging to Mrs. Seals, was totally destroyed; the loss is placed at S1000 but the amount of insurance is not known.
 Second District of Fire
 The foregoing houses were in the district in which the fire originated. It jumped three blocks from here to the vicinity of Eleventh avenue and Forty eighth street. A list of tile houses in this latter district follows:
 MT. O'Hara, 1913 Forty-eighth street. :. frame house; total loss $1400; amount of insurance is not known.
 J. c. Bishop, 1915 Forty eighth street; frame house; total loss $500; $500 in- surance carried on house and contents.
 Mrs. Gillian. 1917 Forty eighth street; frame house; total loss $120O; if there was any insurance it could not be ascertained. The house was owned by B. A. Bishop.
 Mrs. S. F. Hall 1921 Forty-eighth street; frame house; loss on furniture $500; this house and 1919 Forty eighth street, which adjoins, were owned by Richard Causey, were both destroyed. The total loss of both houses was $1s00. with $1200 insurance. There was no Insurance on the contents. 1919 Forty eightn street was uhoccupieu at the time of the fire.
 k. F. Sutherland, 1923 eighth street. frame house; total loss s1400; s1100 insurance on both house and con- tents.
 Mir. Shultz, 4s00 Eleventh avenue; brick house; total loss, according to his own figures: $500, with no insurance.
 J. F. Leonard and Mrs. B. Early joint ly occupied 471S Eleventh avenue. brick house: total loss to both s150O. There was no insurance on the contents. The