The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-09

cON elcu Dy iuSul dIice-
 for $5oo0 on stock: building owned by A. A. Walker and insured for s20,oo0.
 Building occupied by Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company, owned by William Walker and insured for s5o. GOO; the stocks and fixtures of the rail- way and light company insured to tho amount of s42,2o0.
 There is also a vacant building adja- cent to the Johnson Bros building which was destroyed by the fire and it's loss is estimated at $o0O0.
 As the insurance covers about 60 per cent of tue fire loss, it is estimated that yesterday afternoons blaze amounted to between S150000 and Sl6,000 loss in prop erty.
 According to Fire Chief A. V. Bennett he was sitting in his private office when the telephone alarm came in at 4:2i o'clock. Chief Bennett In person caught the alarm and heard frightened voice say.
 The Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company building at First and Twenty-first is on fire. Come quick,''
 Chief Bennett states he reached the scene of the fire within two minutes and that when he arrived flames were already pouring out of the upper win dows and the whole area was black With huge clouds of dense smoke which poured out on all sides. Within a few minutes after Chief Bennett reached the scene Moody Childers and Henry s. keyser Jumped from tie fourth and third floors, respectively and were al- most instantly killed. Chier Bennett then went to a box alarm and sent in a general call, which brought all the firenen in the esfy 60 fac scene.
 At 4:30 o'clock, less than 10 minutes after the fire had started and while men and women were still coming out n inc fir. aeo. .a through any, avenue that they could, the building was veritable inferno of Flames The huge gas mains in the basement fed the flames and the water thrown on 1t availed little.
 About 5 o'clock the roof of the buildings of the Johnson Brothers and the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company fell In with d loud crash and several firemen were slight ly injured by falling brick. The gas, however, was still feeding the flames and orders were sent out to cut it off as the fire could not be controlled. About 7:30 o'clock the gas was cut off and the firemen with about 12 streams of water shooting into the flames finally subdued them. z At 10 o'clock last night with the fire | under control but still smouldering the | firemen were preparing to enter and search for bodies The fear of falling
 
 from rashly risxing his men within the l confines of the gutted buildings
 The walls of the building, which is | of brick, were standing without any support from any side and were shak- 1 ing so that they threatened to fall at l any moment.
 Tales from employees who escaped cor roborated the opinion expressed by Chief Bennett that the fames caught from the leakage of gas, the employees inter- viewed stated they heard the cry of fire and then all was confusion and every body got out of the building in the best way possible
 Stinson Clapp a salesman for the Bir- mingham Railway. Light and Power com pany, stated that he was on the second floor when the fire started, talking to a fellow employe named Perkins. who is reported as dead.
 I was talking to Perkins," said Mir | clapp, when someone hollowed s'There's big fire in the basement" looked up | quickly and saw a lot of black smoke and then ran to the rear of the building to get my clothes. I didn't get them, but aid get out on the rear fire escape in Second alley just in time
 While in the building I did not see many of my fellow employees as there was too much smoke. I saw everybody running in all directions and girls were screaming, and it was awful. I can tell you As to how the fire started I think that someone went down in the basement and smoked a cigarette
 Other accounts of the quick manner in which the fire enveloped the build- lngs corroborate the account of MT. l clapp. Officer O. w. Malone who works the First avenue beat gives the following account:
 came running to the scene a soon as saw a fire wagon headed up there. II possibly took me a minute to reach the place and the moment I arrived from every window it seems fire and smoke was pouring out. l looked up ana saw two men--one on the fourth floor and one on the third floor--and I called the firemen's attention to them. They saw them and rot out the life net.
 1 can see the men plainly now. The little fellow-his name is Keyser. they tell me-was standing on the Twenty first street side, about the center of the 1 building on the third floor, holding m | to the window coping. He fell first and -~~~~~~~~~>~~>~~~~~.~~ ~~~.~~oe<
 tContinued on page Eieven)