Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-04
SAVANNAH s FIRE
LOSS 100000
Five Blocks Waterfront Prop
erty Burn-Docks and Ware
houses Swept Away.

rAvANNAH. GA, Feb. 3.-Ffve
,.cts of Savannah river water front
s,,nertv Including the Merchants and
srners Transportation Company's
lives the Planters Rice mill, and a
.ar+ of the Seaboard Air Line freight
Ytora houses, were burned early yes
,a-@av morning, entailing loss con-
,orva+tvelv estimated at $1,500,000.
FnlIowing an explosion on the Bal
.,-,ora wharf of the Merchants and
Miners transportation Company, the
hlocks on either side were enveloped in
sheets of fame. The shock of the ex-
nlos'on awakened residents in the vi
Unity but before they could get into
The street the fire covered nearly an
acre of ground and spread rapidly in
every direction. A few minutes after
the first explosion there was another,
followed by a third. Each of these
seemed to feed the flames and make the
fire more dangerous to fight. All Of the
Yamacraw section was threatened with
destruction.
MUCH FI&t9UL DutnSs
The Merchants and Miners ships had
discharged cargoes on the docks Sat
urday. All Of this freight was lost.
The Planters Rice mill was a total
loss. Both the mill on the north side
Of the river and the power plant of the
company we're burned. Many ware
houses leased to shippers by the Mer-
chants and Miners Company were de-
struyed. The burning of the Planters
Rice mill wipes out the last of the rice
mills of Savannah. The upper and
lower mills went a number of years ago.
The American Steel and Wire Com
psny leased warehouses from the Gen.
tral Of Georgia railway. These with
several others of the railways ware
houses, leased to patrons, were destroy
ed
The wooden sheds on the wharves
burned like finder After the f1remen
realized that the docks could not be
saved they turned their attention to the
eastern edge of the flames. Despite the
great volume of water poured on the
flames section after section Of the brick
warehouses crumbled under the heat
The ttremen we're often in peril. The
brick walks collapsed without warning.
Ffremen time after time barely had
time to scramble to adjoining roofs and
save themselves.
Wind Saves Docks.
Within few minutes after the fire
started 1t seemed certain that It would
spread westward to the Ocean Steam
ship Company's docks Fortunately
for this extensive property a wind was
blowing from the docks. This enabled
the fremen to more effectively battle
with the blaze and check the conflagra-
ton before it reached the Ogeechee ca
nal, which is the dividing line between
the docks Of the two steamship compa-
MES
All 1amacraw was imperiled by the
shower OF burning sparks. As thick as
"aI stones these menacing missiles
were scattered over the section. Sew
eFal residences were burned. So dam
selouS did the situation become that
Humoers of families packed their house
.o4o belongings and moved out. The
'ao' mat all the residences in this sec
uon are rooted with tin or sheet metal
p'Ooaoly prevented the fire from
spreading further. The loss of the
"harves was inevitable.
Inc hre is the most disastrous since
Ine great Yamacraw fire of October 81.
1905 when more than 300 houses were
turned LOO people were made home
'eSS ana eight lives were lost