Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-22
ABOUT 75BLOCKS
BURNED BEFORE
. BLAZE IS CHECKED
No Estimate of Money Loss,
Which Will Mount
Into Millions.
/ THOUSANDS OF PERSONS
RENDERED HOMELESS
Guardsmen and Men From Off
GERS Training Camp at Fort
Mcpherson in Control.
ONE DEAD: ABOUT go INJURED
Mayor. Declaring City Can Care for
| Its Own. Declines Many Offers
| Of Outside Help. ~
THOUSANDS OF PERSONS
RENDERED HOMELESS
ONE DEAD; ARoUr 60 INJURED

HIM ~ in. May ol.-Firc that
day swept through large section
OF Atlanta from Dccatu Street. north
ana northeast. cutting clean swath
OF varying widths. finally was brought
under control tonight just before ii
reached the Atlanta baseball park. In
tho opinion Of Fire Chief Cody.
To- might several blazes could be seen
in the northeastern section OF the city
but they were being quickly handled
and acres Of what formerly bore beau
tifui homes. laid waste by dynamite.
acted as a safeguard against further
general devastation
Tonight the city is virtually unSa.
martial law adminstc cred by hundreds
OF soldiers who have been training at
Fort McPherSon or national guardsmcn
IN camp here acting under the direc-
ton OF Colonel Charles r. Noycs. L.
;. ~. who officially is under the guild
ancc Of tho Chief of Police
thousands Of hom cless persons to-
night were being fed and housed In
The Auditorium Armory, the negro odd
Follows Hall. and in hundreds Of pri-
vatc homes. The most of them saved
only what they could carry. AS house
hold goods piled in the streets in ad-
n
the rush Of the confu graft
FIRE-FIGHTING APPARATUS
SENT FROM OTHER CITIES
For six hours dynamite was rcsortcd
10. and ii finally won the fight Fire
lighting apparatus sent from other
cities was of some aid. and will be OF
more. as acre after acre OF sn,olderinE
ruins tonight await water to make
them safe
Only one death had been reported
tonight. Mrs. Hodges died OF shock
after her home burned. Sixty injured
persons were taken to hospitals. but
il was reported none was seriously
hurt.
approximately scventy-fve blocks
were destroyed, but the area cannot be
estimated by blocks as after the fight
at Ponce de Leon Avenue the flames
Skirted that thorough fare on the south
side OF the street for some distance
Officials tonight would not hazard
a guess AT the monetary loss
The destroyed buildings ranged all
the way from shacks occupied by
negroes to homes up to $4,000 or IS. 900
Some estimates were between s2,ooooo
or $4,000, 600. hut they we're neither
to give them weight
CAUSE OF OUTBREAK
NOT YET DETERMINED
The blaze started in the skinner Stor-
age and Warehouse plant near Decatur
street, Just east OF Fort street from
Il cause not determined Tonight IL
quickly spread TO the small houses
nearby. which were dry from lack OF
rain. and driven Dy a high wind start
ed TO RAPIDLY eat its way north and
northcastward. Around the hame-
swept area tonight with its streets
Uttered with broken wires. splintcrs
from acres OF dynamitcd homes and
all the odds and ends Of furniture and
clothing that gathered in an indescrib-
able mass from hundreds OF homes.
United states soldiers stood guard The
men were composed Of Georgia guards
men and members OF The officers re-
serve training camp at Fort McPhcr-
son Colonel NoyeS with headquarters
IN an automobile repair shop near the
burned district. had mapped out the
burned area early in the evening and
with mcthodicai precision placed his
companies to guard various sections as
fast as they were rushed from Fort
tha; nothing he removed from streets
vacant lots and yards Night Chief OF
Police Jctt and Colonel Noycs agreed
that to allow anything to he moved
would invite iooting. There had bcet:
little of that late tonight. One man
was taken TO tho police station charged
with stealing piano he had found on
the sidewalk. that according to Night
chief Jett was the only known case OF
iootinE. For mockS on either side OF
the actual burned LiSiricf. no civilian
could enter except on a pass signed
by the Mayor. police officials or Colonel
Moves
MAYOR DECLARES FIRE
or ACCIDENTAL. ORIGIN
Mayor Gambler made tour of the
burned area tonight. EIe issued
statement saying the hrc was acct
dental in origin. II am positive" he
said. that there is no chance Of It's
having been inccndia.y. 1t started
from a small hrc and was swept along
in tho teoth OF a Nind that blow almost
with the force OF gale. I knew at