Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-03-29
CITY or AUGUSTA, GEORGIA,
Is Swept by iilH--L0ss Well Into the
MiliionS-NOW for Greater City,

Augusta, Ga, March 22.--A CON
1agration, which has already result
cd in an estimated loss Of 5000, 900
to $l0.O0O,OOO, is sweeping Augusta,
and at l o'clock in the morning is
still burning fiercely. l'anned by a
wind blowing in n southeasterly di-
rcction, the flames cut swatch
through between 20 and 25 city
blocks, destroying dozens of business
buildings and rendering thousands
homeless.
The fire started about 6.l5 y. III.
in the rear Of a store on the first floor
of the Dyer building, one OF the city's
principal Office buildings. Tenants Of
the building barely escaped with
their lives, and 4 dozen young wo-
men who attended a business college
on the NTH floor, came down fire
escapes and came perilously near los
ing their lives. The Augusta fire de-
partmcnt, with evory available en-
Gine, was OIL the scene Within less
than three minutes after the alarm
was turned in, and seeing that the
building was doomed, directed it's cf-
forts toward saving the Union Saw
ings Bank building across the street
The fire, in the meantime, had
swept across Sth street from the rear
Of the Dyer building and began burn
ing "cott0n row." where thousands OF
bales were stored. The flames began
to eat their way through the ware
houses, attacked the Tubman High
School and then swept toward Broad
street The fircmcn had kent the
flames from the Union Savings Bank
building from the Sth street side, but
when the building was attacked from
the rear they could not fight the
1lames from that angle also. On the
seven hundred block Of Broad street
the Union Savings Bank building, the
Postal Telegraph building, the Au-
Eusta Herald, the Commercial Club
building and The Chronicle and En-
pire buildings, the latter two modern
Office buildings, Were gutted.
AS the flames were uncomfortable
at O'Clock an appeal was sent to
other cities for aid. Atlanta, Macon,
Savannah, Columbia and ,Wnyncsboro
were called on.
The fire broke out in the Dyer Of
flee building "a 5.2O o'clock and
swept uncontrolled up Bread street.
the principal street of the city. At
an early hour last evening it had
completely destroyed the Dyer build
ing and the Union Bank building,
while score Of other big structures.
including the Augusta Chronicle. the;
largest Office building in Augusta,
were on fire.
The Postal Telegraph Compnny's
operators, across the street from the
Dyer building, were forced to leave
their keys early in the fire
The fire was famed by a G5-mile
wind. The sheets Of fame were car
riod high into tho air and aXong
broad street for some distance.
Buildings Destroyed.
Among the buildings destroyed
are:
Dyer Office building, Union SAVINGS
Bank, Umpire Life building, store
building OF ,Coskcry estate, occupied
by John j.. Evans Hardware Com
nany; the Dickcy building. occupied
by Western Union Telegraph Com
many; the Augusta Chronicle Office
bnildinG and machinery annex. Au-
gnsta Trunk Factory, Augusta Her.
aid, Commercial Club, Masonic Tenn
plc, all on Broad street.
Or Jackson street: Warehouse
and cotton office hnilding owned by
DR.. Harrison; Insurance Range, orcu-
pied hy series OF Insurance Offices:
the Warren block seriously damaged.
but not destroyed; three cotton bro
feragc houses.
On Reynolds street: Half a block
OF cotton Offices and two long cotton
warehouses on the south side Of the
EAT WITHOUT FEAR