Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-25


ipital on Fort street, about a, block
1t the time, interviewing some negro
es leap toward the blue skies.
STOPPED 10 P. NJ.
This was shortly after. 1880 O'Clock
Monday afternoon. Twenty minutes
later. the fire was beyond all control,
sweeping a hot path toward the north.
An hour later it had passed Houston
street and was we'll into the white resi-
Dental section. BY dark it had reach
ed Ponce de Leon avenue. 1t was 10
o'clock before the great red wall was
finally stopped. halfway between Ponce
de Leon avenue ana Piedmont park
Dynamite, rushed by the automobile
load from the Dupont Powder company,
was all that stopped the onslaught of
the flames. Dozens of houses were
RACED in ruins by explosions.
A brisk wind that blew as the fire
first took hold, increased in velocity
moment after moment. The flames, too.
created their own wind. which at times
seemed to blow veritable gale
Had the fire apparatus not been busy
in West End and on Woodward avenue.
WIleH the greatest bldze DCS oil, II
have been possible to check it at its
inception.
As it was, the fire got good grip
on the Skinner warehouse before the
engines arrived. Then it started to-
ward the north like a racehorse. \
huddle of negro houses behind the ware
house facing on Fort street, roared up
like finder. The fire Ieaped across along
billiard street and began. to eat into
EdgewoOd avenue from the rear. The
J. X. Orr Shoe factory, the Trio Laun-
dry and other business buildings here
burst in flames. BY heroic efforts the
firemen saved these places and some adj
jacent stores, but they did not stop the
fire, which was riding toward the north
east on the back of spanking breeze.
SWEPT NEGRO SECTION
Between EdegwOOd avenue and Hous-
ton street there is a section occupied
almost exclusively by negroes, many
small dwellings packed close like rab-
bit hives. groceries, soda stands and
the like The fire burned through them
faster than man can walk. 1t swept
away 6TOm Auburn avenue on the, city
side, thus missing the big negro Of
flee building there and other negro
buildings comprising the cOlOred bust
ness section.
Then the fire got on its main track.
straight along North jackson street and
North Boule-ard, which from Houston
street to Ponce de Leon avenue were
serried ranks OF homes. The section
was one of the most beautiful i'm the
city. 1t is almost as old Atlanta On
its northerumost boundaries are the
trenches ia which Confederate fought
federal in the Civil war 1t goes back
10 hOrse-car days, when the famous old
nine-miIe circle was its boundary. Some
ty years old others have been built
within the year. The majority were
owned by their occupants. for while
the property owners are not rich here
abOuts as riches are measured by mill
lions, they are thrifty, Housekeeping
lot. the finest type of citizens.
On the western border, the fire never
gnawed its way beyond Bedford place,
although il reached this street on nearly
every street from Decatur to Merritts
avenue. From MeTTtts avenue to Ponce
de Leon avenue the fire stopped a block
from Bedford place, although MANY
houses in the block were dynamited.
From Ponce de Leon avenue north the
fire stopped at North Jackson on It's
western border.
On the east side the fire was bound
ed by North Boulevard until it got to
Highland avenue. Then it spread nearly
Q 40 UlOtkS 10 inc east. Stopping JUST
before it got TO the Home for the
FriendlesS- IN Highland avenue. Fur
Their toward the north. 1T spread down
boulevard terrace and Boulevard place.
taking every house on these two streets
rs far east as the gully of a stream
which runs past the ball park. The fire
extended. about halfway down the hill
to. the ball park on Ponce dc Leon
avenue. including in its scope Keune-
saw avenue. North Of Ponce de Leon
avenue. on the cast. il reached St.
Charles avenue. and was finally checked
at Greenwood avnUe.
The nOrthermoSt bIuTjaiy of the
fire was this street, on the Boulevard
and NedadO way, between Boulevard
and jackson. VedadO way is in a COM
new subdivision, opened
about five years ago 1T lies just on the
city side of an old sewer stream, which
runs east and west here, cutting off ter
ritory to the south from Tenth street
and residences adjacent to Piedmont
park.
SPREAD LIKE WIND
In the territory outlined above, the
flames wrought havoc. especially at
first, when no dynamite was used to
stop them. They leaped from house &c
house with the speed OF the wind
Sometimes an entire block would be
skipped when spark would start the
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