Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-22
FIRE LAYS WASTE
MUCH OF ATLANTA
Thousands Made Homeless by
Flames That Destroy Prop
erty Worth 49, 500 600.
RELIEF WORK is STARTED

RELIEF WORK is STARTED
By the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, May e2-Estimates today
were that from 10000 to $4,000 persons
were homeless as a result of the fire
yesterday and last night that swept
through. approximately, seventy five
blocks Of residence property, ranging
from negro shacks to homes of infiuen-
tial citizens, in the northeastern sec.
ton of the city. r. S. Rust assistant
secretary of the Southeastern Under
writer's Association. roughly estimated
the property loss at $3.500.000. and loss
to insurance companies s2,500.000.
Relief work. which was started hours
pushed rapidly today. The public safety
committee of the Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce, at meeting at $3.50 o'clock,
laid plans for handling the situation,
and at II o'clock mass meeting, called
by Mayor Asa G. Gambler, was held.
Preparations were made last night
to feed 5000 of the homeless, it being
believed that no more than that would
be needed for immediate relief. The re-
lief forces were so quickly crsanized
that hundreds of the homeless were fed
last night, and this morning breakfast
awaited them at the Auditorium
armory.
Real estate and insurance men work.
ing In conjunction later estimated that
L563 buildings had been destroyed.
This was considerably under the earlier
estimates. The citizens relief com.
mlttee OF the Red Cross requested that
churches be kept open tonight, to be
used as dormitories il necessary.
A special meeting of city council was
called for late this afternoon to take
whatever steps necessary for relief and
rehabilitation.
Fire Started in Warehouse.
The fire started in a warehouse on
Decatur and Fort streets and drove
first due north and then northeast. at
some points a block wide and at times
half mile in width. 1t crossed Ponce
Boulevard for a block. On the south
side of Ponce de Leon, a wide residence
street, the burned area extended from
North Jackson street some seven blocks
baseball park.
The fire was the-gra9test in Atlanta's
history since civil /war days, when
Sherman. terming the backbone of
be burned. In properly loss and hard
ships 1t was even greater. for the city
that Sherman destroyed had only 10000
Inhabitants.
Destitute persons from the burned'
area, which included negro homes and
costly residences of whites, were cared
for by the local Red Cross and the
Associated Charities. Hundreds were
fed last night and lodging was provided
in the Auditorium armory for whites
and the negro Odd Fellows Hall for
negroes. Churches. private homes and
hotels cared for hundreds Of others:
Several thousand dollars for relief
work had been subscribed in a few
hours.
Outside Aid Not Needed.
At the meeting today Mayor Cand-
Ter and President Ivan E. Allen OF the
local chamber Of commerce agreed that
no outside aid would be needed. Both
expressed their appreciation of scores
of offers that were telegraphed last
night.
Only one person is known to have
died. as a result of the fire. Mrs. Bessie
Hodges died Of shock after her home
was destroyed. Injuries from the fire
were remarkably few. police and fire.
men agreed. considering the magnitude
Of the area swept. The people hed be-
fore the flames as from an invading
army and SO intense was the heat that
preceded the onward shooting tongues
houses until the flames reached them.
Heat drove out hundreds who sought
to stay and save a few more personal
effects.
ahead Of the blaze. firing houses as far
as q block ahead of the wall of fire
that swept out North Jackson street
and Boulevard toward Ponce de Leon.
part of the better residence section.
was duplicated in q score of other
places.
Flee With Belongings.
Gradually the flames advanced north
ward along Jackson street. Before
them came hundreds of persons. The
flames grew to a roar when within a
distance of a block or more. Men who
had comforted their families with state-
ments that the fire would not reach
them realized at the last moment that
their homes were doomed. Automobile
trucks, express wagons and every con-
ceiyable vehicle from wheelbarrow to
a baby carriage, were pressed into serv-
ice. Gathering what belongings they
could. the people fed Down the side
walks rushed men carrying whatever
belongings they could hurriedly collect.
In the streets vehicles were crowded.
bearing every sort OF household fur-
niture. In the pell-mell dash many
people abandoned their belongings.
Some placed them in street cars that
were stalled by falling wires. The own
ers did not know that the cars would
stand there until the names burned
them.
Soldiers Take Charge.
After the fire reached within block or
two of Ponce de Leon street, which was
within an hour before dark fell. order
began to come out of the confusion. Com
pa nies Of the 5th Regiment, Georgia Ma
tional Guard, and prospective United
States Army officers from the training
camp at Fort Mcpherson took charge Of
the situation, under personal direction OF
Col Charles r. Moves, commander at
Fort Mcpherson, to whom the police dele
gated authority to handle the guard duty.
After the soldiers took charge evacua-4
ton of homes in the threatened districts
was carried out consistently. and auto
furnished by the hundreds by
those who had come in them as spec
tators carried people and their most val
ua bIA belongings to other parts of the
civ The soldiers went on guard duty
and remained all night.
Furniture, bedclothes and all tane odds
and ends from thousands of homes lit
tered the streets. which were rendered in
many places impossible by fallen wires
and splinters from dynamited houses
The soldiers allowed nothing to be moved
during the night and blocked civilians
from the fire zone and wide area around
II. Only one case Of attempted looting
was reported. and mat resulted In an
arrest.
Families Are Separated.
Resides actual relief work today
there was tremendous task ahead of
Atlanta in getting its scattered citizens
together. Members OF many families
became separated during the afternoon
and night. Today man advertised for
his ninety-year-old grandmother. An
other sought his wife and baby through