Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-05-03


cause of the fire that early yesterday
morning burned away the roof and
top, or fifth, floor of the Windsor Ho-
tel, causing property loss that is es-
timated at from $15, 900 to $4,000 fully,
covered by insurance. The fire was
discovered about o'clock.
The department got to work imms-
diately, and within a remarkable
short time had six streams playing up
on the blazing roof. The reserve fire
engine was brought into use and
gave very effective service. The fire.
men were rendered valuable asistanc
by citizens in carrying the heavy lines
,ot hose up three flights to point Of
vantage. The hotel is fully equipped
with fire hose, and this, too, was used
to good effect. The blaze was con-
fined to the fifth floor, and while the
roof of that portion of the building
was destroyed, the loss might have
been greater.
Manager Rogers and employees of
the hotel notified all of the eighty
guests in the house of possible DANCE,
and all left the building in orderly
manner. That the fire was confined
to the fifth floor is due to the fact that
metal flooring at that point held II
in check. The sleeping apartments
Immediately beneath the burned por-
ton of the building were not damag-
ed.
The section in which the fire origl-
mated, and to which it was confined,
was used entirely for sample rooms,
there being no sleeping apartments
on that floor. Four travelling men,
guests of the hotel, lost valuable
trunks left overnight in the sample
rooms. There was little other per
sonal property loss sustained. The
greatest damage resulted from water
poured upon the flames. The hand
some frescoed ceiling in the lobby, was
ruined by water, as was that in se,"
eral other apartments All of this, it
was stated yesterday, would have TO
be replaced. The engine room and
power house were put out of commits
sion temporarily.
The flames reached the top portion
of the elevator shaft, burning the fast
enings. The heavy passenger. The
enings. The passenger elevator was at
the top of the shaft and dropped five
flights to the basement, sutaining con-
siderable damage.
While the fire was at its height the
merchants and others having places
of business in the hotel block looked
on anxiously, fearing general con-
fiagration, but none Of them found
1t necessary to remove any portion OF
their stocks of goods. Not place OF
business in the Hotel Windsor block
was damaged either by fire or water.
Seldom has the water supply BEEN
more abundant. For an hour the
standpipe overf1owed, and the pressure
was all that Chief Macarthur and his
firemen desired. Valuable assistance
was given by Messrs. o. G.. Johnson,
Neon Buchanan and John E. Chapman,
who were complimented upon their
volunteer aid
Mr.. L. G. Council, who owns the
hotel, was among those who worked
valiantly in subduing the flames. Mr.
Council stated afterwards that the loss
could only be approximated, but that
he thought it would reach $4,000 or
$4,000, if not more. The property, he
stated, was fully protected by insur-l
ance.
Before Z o'clock the hotel architect,
Mr.. E. C. Wachendorff, of Atlanta, had
been notified of the fire. He left At
Ianta for Americus by first train ana