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Show FLAMES SWEEP CITY OF MOBILE Famous Hostelry Is Destroyed. Fire Is Beyond Control of Firemen, and Is Still Spreading. Losses Up to 3 O'clock Thi3 (Monday) Morning Estimated at Million Dollars. MOBILE. Ala., Feb. 12. Losses estimated esti-mated at a million dollars havo been caused by a lire that tonight left the famous fa-mous Battle house a ruin and swept on to buildings adjoining. One person was killed and several scrloualy Injured. Tho blaze was discovered shortly before 11 p. m Sunday, and at 3 o'clock this morning the firemen were still llghtlng'thc flames, which apparently were still beyond control. con-trol. Flames Spread Quickly. The llro broke out In tome unoccupied rooms over the kitchen of the Battle house, which, although an old hostelry, was ope of the largest In the South. The flames spread so quickly that a number of guests lost all their belongings nnd not a few of those on thc fifth floor were compelled com-pelled In take to the lire escapes In their night clothes Brave Elevator Boys. Two elevator boys. Joseph Parks and Bernard Conslantlne. stuck to their posts until all the guests had been gotten out ulthough the elevators caught lire and the youngsters were burned about the face and hands Electric Lights Shut Off. An hour after the fire started all tho electric lights In the business jiortlon of tho city went out, due partly to the turning turn-ing off the power to save the firemen from danger and partly to save one of the main feed wires being broken. Another Hotel Threatened. At 2-o'clock a. in. lhellre was burning fiercely, threatening' tho Commcrclal'lintel adjoining. All the guests escaped, leaving leav-ing their properly In the hotel An extension exten-sion of the fire Is also threatened on the East Side. The loss on the Battle house will be a quarter of a million dollars, and William V. Izard, the proprietor, states that half of this Is covered by Insurance. |