Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-26
Attempt Will Be Made to Fix
Responsibility for Death of
Fireman Gillespie.
Continued From Page One.

quickly recovered and sent to a local
undertaker's.
The rescue Of the nine sleepers in the
building was dramatic in the extreme
These persons, all grown, were all in
bed in the third floor rooms at No. 1873.
When the wall at No 140 fell the col
lapse carried with it great portions of
the walls of No. 1873. In fact, the rear
wall at No. 1873 was torn, ripped and
rent to bits. F'iremen placed extension
ladders against the tottering structure
and hurried to the roof Of the building
adjoining. There via human chain,
the f1remen handed women and men to
safety.
Hurt by Runaway Fire Team.
Policeman Chapman. who heard the
crash as he was in Pryor street walk
ing his beat was injured when a three
horse team hitched to ladder company
No. ran away after becoming fright
ened at the deafening report of the
crash and was cut about the face when
he was thrown against the curbing as
the team swung into fire plug.
Building Inspector Ed r. Hays was
| on the scene, and he asserted that the
| Workmen of the constructions company
appeared to be to blame He said a
| thorough investigation would be made
| His opinion was that the workmen had
dug too many holes for UNDERMINING.
| thus weakening the support of the
| middle wall, and that perhaps the
workmen had gone home last night,
| intending to strengthen the work to-
day. 4
superintendent Sullivan, of the
Griffin Company, was early on the
scene investigating. and Mr. Griffin ar
rived at $50 o'clock and at once began
looking into the cause of the trouble
Fire Chief Demands Probe.
FIRE Chief Cummings, as soon as the
flre was under control, demanded of
Building Inspector Ed r. Hays an i'm
mediate probe of the causes for the col
lapse OF the structure. He showed that
he was deeply grieved over the death ~
Fireman Gillespie and he declared If the
tragedy was caused by criminal negu-
sehce ne would DO his utmost to place
the responsibility on the proper per-
sons.
Inspector Hays agreed that q nroba
should be made at once. and as soon
as the hremen cease throwing water on
the building the building Inspector AS
slstant Inspector Bowen and Fire In
spector ID. Fl. Otis will begin a detailed
investigation. Their work viii be very
dangerous, for. the adjoining building
threatens to fall any minute.
chief Cummings said the loss m the
iiie department was fully $4,000. In
the stampede of the horses. the hose
wagon of No station was so badly
broken up that it had to be taken n
the shops. The horses raced down
whitehall street for two blocks crash
ing INTO telephone pole The horses
were badly bruised
The aerial truck. from which tho
ladder on which Fireman Gillespie was
standing was so badly damaged bv |
Iatlhs Dicks that Chief Cummings said
II would have to he sent to the factory |
for repairs.
Buildings Were Landmarks.
The two buildings at this corner are
two OF the Oldest in the city. ana tbe
general criticism of the crowd thar col |
'e'ted was that they should have been |
condemned by the city authorities ana
torn down long ago. They were built |
by Judge Weldrou Mitchell more than |
90 years ago. Each was three stories
high.
Il am sorely grieved at the death of
Fireman Gillespie" said Chief Cum
mlnss. He was brave. honest fell |
low and he died a glorious death-try-
ing TO save others"
The northeast corner Of Trinity ave- |
nue. and Whitehall street was bought
some time ago by j. T. C"Chuck'O An
derson, of Marietta, at the rate of ST.
800 a front foot and Mr. Anderson was
spending $4,000 on remodeling to house |
the Bauknight Furniture Company as
tenant, The adjoining building, it is
understood, was formerly the property
of Carlos II. Mason.
The Mason building chung to the new
George w. Sciple building, Just north
Of it, and 1t seemed that a strong south
wind helped to keep it from falling.
Police Officers sam Long. w. l., Payne |
and b. r. Haslett and Sergeant Il. !. |
Brown continually warned the crowds