The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-03-24
TOTAL OF 20 BLOCKS WERE
DESTROYED BY BIG CON-
FLAGRATlON.
MANY PEOPLE HOMELESS
Automobile Driver Proves a Hero
in Saving Two Young Girls in
Dyer Building-Money Raised
for Relief Work.

AUGUSTA March 3.-Twenty-siX
blocks in the residence section of Au-
gusta today presented the appearance
of windswept prairie and the bare
walls of six business blocks bear silent
testimony of Augusta's most serious
disaster of recent years.
The fire which ragged for more than
nine hours last night, causing a loss
estimated at from $4,000 900 to $1,000
900, was brought to halt early this
morning after it had crossed Greene
street.
An area of about one end one-fourth
square miles was ravaged by the
flames which were driven by a heavy
March gale. The Augusta firemen
were powerless and apparatus had to
be sent from Columbia, Charleston,
Atlanta, Macon, Savannahiand Waynes
boro. The wind stopped blowing just
after l o'clock and it was then that the
firemen checked the flames.
Estimates today placed the number
of residences destroyed at between 600
anu W., IIltIuuliiS SOIilt VI Ilit lfiltHl
old homes in Augusta. No estimate
can be placed on the value of contents
| of the homes The owners saved
practically nothing. Today over 5000
persons were homeless. Many spent
the night walking the streets. while
others slept in the halls of the large
hotels
Cotton factors today estimated that
the fire destroyed about $2,000,000
worth of cotton, which was stored in
| the warehouses along the river front.
| 1t was said that not more than 35,-
900 bales had been destroyed.
Three companies of the national
guard of Georgia were patrollng the
devastated district No report of loot
| ing has been reported to the officers.
| An attempt was made early today to
steal an automobile. One piano was
reported missing.
No Serious Injuries.
There have been many narrow es-
capes, but no one has been seriously
| injured Several firemen have been
sent to the hospitals suffering from
burns and bruises.
Officials of the fire department to-
day began an investigation into the
cause of the fire and as yet no ex-
PLANTATION has been offered The only
| thing developed is that the fire started
yesterday afternoon at 6:15 o'clock,
near an elevator shaft in the Kelly
/ dry goods store in the Dyer building,
at the corner of Eighth and Broad
streets.
The twelve-story building occupied
| by the Augusta Chronicle was practi-
| cally destroyed by fire. The loss to
this building is $1SO,0O0 The Empire
Life building, several doors away, was
| damaged to the extent Of about 5000,
900 it is estimated.
The losses on the 500 block Of Broad
street are approximately as follows:
Dyer building, $75,000 Richards Sta
tionery company, $25,000 Warren
buildings and contents $150,000. The
| losses on the Broad street frontage
are: Union Savings Bank building,
| pOU,UUU, IOSJdI leleSTdpH DldHl, PI -
[ 000 Empire Life insurance company,
$500, 900; Chronicle building, $180,000;
John J. Evans company, 100000;
| Western Union Telegraph plant, S15,-
600; Schneider building, $4,000; Her
aid building, $4,000; Commercial club,
$35, 900; Masonic temple. 100000, and
the Irish-American building, $4,000.
One Miracle Block.
The 900 block Of Broad street
proved to be the miracle block Of the
fire. The flames leaped over this block
and not one building was damaged
until $50 O'Clock this morning when
fire was discovered in small ware
house. This blaze was extinguished
by the Columb'l fire team, the loss
being small.
Quick work on the part Of the fire
men stopped a threatening blaze in
the southern section Of the city at
$3.50 o'clock this morning. Several
small houses were destroyed.
Both Of the newspaper plants were
destroyed by the fire However, the
Chronicle established an office in a
job printing plant and was issued this
morning. The Herald was issued this
afternoon.
The Tubman High school building
on Reynolds street, between Seventh