The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-05
BIG FIRE IN SAVANNAH.
THAT WILL AMOUNT 40 ST.
100000.
Greatest Loss Is Sustained by the Cen
tral cf Georgia Railway Company
and the Merchants and Miners Com
pany.

savannah, Ia, Feb. Fast black
ening heaps of smoking ashes. a quar-
ter of n mile in length and 200 yards
In width. are all that remains tonight
OF the wharves OF the Merchants &
Miners Transportation Company,
which burned early this morning. The
fre. wich originated near the main
entrance OF wharves. was discovered
shortly after 1 o'clock. but spread so
rapidly that possibility of saving the
wharves was soon rast.
Within less than 80 minutes the
Merchants q Miners wharves were
destroyed ard the flames had spread
TO the Piauters Rice MILL which also
burned. Seven warehouses, owned by
the Central OF Georgia and leased TO
various companies were destroyed, to-
gether with their contents. The entire
loss will reach s1.500,00O.
The Central OF Georgia railroad.
owner OF the wharves. Is the heaviest
loser, as IA freight cars. which were
uninsured. were burned with the
wharves. The wharves alone were
valued at 100000. They will be re-
built at once.
A strong wind was blowing when
the fre Stated and the flames were
famed TO fury that dehed all effort to
stop their progress. An area COM
prising about five blocks along the
river front was gutted and firemen de-
voted their main efforts to saving ad-
joining property.
Many high power tension electric
wires were carried on poles In the
burned section. and the electric com
pany was forced to shut off all cur
rent. The glare OF the fire gave ample
light
shortly before o'clock the wind
veereG and the wharves OF the Ocean
Steamship company were threatened,
but the wind changed again and this
property was spared. IL was day
light before the fire was actually un-
: DER control No ships were burned.
II In estimated that the loss caused
by savannah's river front fire this
morning will reach s1.5O1.00O. Ex-
act figures can not be had for several
days.
The fire. which started from an un-
known cause under what Is known as
the city shed on the western end of
the Merchants & Miners wharves.
made a clean sweep of the river front
from the ogeechee canal east to with
In $50 feet OF West Broad street.
The greatest loss was sustained by
the Central OF Georgia Railway COM
pany. which owns the Merchants &
Miners terminals. and the Merchants
a Miners company's freight that was
stored on the wharves. Following is
a list OF the losses:
Central OF Georgia. owner OF de-
stroyed docks. valued at 100000:
covered by insurance.
The freight on the terminals. which
was total loss. Is valued at 100000.
The company and the consignees are
both protected by insurance. Agent
l.. NJ. Erskin estimates that there
were between $50 and 200 cars OF
freight on the docks. Fourteen cars.
loaded. and six empty cars. were
burned. They were on the terminal
track The contents OF the cars was
covered by insurance. but the cars
were uninsured. They were property
OF the Central OF Georgia.
The next largest loser was the
American steel 4 Wire company.
which had large warehouses on either
side OF the main entrance to the Mer-
chants AZ Miners docks. G.. ID. Kam-
inski. general manager Of the Savan-
nah branch. estimates the companys
loss at between $4,000 and s75. 200.
The loss Is protected.
Planters Rice mill property. com
pletely destroyed. valued at $4,000.
This includes the building and the
machinery. only the building was
insured.
Savannah supply company lost a
stock OF bath tubs. wire and pipe fit-
tings valued at $4,000. The loss was
about half covered by insurance. u. J.
Mahoney, the manager. estimates the
loss.
Conklln Tin Tlatc 4 Metal compa-
ny. stock worth $4,000 w. II. l..
Roberts, manager. is unable to say
how much insurance is carried.
Quaker City Flour Mills about 400
barrels of -four valued at about
S2fOO insured.
Crane & Co. pipe. pipe fittings. ,tc..