Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-08-20


combustion. such as would resul, from the burning Of
wood Defines a volume Of hre, yoleanolike, burst forth
from particular parts Of the brndipg Is n the sudden nm.
shot OF some high eombustible matter which had ms,
caught the FIRE.
TWAS just such a gush, or rather explosion. as vopll
DO produced by aald gas, which exhausts its material In
one sudden ebulition. IL darted through the general
name' retaining its volume and vividness till Il passed bivb
above the devastating scene.
There was comparatively no water thrown upon tho
main building, and, in fact very little use In doing 50. /,
u uue' mese was beside tho factory an ineIhaustble wa.
Ter Sonrco-'he canal running within a few yards Of it,
but no time was left to render any elertion. The exi.t-
snce OF the fire in every section OF the building WA al
most contemporaneOus from the beginning, and 4, would
be just as possible to ~cxtinguish IT, mar, even at IL. v,oL.
est point, with the Pieayrns engines Of this city. as TO
change the course Of the moon. The streams from soma
OF them were not unlike the discharge from a kettle pine.
anu the effect very little better than could be produced by
such n iotce-that Is, next to nothing. And this wbue a
BODY OF fremen as brave, courageous, energetic and mr..
o'hR as any city in the Union eau boast Of were exhaust.
Jug themselves in fruiless endeavors, encountering dan
gers and exposing themselves to a degree which woulI
make one 'hudder to look upon. W. have already no.
ueed at considerable length the insunicieucy of the engines
OF this city to render any service ON such n N .uo,,sn.x
Every one VINO witnessed the operations on Thursday
nigh' VIII Judge oil tho propriety Of our remarks.
Inc gable walls oil the factory, and most OF the main or
sue walls gave way AZ different intervals during the fire,
falling with an immense crash upon the bridge. In from, n,
the building, and dashing them to pieces. The gas pines
within the concern became opened aud evacuated their
contents into the general ruin. AS this occurred. n loud
laundering noise was heard, which frightened hundred.
from tho scene from an apprehension that il might have
been something which was apt to explode, and spread do.
struction far from the place. The Gro vi from that TINA
stood at a secure distance from the fire.
The Hour mill Of Mr.. Haxal, situated within a few
yards oil the factory, n Trowly escaped a like fate. Il was
preserved by the most strenuous cxertions. The building
was entered from inside, and by means Of wet sheets aus.
pended along the gable next the fire, and the continual
discharge Of water from inside with buckets, the building
was preserved.
Mr.. Haxal is President of the Company to which IN.
WOODEN Factory belonged, aud largely interested in it
The business was conducted under the superintendetce of
Mr. John Warehouse.
Tho aggregate loss is estimated at $50, 900. whle the
insurance does not exceed ST., 900. The building WA.
insured in the Richmond Fire Association for Is .OOo-in
he virginia Fire and Marine Insurance Company is, 900:
In the Etna and Protection $4,000; in the Petersburg Firs
and Marine Insurance Office 5000; and in ss other Offices
in New forkS 200 each. Loss, not covered by insurance
lOS, 900.
Iii ascertained, upon the strictest investigation as to
tue probable origin OF the fire, that it was caused by Light
ming.
A tee on a small island situated Ia the river, and with
IN a lew yards Of the factory, WAS shattered to piece. by
the electric hu'd, aud hence the presumption that it must
have communicated the fire to this building. No .ah.r
probable cause could be asccrtained. There was no Dos
s'ble contact OF fire with the building that could be pre-
sumed. So well satisfied were those concerned in il Of
that fact, that before the condition of the tree from this
cause was detected, the origin of the fire was ascribed to
the electric agency. Its very probable, under the circum-
stances.
We cannot venture to form any estimate of the los,
prospectively. That is more than our knowledge of the
working Of this extensive concern could warrant. The
sad result throws many individuals of both sexes out Of
employment.