The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1917-06-26
MANY MILLION
FEET OF LUMBER
FLAMES VICTIM
Brunswick Fire Department Did
Excellent Work in Check
ing the Flames.
THE BIG MILL. WAS SAVED
General Thought Fire 0riginat=
ed From Spark From Loco
motive or From Furnace in
Mill.

Between six and seven million feet
of pine and cypress lumber, three
loaded box cars, one locomotive and
three colored shanties, entailing a
loss of approximately $3.50, ,O00, were
destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon
at the plant of the Savannah River
Lumber company, four miles from the
city, and it was only through the
heroic work of the Brunswi fire de
partment and the volunteers at the
mill that prevented the entire mill.
dry kiln, and cottages from being de
stroyed
The fire was discovered in the
yards of the company by one of its
employees shortly before noon, and the
alarm was at once given, when all
hands at the mill pitched in and put
up the best fight possible The flames
however, gained rapid headway, and
the volunteers at the mill could in
nowise cope with the situation. The
d
ed and made an unusually quick run
to the scene OF the cOnflagration. but
after arrival the department was han
dicapped because the mill is located
beyond the city limits and there was
no water with which to fight the
blaze. The big engine combination
pumper was put to work as soon as
possible, however. Fortunately it was
high tide and the engine was able
to pump from the nearby creek for
an hour or two, furnishing an excel
lent stream
The blaze, which started in the
lumber yard, quickly spread to the
lumber shed, where the best lumber
was stored, and it was only short
time before the entire yards and shed
were ablaZe. Fortunately q stiff
breeze was blowing in an opposite
direction from the mill and the row
of houses, occupied by employees, and
this served to fan the flames away
from the mill proper. In spite of this,
however, the flames leaped across the
shell road and caught a large pile OF
lumber just outside the kiln. All eff
forts were then turned to this blaze
and, by the hardest kind of work, it
was checked, and thus the dry kiln
and mill proper were saved, as well
as the several cottages opposite the
mill, which were at all times in great
danger All of the occupants had re
moved their household goods, fearing
that their homes would be swept
away, and later yesterday afternoon
they were busy moving back.
Three box cars, on side track a
short distance from the lumber shed
were totally destroyed They were
all loaded with lumber. The little
tram engine, owned by the company
was also totally destroyed, as We're
three or four small negroe shanties
in the rear of the lumber yard, which
were occupied by colored employees of
the mill.
1t was impossible after the flames
had been checked late in the after
noon to make a fair estimate of the
amount of lumber destroyed. 1t was
generally stated, however, that some
where between six and seven million
feet had been destroyed. Th lum
ber it is understood, was worth about
$40 per thousand This, together with
the other damage, will likely run the
loss around $250,000. The loss is
partly covered by insurance.
Great credit is due the Brunswick
fire department for its excellent work