The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-03-23
RAPID RECOVERY
FROM BIG FIRE
BUSINESS. THOUGH DEMORAL-
IZED. IL GETTING BACK
To NORMAL
AGAIN.
Bank Opens Following Morning aud
Other Business Getting on
Feet Again-RecoVerN
Is Rapid.

Tuesday, business affected by the
holocaust Is getting back on its feet
again. A notable example of the
/ facility of recovery was the opening
of the Columbus National Bank for
business az the usual hour, 9 o'clock
Wednesday morning in Mr.. Wood
wards office in the odd Fellows
building.
Hardly had the flames of the big
fire died down before plans were on
foot for the re-establishment of the
business affected by the hro, which
had its origin, it is said, from a coal
furnace explosion
Reconstruction measures We're set
in motion and architects have ar.
rived in the city, in response TO tele-
graphic calls, to draw plans for re-
building the stricken area. They
will devote their immediate atten-
.iion to plans for the reconstruction
nf the Columbus Nationa, Bank
building. II has been tentatively
determined by the bank officials to
construct four-story building.
BY prompt and efficient action
the electric current OF the city was
turned on Wednesday morning at
$50 o'clock enabling industries de
pending ION electric current TO re-
sumo operations and street ears to
run.
Under the direction of Manager
W. A. Deale long distance communi-
cation with the outside world was
tablished at 3 o'clock on the night
OF the fire after the entire terminal
cables of the company had been
broken and destroyed by falling
walls.
Telephone service in the city had
not been established last night, due
I TO the menace OF standing walls
which prevented operatives 10 -
ter the telephone building waere Is
located the switch boards. Long
distance stations were opened in the
White Tailoring Company apartment
in the Odd Fellows building. Man
ager Deale states that everything is
ready to set the local telephone sys.
TEN in operation within an hour or
two after the telephone building Is
available for use
Some delay was experienced in
/ pulling down the walls and this de
lay seriously affected business in the
city on account OF the lack OF teIe-
phone facilities. Work of construct
ing seafiolding from the inside of the
wrecked buildings was begun Fri
day morning The walls are bein ,
pulled down in sections from the
top
There was Il scramble "Wednesday
morning for office space in other
sections of the business district by
firms and individuals who were af-
iected 10y the fire
The Columbus National Bank
opened for business in Mr. Wood
wards insurance office.
The Columbus Clothing Company
has purchased the building on South
Market street, formerly occupied by
Shapira's Shoe store. and is open for
( business there.
DR. j. S. Hill dentist. has opened
offices in the First State Bank build
ing.
Offices Of the Southern Railway
in Mississippi general freight and
passenger Offices. have been opened
in the second floor of the Odd Eel
lows building A temporary lease
of these quarters has been secured
and the offices are now functioning
| as before. All of the records which
had been accumulated during the
past seventeen years. including
tariffs and important and valuable
freight correspondence, went up in
flames.
DR.. D. d. Griffin is temporarily
located in the Office OF DR.. w. II.
Eubanks in the First State Bank
building.
Mr.. A. J. Rombach and Dr. c. D.
Goodwin have leased the quarters
formerly occupied by the Chamber
of Commerce in the First State Bank
/ building
The d. 5. Pate Lumber Company
is located in the Stone Arcade build
ing on South Market street.
Messrs. L. Marx and Julius Marx
will have temporary offices in the
First state Bank building.
Mr. Gus Hauser has offices In the
second floor OF the Lide Drug Store
building on South Market street.