The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-22
5000 HOMES BURNED
AS CONFEDERATION
SWEPT ATLANTA
Dynamite Had to Be Used to Check the
Progress of the Flames, and the
Loss Is Estimated as Near
ly ss.oco,ooo

| ~ VSsScoyoOo
Atlanta, Ga, May 22.--This city went
actively to work to-day to care for the
destitute people from the 1900 homes
destroyed in fire that ragged yesterday
afternoon and last night throughout rs
blocks and was stopped only by the dy-
namiting of beautiful homes on Ponce de
Leon avenue. Estimates OF property loss
ran as high as S5,000,000.
Only one person is known to be dead,
a woman, who died of the shock after
her home had been destroyed. Injuries
were remarkably few.
The fire started in a warehouse and
burned many negro homes and costly
residences OF white people, as we'll as
many business structures.
The fire was confined to the northeast
ern part of the city and the only bust
ness houses burned were several ware
houses near Decatur and Fort streets. the
point of origin.
A high wind carried the flames north
eastward Within an hour after the first
alarm the blaze began 10 assume the
proportions of confagration and fire
officials called in several hundred men
from the Fort Mcpherson officers train
ing camp to aid in the fighting, Appeals
for help also brought fire departments
from half dozen neighboring cities.
The struggle with the flames reached
climax at night fall, when the fire
fighters made a stand at Boulevard place
and began dynamiting wide area to
protect the Ponce De Leon section. The
effort was only partially successful, and
an hour later the dynamiters had to be-
gin their work over again two blocks
beyond the avenue.
The fire started in storage house on
Decatur street, just east Of Fort street,
burned several blocks of small houses
clean, Jumped over five low brick build
ings and a row of small shaeks and then
swept on unobstructed into the better
residence sections. A large part of the
devastation, however, was in the neigh
borhoods composed OF homes ranging in
value from $500 to $4,000.
Some of the most serious losses were
in the section where dynamite was used,
scores of pretty homes in comparative
ly new district OF the city being blown
up. The dynamiting began at Boulevard
place at about 1 o'clock, but the fighters
soon were driven back Aided by wide
Ponce de Leon avenue and the slowly
dying wind, soldiers, firemen and private
citizens blew up whole blocks of houses.
Now and then home Oh the north side
of the avenue would catch fire, but for
almost two hours these outbreaks were
stopped Then the flames gained foot
hold across the street, swept on block |
to Nedo Way. and later moved slowly |
on to the northeast
Virtually the entire section bounded |
by Hillard street on the west, Prospect !
place on the east, Edgewood avenue on
the south. and North avenue ON the north |
was laid low. The fire never got nearer
Peachtree street, the main thoroughfare I
of the city, than seven blocks, although |
at times momentary change of wind /
threatened in that direction.
Firemen had been fighting small |
blaze in the big Atlanta cotton ware
house, where military supplies are stored,
and at the same time six residences in
West end were burning when the alarm
came in from Decatur street.
The blaze started in the Skinner Stor-
age eompany's plapt, which is almost
by small frame houses.
Vagaries of the wind caused great
alarm in sections that afterwards proved
safe and for blocks on all sides of the
area of destruction household goods were
piled in every open place. These were
guarded in most cases by national
who also were pressed into
al kinds of work.
Several hundred buckets were rushed
10 Ponce lie Leon avenue when the fight
,entered there. Each soldier was sur.
olied with one and whenever a tiny
blaze started on roof ii was quickly
The fire had swept only few blocks
,efore relief measures on a large scale
we're undertaken by the Red Cross and
he Associated Charities, who joined
orces Other societies and hundreds of
Individuals volunteered for the work.
Food was provided at the armory for
1000 people. Army trucks, express wag-
ms and private automobiles were pressed
nto service to handle the foodstuffs, the
elief workers announcing they were "go- I
ng to feed everybody who is hungry"
At the armory small cots also were
rovided. Among the refugees cared for
we're hundred small chlidren from the
Tome for the Friendlesc,
Mayor Gambler issued statement say
ng outside offers of help would be un. Y
ecessary. He said also that he had n
uIly investigated the reports that the P
re was of incendiary origin, and found t
hat "there is nothing whatever to sup o
ort the theory"
The small number of casualties report $
4 was regarded as most unusual Only
bout go persons had been accounted for
5 having been taken to hospitals. One
cath was reported--that of Miss Bessie
lodges, who died OF shock. Many of '
hose taken to hospitals were suffering
rom shock, from heat prostrations or
linor injuries. u
NEGRO MURDERER r