Evening star., 1921-11-26
AUGUSTA|SSWEPT
BYS2o)0,olOF|RE
Two. Buildings and Hotel
Total Loss and Other
Structures Damaged.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
AUGUSTA, Ga. November 26.-Nearly
one-half of the 700 block of Broad
street, in the heart of Augustus busi-
ness section, stands a mass of ruins
this morning, as the result of fire
that started at '1:45 o'clock in the
Johnson building. corner Jackson and
Broad streets. and rapidly ate its way
through the Harrison building and the
Albion Hotel and one section of the
]. B. White & Co. department store.
Loss to buildings and stocks is es-
timated at approximately 100000
as the building loss alone will run
around a million and a half dollars.
The entire eastern side of the 200
block of Jackson street. which is a
part of the Johnson building, is to-
tally destroyed.
The following buildings were in the
path of the fire: johnson building.
total loss; Harrison building. total
loss; Albion Hotel, total loss, and
Genesta Hotel, partly burned.
Chronicle Burned Out.
The Augusta Chronicle. local morn
ing newspaper, the quarters of which
were a part of the Harrison building,
is also a total loss.
The J. B. White & Co. store.
which is in the same building as the
Albion Hotel, was partly burned and
there is water damage throughout.
Chief Fireman Frank G. Reynolds
stated this morning that, in his opin-
ion the fire in the 400 block of Jack
son street had no connection with the
main fire, although heavy sparks
fell thick and fast in that section.
This fire, which was nearly two
blocks away from the main fire, re-
suited in three buildings, owned by
Henry Cumming. being entirely gut
ted. The occupants of these places
were A. H.. Mcdaniel, Bell Tailoring
Company and Thomas Motor Com
pany.
The origin of the fire is not def
nitely known this morning. Two men
in a shoe shine parlor in the Hari-
son building Friday afternoon, whose
names were not learned. stated that
they smelled fire. and it is believed
that the blaze was smoldering in the
johnson building, adjoining. at that
time.
With his entire fire-fighting force
on the scene shortly after o'clock
Chief Reynolds realized that the fire
was beyond control and he sent out
hurried calls to Savannah, Atlanta
Macon, Columbia, Charleston, Aiken
and Waynesboro for assistance. Chief
May and a force of men from Colum-
bia arrived with a fire truck after the
fire was under control. Chief Aldrich
and eleven men came here from
Aiken, arriving about $3.50 o'clock.
making the run from Aiken, a dis
tance of twenty-three miles, in twen-
ty-fiye minutes.
Aiken Force Arrives.
The gallant little force from Aiken
joined the Augusta force at time
when it appeared that the entire
block was doomed. and Chief Rey-
nolds of Augusta states this morning
that the Genesta Hotel would proba-
by have been destroyed but for the
assistance of the Aiken force. The
Aiken firemen also kept the fire from
spreading into the 500 block Of Broad
street, the Genesta Hotel being the
only building in that block damaged
to any extent by fire.
The places of business destroyed on
Broad street were: Liggett's drug
store. F. F. Ferris & Co., John j. Mil
Ier & Co., Gardelle's drug store, AL
bion Hotel, mems clothing depart
ment of ]. B. White & Co.
A terrific explosion occurred just
after the fire started, but 1t has not
been determined what caused it, as 1t
appeared to occur upon sthe third or
fourth floor of the johnson building
which is occupied entirely by offices.
Despite the early hour the entire
city appeared to have been aroused
and thousands were gathered about
the scaIe