The sun., 1917-05-22
$S,O00,OOO FIRE.
RUINS ATLANTA
HOME DISTRICTS
Business Section Escapes,
but Hundreds of Dwell
lings Burn.
HOUSES DYNAMITED
Soldiers. Citizens and
NeighbOring Cities
Aid in Fight.
HIGH WIND REAL MENACE
Several Times Slight Shifts
Threaten to Destroy
Entire City.
HIGH WIND REAL MENACE

NhbtNiHs audy AZ tiht StditVu
late this afternoon in an obscure negro
section swept a broad path through the
residence section of Atlanta, devastating
scores of blocks and destroying many
Of negro houses. Although the flames
were not entirely under control tonight
they had been checked half way through
the Ponce de Leon avenue section. and
IRE officials believe there was little dan
ger of a further spread.
First estimates OF the damage placed
It at between $2,O00.00O and s3,00O,O00.
SO far as could be learned the only life
lost was that OF a woman who died from
shock.
The fire was confined TO the north
eastern part OF the city and the only
business houses burned were several
warehouses near Decatur and Fort
streets, the point Of origin.
High Wind Spreads Flames.
A high wind carried the flames north
eastward with . speed which soon out
ran the efforts Of the fire department.
Within an hour after the first alarm the
blaze began to assume such q menacing
tiat lhc OiHCidio CaiiCu III bcNeI al
hundred men from the Fort Mcpherson
officers training camp to aid in the fight.
Appeals for help also brought fire equip
,ment from half q dozen neighboring
,cities.
The dramatic struggle with the flames
reached a climax at nightfall. when the
fire fighters made a stand at Boulevard
place and began dynamiting a wide area
--, 10 protect tho Ponce de Leon section.
The effort was only partly successful
and an hour later the dynamiters had to
begin their work over again two blocks
beyond the avenue.
A lull in the wind favored their work
ana tonight they were about holding
their own. though many still feared that
before morning the flames again would
gain headway and burn their way
through to the edge of the city.
Tho thousands OF homeless were being
cared FOR tonight by a citizens commit
Zee and by the Atlanta Red Cross chap
Ter Most of them wera quartered in
public buildings Many minor injuries
were reported. but officials said there
had been few persons badly hurt
The fire started In a storage house on
Decatur street. Just east of Fort street.
burned several blocks of small houses
clean. jumped over Ave low brick build
ines and row Of small shacks. and
then swept on unobstructed into the bet
Ter residence sections /, A large part of
the devastation. however. was in the
heghborhoods composed largely Of homes
ranging in value from 81 500 to $4,000.
Many OF the more serious losses were
IN the section where dynamite was used.
scores OF pretty homes in a compare
lively new district Of the city being blown
up. The dynamting began at Boulevard
place at about o'clock. but ehe Fighters
soon were driven back
whole Blocks Blown Up.
Aided by wide Ponce de Leon avenue
and the slowly dying wind soldiers. fire.
men and private citizens blew up whole
blocks of houses. Now and then home
on the north side of the avenue would
catch flre. but for almost two hours such
outbreaks were stopped. Then the flames
gained y foothold across the street. swept
on block to Vedo Way and late to-
night were moving slowly in a north
easterly direction.
Between Edgewood avenue and De-
catur strot at the start of the fire the
names were confined to the section be-
tween Boulevard and Hilllard street. At
tdgewood avenue they moved eastward
as Tar AZ Prospect place in spots. wiping
out block now and then Practically
the entire section bounded by Hilliard
street on the west. Prospect place on the
east. Edgewood avenue on the south and
North avenue on the north was laid
waste
Al North avenue North Jackson street
became the western boundary. and with
slight change in the wind the fire
"'oved steadily in a northeasterly di-
fectlon. 1t never got nearer Peachtree
street the main thoroughfare OF the city,
than seven blocks. although at times a
momentary change OF wind threatened
IN that direction.
Firemen had been fighting small
olaze in the big Atlanta cotton ware
mouse, where military supplies are
stored, and at the same time six dwell
,ngs In West End were burning when
the alarm came in from Decatur street.
AS many companies as could be spared
were sent, but 1t Is doubtful IL the entire
department could have checked the blaze
deyeloping there under the high wind
The fire had swept only a few blocks
oefore relief measures on a large scale
were undertaken by the Red Cross and
me associated charities Other societies
ana hundreds OF individuals volunteered
Tor the work