Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-22

ATLANTA, Ca, May 22.-Alanta
went to work today to care for the des-
titute.
Three thousand homes were destroy
ed by the fire which ragged yesterday
and last night, levelling seventy-five
blocks of business and residence prop
erty, and was only stopped by persist
ent dynamiting ahead of the flames.
Mayor Gambler, after viewing the
vast area of ruins early today, esti-
mated the property loss sustained at
S3000,000, while other business men
here place the loss as high as $4,000
000 The total of insurance carried
on property within the burned dis
trict is unknown today, but it is ex-
pected will be about half the loss
Only one death, so far as known at
noon to-day, resulted from the fire, the
victim being Mrs. Bessie Hodges, who
succumbed to shock after witnessing
the total destruction of her home.
There are, however, about sixty per-
sons suffering from painful injuries
received during the progress of the
conflagration and many valuable ami
mails were sacrificed in the flames. The
fire, undoubtedly, is without precedent
in Atlantas history since General
sherman destroyed the city during the
last days of the civil war.
The fire, which started in ware
house on Decatur street, in Atlanta s
famous negro section, swept northeast
to Ponce de Leon avenue and beyond,
a distance of a mile, the width of the
fre-swept area varying from one block
to mile between these points. The
hame-swept section today is tract Of
standing chimneys and charred trees,
the ruins still smouldering and fire
men pouring tons of water onto them
to extinguish the fire still burning be-
reath protected points. No search
of the ruins for bodies has yet been
completed, though portions of the dew
astated area have been explored with
no gruesome finds being uncovered
The Red Cross organization here is
in charge of the relief work, and last
night thousands of homeless persons
spent the night in the great auditor
hnon th
open to them, in churches and hotels,
all of which are doing their part in
the relief work. Mayor Gambler an
nounced this morning that Atlanta
business men are amply able to care
for financial needs of the sufferers and
that no financial assistance from out
side cities is needed. He denied also
that the fire was of incendiary origin.
Real estate and insurance men work
ing in conjunction this afternoon esti-
mated that FIVE hundred and sixty
three buildings were destroyed, and R.
6. Rust. assistant secretary of the
Souti Eastern Underwriters associa-
tion. stimated the property loss al
s2 sod boo. Insurance companies losses
if is pected will total $2.5OO,OOO
The Red Cross organization issued
an al zeal this afternoon requesting
that all churches in Atlanta remain
omen tonight to be used as dormitories
if necessary, and other public build
ings will also be kept open to receive
fire sufferers. 1t is estimated that
between 10000 and 10000 persons are
still homeless, and a mass meeting of
citizens has been called to assemble
at the Chamber of Commerce headquar
ters to devise means and evolve plans
for handling the situation. A meeting
Of the city council has been called
for this afternoon by Mayor Gambler
and that body will take Ofieial action