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Atlanta, Ga. May 22—From
10,000 to 15,000 persons are homeless from
yesterday’s fire that swept approximately
seventy-five blocks of residence
property and caused a loss of $3,500,000,
it was estimated today. Preparations
have been made to feed 5,000 destitute.
Atlanta went to work today to care
for the destitute persons from 3,000
homes. The fire that raged yesterday
afternoon and last night thruout seventy-five
blocks and was stopped only
after the dynamiting of the beautiful
homes on Ponce de Leon avenue. The
property loss was estimated at more
than $3,000,000.
The fire started in a warehouse on
Decatur and Fort streets and drove
first north and then northeast, at some
points a block wide, and at times half
a mile in width. It crossed Ponce de
Leon avenue at one point and swept
down the boulevard for a block. On the
south side of Ponce de Leon avenue, a
wide residence street, the burned area
extended from North Jackson street,
some seven blocks east of Peachtree
street, the principal business section,
out almost to the baseball park.
It was the greatest fire in
history since the civil war days when
General Sherman, terming the city
the “backbone of the Confederacy” decreed
that it should be burned. In
property loss the fire yesterday was
greater for the city General Sherman
destroyed had only 10,000 inhabitants.
Destitute persons from the burned
area, which included negro homes and
costly residences of white people, were
cared for by the local Red Cross and
the associated charities. Hundreds were
fed last night and today.
Outside Aid Not Needed.
Mayor Candler and President Ivan
E. Allen, of the local chamber of commerce,
have agreed that no outside aid
would be needed. Both expressed thier
appreciation of scores of telegrams
telegraphed to them.
Only one person is known to have
died from the fire. Mrs. Bessie Hodges
died of shock after her home was destroyed.
Injuries were remarkably few.
When the flames began advancing
northward they drove before them hundreds
of persons. Automobile trucks,
express wagons and every conceivable
vehicle were pressed into service to save
personal belongings.
Troops Take Charge.
It was not until the fire reached
within a block or two of Pence de Leon
avenue, an hour before darkness fell,
that order began to come out of the
confusion. National guardsmen and
men from the officers’ training camp
at Fort McPherson took charge of the
situation. After this the abandoning
of homes was carried out consistently.
The soldiers remained on duty all
night.