Warehouse Fire at Macon

Warehouse Fire at Macon

A fire of unknown origin that must have been burning for quite a long time in the warehouse of Heard Brothers, located in the eastern section of Macon. Ga., was first seen by some railroad men at about 2.45 a. m. The building in which the blaze broke out was of brick, though only one-story, occupied quite a large space—100 feet by 255 feet—on a street whose width in front of the damaged property was 120 feet. On this street was laid a 6-inch main with three 4-inch stem, double hydrants set upon it at a distance of 500 feet between each. The interior of the warehouse was filled with cotton, of which there were 412 hales in storage, and a quantity of acidphosphate rock. Notwithstanding the presence of so much inflammable matter in the shape of cotton, the building was not equipped with any fire preventive apparatus in the shape of sprinklers. nor was there any private means of fire protection, and being only a one-story structure it needed no fire escapes, the ordinary exist in the shape of three large doors opening on the street, some on the railroad platform on the north side, and a small door at the east end opening on to or cross street separating the warehouse from the gas plant to affording sufficient means of safety tor the employes. On the south side were two small wooden houses, one at each end: at the west end was a 20-foot alley, separating the building from the Southern Ice & Coal Company’s engine and boiler room, which again was cut off by a narrow alley from a residence. Between the doors opening at the west side on the railroad platform was one window altogether unprotected. The warehouse itself was comparatively new, having been built about 2 1/2 years and was in nowise different from the ordinary type of such structures. The proximity to the gas plant, however, at the cast end and the boiler and engine room of the ice company at the west formed elements of danger and called for a strong force of men and apparatus to fight the flames. The alarm was turned in at 2.45 a. m. and brought out a Webb auto pump, two AmericanLa France auto pumps, an American-La France chemical engine and a hook and ladder truck of the same make. When the department reached the fire the whole building was a mass of flames. At the eastern end the roof had fallen in; the two large doors on the railroad platform, the end door and the rear door had been burned out and the flames were issuing in great volume through the open spaces where the doors had been. They had gained such headway from the fact of there being no regular watchman kept on the premises to detect a fire in its incipient stage. The warehouse also was used only by extra storage and no regular employes were kept on during the day. as the firm's regular place of business was in another part of the city. The probabilities are that someone who had been on the premises early in theday before had not been careful enough while going around among the cotton bales and had dropped a non-outed match or a still burning cigarette butt near or on them. The fire thus started would smoulder for hours before it broke in flame, and from the isolated position of the warehouse and its lack of windows would burn on unhindered and unseen till it finally broke out as it did through the roof and doorway. When the department arrived it found no hindrance in the way of fighting the blaze. The way all around was clear and the water pressure from the 6-inch main system, direct-pumping was sufficient to supply the engine. The pressure at the three hydrants used was 40 pounds. The streams thrown at one time. 6; simultaneously came through 3,200 feet of cotton, rubber-lined hose, not one length of which burst, during the whole time it was in use (from the nature of the contents and owing to the headway the flames had obtained before they were discovered, it was a “quick fire" and only engine streams were thrown and no special fire tools were employed, the nozzle used being l 1/8-inch). The loss was somewhat heavy. The value of the building destroyed was $10,000; damage 75 per cent.; of the cotton, $25,500; balance of stock, $12,500; damage, $40,000. That the total amount of damage was not much higher and that the salvage was as great as it was, arose, first, from the good work of the firemen, secondly, from the rapidity with which the auto apparatus reached the scene and got to work.

A fire of unknown origin that must have been burning for quite a long time in the warehouse of Heard Brothers, located in the eastern section of Macon. Ga., was first seen by some railroad men at about 2.45 a. m. The building in which the blaze broke out was of brick, though only one-story, occupied quite a large space—100 feet by 255 feet—on a street whose width in front of the damaged property was 120 feet. On this street was laid a 6-inch main with three 4-inch stem, double hydrants set upon it at a distance of 500 feet between each. The interior of the warehouse was filled with cotton, of which there were 412 hales in storage, and a quantity of acidphosphate rock. Notwithstanding the presence of so much inflammable matter in the shape of cotton, the building was not equipped with any fire preventive apparatus in the shape of sprinklers. nor was there any private means of fire protection, and being only a one-story structure it needed no fire escapes, the ordinary exist in the shape of three large doors opening on the street, some on the railroad platform on the north side, and a small door at the east end opening on to or cross street separating the warehouse from the gas plant to affording sufficient means of safety tor the employes. On the south side were two small wooden houses, one at each end: at the west end was a 20-foot alley, separating the building from the Southern Ice & Coal Company’s engine and boiler room, which again was cut off by a narrow alley from a residence. Between the doors opening at the west side on the railroad platform was one window altogether unprotected. The warehouse itself was comparatively new, having been built about 2 1/2 years and was in nowise different from the ordinary type of such structures. The proximity to the gas plant, however, at the cast end and the boiler and engine room of the ice company at the west formed elements of danger and called for a strong force of men and apparatus to fight the flames. The alarm was turned in at 2.45 a. m. and brought out a Webb auto pump, two AmericanLa France auto pumps, an American-La France chemical engine and a hook and ladder truck of the same make. When the department reached the fire the whole building was a mass of flames. At the eastern end the roof had fallen in; the two large doors on the railroad platform, the end door and the rear door had been burned out and the flames were issuing in great volume through the open spaces where the doors had been. They had gained such headway from the fact of there being no regular watchman kept on the premises to detect a fire in its incipient stage. The warehouse also was used only by extra storage and no regular employes were kept on during the day. as the firm's regular place of business was in another part of the city. The probabilities are that someone who had been on the premises early in theday before had not been careful enough while going around among the cotton bales and had dropped a non-outed match or a still burning cigarette butt near or on them. The fire thus started would smoulder for hours before it broke in flame, and from the isolated position of the warehouse and its lack of windows would burn on unhindered and unseen till it finally broke out as it did through the roof and doorway. When the department arrived it found no hindrance in the way of fighting the blaze. The way all around was clear and the water pressure from the 6-inch main system, direct-pumping was sufficient to supply the engine. The pressure at the three hydrants used was 40 pounds. The streams thrown at one time. 6; simultaneously came through 3,200 feet of cotton, rubber-lined hose, not one length of which burst, during the whole time it was in use (from the nature of the contents and owing to the headway the flames had obtained before they were discovered, it was a “quick fire" and only engine streams were thrown and no special fire tools were employed, the nozzle used being l 1/8-inch). The loss was somewhat heavy. The value of the building destroyed was $10,000; damage 75 per cent.; of the cotton, $25,500; balance of stock, $12,500; damage, $40,000. That the total amount of damage was not much higher and that the salvage was as great as it was, arose, first, from the good work of the firemen, secondly, from the rapidity with which the auto apparatus reached the scene and got to work.