Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-24
FIRE SWEPT AREA
COVERS 80 BLOCKS
IN HEART Of CITY
Homes, Big Office Structures
Newspaper Buildings and
Warehouses Are Reduced to
ASheS-NO Lives Lost
,sy Assgsiatsa Prsss.l

AUGUSTA, Ca, March 2S.-Fifty
Augusta citizens today organized
themselves into a public safety COM
mittee TO handle the situation caused
by the fire that swept a large portion
OF the city last night and early to-
day. Early this afternoon a sub
committee of fifteen appointed to
take immediate charge of relief work
began serving meals TO many OF the
5000 persons made homeless.
We wish TO let the world know
that Augusta can take care of the
situation and outside help will not
he needed said W. H Barrett,
chairman of the committee.
\ total OF So, AS was subscribed
at the meeting for relief expenses
II has been proposed earlier in the
day for city council TO meet and also
ID hold a mass meeting TO take neces-
sary steps 10 relieve the situation.
Council members found il unneces-
SaTy to have their meeting after the
detailed plans of the public safety
committee and its quick action be-
came known.
Several hundred wOrkmen were
sent into the debris early this after
during OF after the fire have been
made. Buildings burned we're prac-
tically emDtied of their occupants at
. o'clock last night. fifteen minutes
before the fire started and to this is
attributed that fact that no one
was killed as far as known and no
person seriously hurt.
Mayor Littleton today declared a
moratorium.
The fire wsept through ten business
blocks or Augusta and twenty adjoining
residence blocks last night and early
today. and before being controlled today
after raging for nine hours. had
caused damage which was conserv-
atively estimated at $4,000 600. No lives
were reported lost. although there were
scores Of narrow escapes and several
iremen we're severely burned.
The flame-swept area covers some
thing like one and a quarter square
miles, and i'm IL were the city's largest
office and business buildings on the
north size OF Broad street warehouses
on historic Cotton Row containing
thousands Of bales OF cotton. and some
six hundred homes. many of them in
the city's most exclusive residential
section Among other structures was
St Paul Episcopal church, built I55
Loss early today was apportioned a.
follows:
business Office buildings and contents
$4,000, GOO, cotton warehouses and con-
cents. S1.s00.0Bg: residences and house
hold goods. 81 180. 600; various other
structures. $500. 900.
Today local militia companies were
on duty. having been called out early
iU the uiEht- None of them. however
lad reported case Of lOOting and the
police said there lad been no disorder
5000 LOSE HOMES.
Hotels and homes in the sections ~
the city rot reached by the IRE were
thrown opcn Ia thoss whose residences
were burned. and steps were taken By
local authorities t. give relief to tn
2. 6eN sr.rrSonss who had lost their homes.
Warm weather saved them from suffer-
inz lest night. sS II did several thou
sand more who moved their belongings
into the streets. fearing the flames
might reach their houses.
The area that was burned was chiefly
on IN. north side Of Broad street and
between that street and the Savannah
river. although several blocks on the
south side OF Broad were burned.
Just as the fire was being got under
control. another fire caused $4,000
damage in the southern section Of tile
city. burning several houses and a
grocery store.
chief among thu structures destroy
ID we're the following
DYER building. Herald building, Ma
sonic temple. Chronicle. Union Savings
Ccontiuued on page 3, column ~