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On Friday morning it was estimated that there were between 100 and 200 people homeless in the vie of Plateau, three miles north of Mobile, which was visited by a destructive fire late Thursday afternoon which leveled to ashes thirty-seven buildings, includ ing dwellings, three stores and the building of the Plateau Normal and In dustrial Institute, a negro institu tion. All the homes destroyed were the property of negroes. Plateau is somewhat isolated and without any fire protection whatever and the occupants of the dwellings could do nothing but recover part of their possessions and watch their homes go up in smoke. The homeless people were made comfortable in the houses of the residents of the place that were not burned. The loss on the buildings, all of which, were mostly small one-story frame houses, is esti mated between $25,000 and $40,000, with very little insurance. Fire was first discovered about 4 o’clock Thursday afternoon in the home of J. Gidden, in the southwest part of Plateau, and although several bucket brigades made a desperate effort to stop the blaze the fire in a few min utes was beyond the control of the fire fighters and house after house was quickly consumed. The smoke and flames from the fire could be seen for several miles and in a short time resi dents of Prichard, Magazine Point and Whistler, hurried to the scene to give their assistance, but the fight was futile, as the wind was high and the fuel for the flames was all wood, the buildings burning like tinder. Brick Dwelling Checks Fire. The only check to the conflagration was the brick store of William Murray in the northern part of the place. At this point the fire-fighters with buckets and all kinds of pails succeeded in, beat ing back the blaze and several house were saved by energetic work. The fire was prevented from going any fur ther east by a large vacant space, but on the west the flames traveled from house to house until the last one was reached. While the fire was raging, the women and children devoted their time to saving the household effects and in this manner much was saved. Plateau was visited by a destructive fire two years ago, when over thirty houses were burned, together with a great portion of the tents. A delegation of the leading residents of Plateau was expected in the city some time Friday for the purpose of soliciting relief from the people of Mo vile. Decision to take this action was made at the fire on Thursday night department, was asked for assistance in fighting the fire, but, on account of the lack of water facilities at the place, it was useless to send out any of the iwo apparatus. Dr. W. Cawthon of Plateau, who operates the drug store just west of the village proper, stated on Friday morning that, in his opinion, over 100 people were made homeless by the fire and that owing to the fact that many of the male residents had been without employment for weeks some relief would have to be solicited from the cit izens of Mobile. Is Scene of Desolation. The scene of the fire presented a desolate appearance on Friday morn ing. Hundreds of men, women and children gathered around their house hold effects and wept bitterly over their loss. The kind neighbors who were fortunate in not losing their homes by fire, not only provided a sleeping place for the unfortunate ones, but also served them with meals and assisted in arranging what household effects were saved from the flames. Matilda Harris was one of the heaviest losers at the fire, as ten small dwellings that she recently erected went up in the big blaze, with prac tically no insurance. Some of these places were unoccupied. A freak in cident of the fire was the saving of a house right in the midst of the fire zone, the home of I. J. Whitley, prin cipal of the normal school. Houses all around this structure were burned to the very ground, while this dwelling stood unharmed. Only Stacks Remain. Only thirty-seven chimney stacks remained Friday morning of the dwell ings that housed a large part of the population of Plateau Thursday. A few houses, among them that of Pro fessor Whitley, were only damaged, but in most cases the destruction was complete. The entire student body of the school turned out to help fight the fire in bucket brigades, and practically every able-bodied person in the vil lage took a hand as well. No one was hurt in the excitement attending the fire. The fire raged from 4 o'clock Thurs day afternoon until midnight, when the wind decreased and there was no further spread owing to sparks. The house in which the fire started was owned by Sage, Burgett Yuille, real estate agents. Public Hall Destroyed. Harris Hall, a two-story structure in which was located the public audi torium of Plateau, was one of the larg est buildings destroyed. The brick store of W. M. Murray, which was sup posed to be fireproof, was sought as a place of safety for personal belongings of many of those whose dwellings burned, but the contents of the build ing were ignited by flames coming through the windows,and the building was badly damaged, though the walls remained intact. Matilda Harris, who owned an entire row of dwellings, ten in number, which were destroyed, became frantic during the fire, and Friday was said to be very sick. A number of animals perished in the flames, among which were household pets. Much of the unguarded property that was removed from the burning buildings was stolen. Several families who lost their dwell ings in the fire were housed in barns Friday, and vans were employed in moving furniture and household prop erty. Two invalids,who were carried out of a burning hones are being cared for in one of the barns.
Newspaper Details
The Mobile Item
Mobile, Alabama, US
Fri, Mar 26, 1915
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Erica P.
USA 14 Jun 2026
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