The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-30

leSS. NdILt spent IitS i.iouI "olhlu .
the streets, while others slept in the
halls OF large hotels.
Leading citizens of Augusta early
this morning began to lay plans for
the relic Of the homeless. City coun-
Gil met at % o'clock to consider
steps for relieving the situation. A
general mass meeting of the citizens
was called for noon.
Cotton factors today estimated that
the fire destroyed about S2,000,0O0
worth of cotton, which was stored in
the warehouses along the river front.
1t was said that not more than 35,-
600 bales had been destroyed
Troops Called Out.
Three companies of the National
Guard of Georgia were patrolling the
streets during the entire night and a
strict watch was kept today on the
devastated district. No report of
looting has been reported to the Of
fcers. An attempt was made early
today to steal an automobile. One
piano was reported missing.
There have been many narrow es-
capes, but no one has been seriously
injured. Several fremen 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, but as yet no ex-
planation has been offered. The only
thing developed is that the fire start
ed 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 ten story building occupied by
the Augusta Chronicle was practical
ly destroyed by the fire. The loss on
this building is $1S0,0O0. The En-
pire Life building, several doors
away, was damaged to the extent Of
about 100000, it is estimated.
The losses on the 800 block of
Broad street are approximately as
follows: Dyer building, s750,00O;
Richards stationery company, $685.
600; Warren building and contents,
s15O,O00. The losses on the Broad
street frontage are: Union Savings
bank building, 100000; Postal Tele-
graph plant, $4,000; Empire Life
Insurance building, s200,00O; Chron-
icle building, $1S0,0O0; John j..
Evans company, $4,000; Western
Union Telegraph plant, $4,000;
Schneider building, $4,000; Herald
building, $4,000; Commercial club.
$35,000; Masonic temple, $4,000,
and the Irish-American building,
s25,000
Three buildings in the 700 block,
facing Broad street, the Citizens and
Southern bank building, the Planters
Loan and Savings bank building and
the Georgia Railroad bank building,
were not destroyed, although badly
damaged.
One Block Escaped.
The 800 block of Broad street
proved to be the miracle block of the
fire. The flames leaped over this
block and not one building was dam
aged until $3.50 this morning, when
the fire was discovered in a small
warehouse. This blaze was ektin-
guished by the Columbia fire team,
the loss being small.
Quick work on the part of the fire.
men stopped 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
completely destroyed by the fire.
However, the Chronicle established
an Office in job printing plant and
was issued this morning. The Herald
was issued this afternoon.
The Tubman high school building
on Reynolds street, between Seventh
and Eighth streets, was completely
destroyed. The Houghton grammar
school building on Ellis street, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets, was
swept away.
w. T. Elred, an automobile driver,
rescued two young girls from the
Dyer building. He made two trips to
the fifth floor and was painfully
burned.
Starting in the Dyer building, at
the corner of Eighth and Broad
streets, the fire spread rapidly to Cot
ton row in the rear, whipped around
the giant Empire Life building, firing
the building occupied by the Western