The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-26
ATHENS ALREADY PLANS RERUN. .D|NG
 OF RAzED SECTION
Fire Ragged for Hours Destroy ing Block and Half and
 Causing Damage of Two Million
By Associated Press

Athers, Ga, January 25.-Plans for rebuilding the stores and offices swept away today in Athens s2,000,000 fire were being made by business men late today. while smoke and steam still partly obscured the gaunt skeletons of brick and iron that were left of some of the city's largest buildings.
 The fire beginning at midnight ragged for hours before it was brought under control and destroyed block and half with heavy damage in ad- joining blocks. Its origin remained a $ great a mystery tonight as when it broke out.
 The first blaze was seen issuing from the Max Joseph building, accord ing to Police Chief Henry w. Beusse, who agreed with most officials in the belief that the fire originated in the real of this building. Explosions, be- lieved to be from gasoline drums in the house of Denny Motor company in, the building, bulged the walls and hurled flames in all directions. The fire came within a block of the historic Buildings of the University of Georgia, but none of them was damaged.
 The block destroyed was bounded by Jackson, Clayton, Wall and Broad streets, with heavy damage on two sides of this square and loss to prop erSy every store on the other two sides. Ealiing walls added to the danger of firefighters, but the only injury re- corded was that to Fire Chief George NV. ,McDorman. 54. who fell from ladder. He was taken to hospital with severe cuts and bruises on his face and head but was said to be rest ing easier tonight.
 ATLANTANS ASSIST
 Fire apparatus and IS firemen, head ed by Chief w. E. Cody, were rushed from Atlanta on a special train and the Atlantans spent the day in pour ing water on the ruins and pushing down dangerous walls.
 Mayor Andrew c. Erwin and Hugh J. Rowe, newspaper publisher and former mayor, in agreeing on an estimate of s2,OU0,00O damage, both told of plans Of Athens business men affected to re- build. M. G. Michael of Michael Broth CTS. whose large wholesale and retail drygoods establishments was de- stroyed. announced that his. firm opened negotiations with architects to- day for rebuilding the five-story struc- ture that housed their wholesale de- partment and the three-story building adjoining, where they did retail busi- ness. Mr. Michael also said that tenn rorary quarters would be rented and business resumed as soon as possible.
 This company was the heaviest loser and wEile members of the firm hesi- tated to name their loss, they said they lad large stock of spring goods on hand. Other Athens business men esti- mated the Michaels firms loss, includ- ing the buildings, at we'll towards s1,- 00u,000. Other heavy losers, according to today's unofficial estimates by Athens men, were Sol J. Boley, dry goods. $75.000; Denny Motor company, S50,000; D. L. Und, drygoods, $3O,00u, and numbers of others ranging in amounts from few thousand to fif- teen or twenty thousand. The losses generally were fairly we'll protected by insurance, but the larger losers said they were not in position to give the , exact amount of protection they had.